Jordan Chiles Faces Online Racism Following Medal Dispute at Paris 2024 Olympics

US gymnast Jordan Chiles has been subjected to online racist abuse after the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) awarded Romania’s Ana Barbosu the bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise at the Paris 2024 Olympics, overturning Chiles’ previous medal status.

The controversy began when Chiles, 23, was initially upgraded from fifth to third place following an appeal by her coach, Cecile Landi, which increased Chiles’ difficulty rating. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later ruled in favor of reinstating Barbosu to third place, demoting Chiles back to fourth. CAS has since refused to review its decision and condemned what it described as “outrageous statements” accusing the panel of bias, including claims that the head of the CAS panel had connections to Romania.

Chiles has publicly expressed her frustration and heartbreak over the decision, describing it as “unjust.” She has faced a wave of racist attacks on social media, which she denounced as “extremely hurtful” in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). Chiles, who is proud of representing her culture and country, emphasized the personal impact of the abuse, saying she has poured her heart into the sport.

Chiles was part of the US team, which included Simone Biles, that won gold in the women’s team gymnastics event. Despite USA Gymnastics’ efforts to challenge the CAS decision, citing new video evidence that they claimed proved the challenge was timely, the request for reconsideration was denied.

USA Gymnastics had requested CAS to re-evaluate the decision, arguing that the new evidence showed Landi’s request was filed within the permissible time frame. They also contended that CAS had sent important case filings to incorrect email addresses, causing delays in their response. However, CAS rejected the appeal on Monday, leaving Chiles without her bronze medal.

Chiles expressed confidence in the appeal process and indicated that she would continue to fight for justice. USA Gymnastics expressed strong disagreement with CAS’s decision and vowed to pursue further actions to rectify the situation.

The women’s floor final took place on August 5, and Romania’s appeal was lodged the following day. USA Gymnastics claims they were not informed of the case until August 9, which they argue was after the deadline to submit objections related to the panelists.

In response to the ongoing controversy, USA Gymnastics has submitted additional documentation, including a letter and video, to support their claim that Landi’s inquiry was filed just seconds after the initial score was published. Despite these efforts, CAS has upheld its decision, prompting USA Gymnastics to announce that they will continue to seek justice for Chiles.

The situation highlights the ongoing struggles athletes face with administrative disputes and the impact of social media abuse, underscoring the need for continued efforts to address both procedural fairness and online harassment in sports.