Jordan Chiles Granted Appeal Granted Over Olympic Bronze Medal Ruling

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Jordan Chiles is still going for bronze.

After nearly two years of legal battles following a disputed bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a Swiss court has sent the case back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The athlete initially won the medal, but it was taken away because her coach was accused of missing the deadline to challenge the scoring. Now, CAS will review the case again after the Swiss Federal Supreme Court approved her appeal.

Okay, so basically, the tribunal said – and I was reading every word, obviously – that there’s a real chance this video from August 5th could completely change everything! They think the CAS (that’s the Court of Arbitration for Sport, for anyone who doesn’t know, and I do know!) might look at it and realize the question they asked about Jordan Chiles was actually made within the one-minute limit. It’s a tiny detail, I know, but it’s HUGE! If they see that video, it could swing the whole decision in Jordan’s favor! I’m telling you, this video is everything. It could rewrite history!

Okay, so I’ve been following this so closely, and apparently the judges totally shot down Jordan’s appeal! It all comes down to the head judge in the arbitration – it turns out he’d done some work for the Romanian government! Can you believe it? That’s the country Ana Bârbosu is from – she’s the one who ended up with the medal, and honestly, it just feels… rigged. They’re saying it’s a conflict of interest, and I completely agree! It’s just not fair to the other athletes.

Jordan’s legal team is nonetheless hailing the decision as a victory.

Attorney Maurice Suh stated that they are thrilled the Swiss Federal Supreme Court corrected an error and will allow Jordan to regain her bronze medal. The Court acknowledged definitive video proof showing Jordan rightfully earned the bronze.

When asked in February 2025 about potentially joining Team USA, she said she hadn’t made a decision yet. She explained that she’s taking things one step at a time, evaluating her options year by year and month by month, to see what happens.

She couldn’t share many details about her efforts to get her medal back, but she assured everyone that her lawyers were working hard on the issue. She also stated she’ll always persevere and strive to be her best, as that’s simply part of her character.

For a deeper dive on Jordan’s bronze medal controversy, read on. 

We’re pleased the Court acknowledged the tight deadline and issues with how she was notified prevented Jordan from sharing this crucial evidence last August. We’re also glad Jordan will now have a proper chance to defend her bronze medal.

TopMob News has reached out to Jordan’s legal team for comment but has not yet heard back.

While many athletes are already looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Jordan is concentrating on the present, recently achieving third place on Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars.

When asked in February 2025 about potentially joining Team USA, she said she hadn’t made a decision yet. She explained she’s taking things one step at a time and will evaluate her options as time goes on.

She explained that she couldn’t share many details about trying to get her medal back, but she was confident her lawyers were working hard on it. She added that she’ll always persevere and strive to be her best, as that’s simply part of her nature.

For a deeper dive on Jordan’s bronze medal controversy, read on. 

Just a week after the U.S. women’s gymnastics team won gold at the 2024 Olympics, Jordan Chiles competed in the individual floor exercise final hoping to earn her own medal. As the last gymnast to perform, she needed to score higher than Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade (14.166), teammate Simone Biles (14.133), and Romania’s Ana Barbosu (13.700) to finish in the top three. Chiles performed a routine inspired by Beyoncé and received a score of 13.666, which placed her fifth.

After her initial score was posted, Simone Biles’ coaches questioned a deduction on one of her skills. This process, called an inquiry, allows teams to challenge a score verbally, followed by a written request before the next gymnast competes. There’s a one-minute time limit to submit the inquiry if the gymnast is the last to perform.

The challenge concerned a specific leap called the tour jeté full, which hadn’t been fully credited in earlier rounds. According to gymnastics analyst John Roethlisberger, Biles’ coaches, Cecile and Laurent Landi, felt her performance of the skill was better in the final and decided to challenge the score.

After reviewing the routine, the judges agreed with the inquiry, awarding Biles an additional 0.1 points, which raised her final score to 13.766 and secured her third place.

Chiles was thrilled to win the bronze medal, even crying tears of joy when she saw the final scores. Unfortunately, Barbosu, who had been celebrating her own performance with a Romanian flag, dropped off the podium as a result.

Okay, so after the event at Bercy Arena, and honestly, it was a really emotional moment – I saw Barbosu leaving in tears. She quickly took to Instagram to share her feelings with everyone. She expressed her gratitude for all the supportive messages she’d received and announced she’s going to step away from social media for a little while to recharge. It’s good to see her prioritizing her well-being!

Chiles described the incredible feeling of winning the bronze medal. “It was such an emotional moment, and I was thinking about so many things,” she shared on Good Morning America. “I was incredibly proud of my performance. Ana Barbosu is a fantastic gymnast who has achieved so much, and I’m proud of her too.”

Coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi responded to accusations of cheating after a social media user claimed the U.S. coaches helped Chiles win a medal. In an Instagram post, she explained that Chiles’ highest possible score on floor exercise was a 5.9, but she received a 5.8 in earlier rounds, which wasn’t challenged because some elements weren’t fully completed.

However, during the finals, Canqueteau-Landi felt Chiles performed better and, with nothing to lose, she asked judges to review the score. She was surprised when the review was accepted, allowing Chiles to win the bronze medal.

Canqueteau-Landi emphasized that she didn’t take anything from anyone, but simply advocated for her athlete. While she sympathized with the Romanian gymnast who was affected by the score change, she stated that’s part of the sport and urged people to respect the result and acknowledge Chiles’ achievement. She proudly affirmed that Chiles earned her first individual Olympic medal.

I was absolutely ecstatic when they announced the results, but it quickly turned into a nightmare! The Romanian Federation just couldn’t let it go – they filed appeals for Barbosu and especially Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who deserved so much better than fourth place. They were saying the challenge about Chiles came way too late, and that Sabrina was unfairly penalized 0.1 for her execution – it was outrageous! And then, get this, even Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was furious! He announced he wouldn’t even go to the Closing Ceremony because he said our girls were treated disgracefully. It’s just… unbelievable. They deserved better, and I’m still so upset about how everything went down!

A few days later, Chiles’ mother, Gina, publicly denounced the hateful and racist comments she was seeing online. She posted on X, stating she was frustrated by those who claim racism is a thing of the past. She explained that her daughter is a celebrated Olympian known for her kindness and exceptional sportsmanship, and doesn’t deserve to be subjected to such abuse.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of Barbosu, determining that Chiles’ challenge regarding her score was submitted too late—after the one-minute deadline. This means Chiles’ original score of 13.666 will be restored. The court also rejected an appeal from Maneca-Voinea concerning a penalty she received.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has now updated the results to reflect Chiles’ reinstated score.

USA Gymnastics expressed disappointment with the ruling, stating they filed the inquiry about the difficulty of Chiles’ routine in good faith and believing it followed FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.

USA Gymnastics also condemned the “baseless and hurtful” attacks Chiles has received on social media throughout the appeal process, emphasizing that no athlete should be subjected to such treatment. They praised Chiles’ integrity and reaffirmed their support for her.

American gymnasts Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera have all voiced their support for fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles. Carey shared on Instagram, stating that athletes shouldn’t be penalized for others’ errors, and expressing her pride in Chiles’ accomplishments as an Olympic champion. In Romania, Prime Minister Ciolacu celebrated the decision to restore Larisa Iordache to third place, posting on Facebook that “Justice has been served.”

Okay, so here’s the latest from the Olympics. It’s a bit of a complicated situation, but basically, the Court of Arbitration for Sport made a ruling regarding a gymnastics competition. Because of that ruling and a change in the official rankings, the International Olympic Committee has decided that Ana Barbosu of Romania will now receive the bronze medal in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final. That means unfortunately, Chile will need to return her bronze medal. We’re working with both the Romanian and US Olympic committees to arrange the medal reallocation ceremony and the return process.

As a long-time athlete and observer of the Games, I’ve been really reflecting on everything that’s happened recently. I immediately reached out to Sabrina and Jordan, letting them know I was thinking of them. I truly understand what they’re going through – I’ve faced similar challenges myself. But I have no doubt they’ll come back even stronger. Honestly, my biggest dream is to see all three of us standing on the podium together at the next Olympics! What’s so frustrating is that this whole situation could have been avoided if everyone had just followed the rules. It’s unfair that athletes are getting the blame and facing so much negativity – it’s really hurtful. I always hoped we could finish the Paris 2024 Games embodying the true spirit of Olympism and its values, and it’s disappointing that didn’t happen.

USA Gymnastics argued that its inquiry regarding Simone Biles’ score was submitted on time, and claimed to have proof. They stated that Head Coach Cecile Landi requested the inquiry 47 seconds after the score was published – within the one-minute deadline set by the gymnastics governing body, FIG.

On August 11th, USA Gymnastics submitted a letter and video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to support their claim and requested that the court overturn its previous ruling and restore Biles’ bronze medal score of 13.766.

The video evidence, which wasn’t available before the initial decision, shows Landi making her request 47 seconds after the score appeared, and a follow-up statement 55 seconds after. USA Gymnastics explained they couldn’t have submitted the video earlier because they didn’t have access to it at the time.

The day after sending a letter and video, USA Gymnastics learned that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) wouldn’t reconsider its decision, even with new evidence. USAG expressed deep disappointment, stating they would continue to explore all options, including appealing to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to make sure Jordan Chiles receives a fair score, placement, and medal.

Barbosu was awarded the bronze medal in a ceremony held at her home country of Romania. 

Speaking to reporters after the award ceremony, she shared her thoughts were with Sabrina and Jordan. She described the current situation as challenging, filled with uncertainty and strong feelings, and emphasized that she and her team had acted appropriately at the Olympics.

Chiles’ lawyers appealed to Switzerland’s highest court, hoping to reverse the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that caused her to lose her bronze medal.

As someone who’s followed this case closely, it’s become clear this isn’t just about a medal. Representing this gymnast, we’re really focused on making sure the Olympic system changes. We want to create a safer, fairer environment for all future athletes, so no one else has to go through what she did. It’s about protecting the next generation and ensuring they can compete without facing similar hardships.

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2026-01-29 23:20