Simone Biles’ Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

As a former athlete myself, I can empathize with Jordan Chiles and Sabrina Barbosu in this heartrending situation. The Olympics, the pinnacle of athletic achievement, should be a celebration of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and the true spirit of Olympism. Yet, it seems that bureaucratic technicalities have cast a shadow over their well-deserved triumphs.


Jordan Chiles is looking at a new way to regain the bronze. 

Following the loss of her bronze medal in the women’s gymnastics floor event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, lawyers for the gymnast have filed a fresh appeal with the Swiss Federal Supreme Court on September 16th, presenting video evidence that suggests her coach submitted her score query within the required timeframe.

The recently submitted court papers contain clips from Simone Biles’ upcoming Netflix documentary, “Simone Biles: Rising,” which reportedly reveals that her coach Cecile Landi inquired about a score review to adjust the difficulty score of the 23-year-old during the Aug. 5 competition, as claimed by People magazine. The revised score placed Biles ahead of Romania’s Ana Barbosu for third place; however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport determined that this inquiry was made beyond the allowed 60-second mark, rendering Chiles’ updated score invalid and officially declaring Barbosu as the bronze medal winner once more.

In the video provided by Chiles’ lawyer, Katie Walsh, from Religion of Sports and the director of Simone’s docuseries, stated that they have evidence showing the precise moment Landi submitted the inquiry, which was allegedly 49 seconds following the announcement of the results.

As a lifestyle expert, I was captivated by the heartwarming moment in the footage where Chiles rushed to embrace her coach just 15 seconds following the announcement of the results. The account suggests that Chiles made an oral objection for the first time, distinctly and audibly, exactly 49 seconds later.

Additionally, Chiles and her team are optimistic that she might regain her bronze medal, but they also aim for the new decision to bring about broader changes.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

In a press statement, Gibson Dunn, the attorney for the Olympian, expressed that this appeal goes beyond just the bronze medal. Chiles is fighting her case with the aim of inspiring the whole Olympic community to implement measures that prevent future athletes from going through a similar predicament.

As a lifestyle expert, I would rephrase it this way: According to reports, it has been claimed that the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) allegedly infringed upon my right to due process by disregarding the video evidence proving that my inquiry was submitted within the stipulated deadline.

The team is also charging Hamid G. Gharavi, who presided over the CAS panel that rescinded Chiles’ medal, with a significant conflict of interest. This is because he served as counsel for Romania for nearly a decade and was actively representing Romania during the CAS arbitration proceedings at the time.

In light of these clear flaws, Chiles requests the Federal Supreme Court to restore the score she legitimately obtained during the floor event final.

TopMob News has reached out to reps for CAS and Gharavi for comment but hasn’t heard back.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

Lately, Chile voiced her disappointment over losing her medal, expressing that she felt “deeply saddened” by the decision.

At the Forbes Power Women’s Summit on September 11, she expressed that what was most significantly lost from her was the acknowledgement of my true identity – not merely my sport, but the individual I am as a person.

She felt that “everything that has gone on is not about the medal, it’s about my skin color. It’s about the fact that there were things that have led up to this position of being an athlete. And I felt like everything has been stripped.”

For more about Chiles’ Olympics ordeal, keep reading.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

Following an exhilarating week where Team USA clinched gold in the artistic gymnastics women’s team final at the 2024 Olympics, I, Jordan Chiles, embarked on my personal journey to claim my first individual Olympic medal, specifically at the women’s floor exercise final.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

After discussing with her coaches, they contested the scoring of a specific move in Chiles’ routine, known as the tour jeté full. As per NBC Olympics, an inquiry is a request for reconsideration of a routine’s score, which can only be made after the gymnast’s final score is displayed and before the next competitor begins their performance. In this case, if Chiles was the last to compete, she had one minute to submit her inquiry following the display of her score on the scoreboard. If the scoring inquiry was accepted, it would result in a change in her score. John Roethlisberger, an Olympian and NBC gymnastics analyst, mentioned during the broadcast that Chiles did not receive credit for this skill during the team qualification and the initial evaluation by judges. However, her coaches believed she performed it better in the final, so they decided to submit an inquiry to challenge the decision, which was later accepted, resulting in a minor increase in Chiles’ score.

Consequently, Chile (overjoyed to the point of tears) claimed the bronze medal, while Barbosu, having enthusiastically brandished Romania’s flag following her impressive showing, unfortunately missed out on a spot on the podium.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

Following her departure from Bercy Arena, where tears were streaming down Barbosu’s face, she expressed her feelings about the news through various social media platforms. On Instagram specifically, she penned a heartfelt message saying, “Thank you all for your encouraging messages!” She then went on to announce that she would be taking some time away from social media.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

Chiles further described the thrill she experienced when she learned she had won a bronze medal. On Good Morning America, she reminisced, “There were numerous feelings, countless thoughts rushing through my mind upon discovering that I had earned the bronze medal. I couldn’t be prouder of myself. Ana Barbosa – she’s an exceptional athlete who has accomplished great things in gymnastics as well. So, I feel proud of myself, but also extremely proud of her.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

In a rebuttal on Instagram, coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi addressed accusations of cheating against U.S. coaches to help Chiles win a medal. She explained that Jordan Chiles’ highest possible start value (SV) on floor was 5.9, but she only received a 5.8 in qualifications and team finals because not all elements were completed. During the floor finals, Canqueteau-Landi felt Chiles had performed better and decided to send an inquiry since she had nothing to lose. The inquiry was accepted, and Jordan Chiles won the bronze medal, which her coach emphasized was well-deserved and not stolen from anyone. Canqueteau-Landi expressed sympathy for the Romanian athlete but insisted that everyone should respect the outcome and acknowledge Jordan’s achievement.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

As a devoted fan, I was thrilled by Simone Biles’ performance at the Olympics, but not everyone else felt the same way. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation stepped up on behalf of Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who placed fourth, filing appeals against their results. They argued that the investigation into Chiles was conducted past the one-minute deadline and contested a 0.1 deduction in Maneca-Voinea’s execution score.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

A few days passed, and Gina, Chiles’ mother, voiced out the “offensive racist remarks” she encountered online. In a post on X, she expressed her exhaustion with people who deny its existence. “My daughter,” she wrote, “is a decorated Olympian with an exceptional heart and unparalleled sportsmanship…and yet, she’s being called vile names.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

The Court of Arbitration for Sport approved Barbosu’s appeal, ruling that Chiles’ challenge was submitted past the one-minute deadline. Consequently, the court restored Chiles’ original score of 13.666. They also dismissed Maneca-Voinea’s application concerning her penalty for execution.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

American gymnasts Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera publicly backed Chiles. On Instagram Stories, Carey stated, “It’s unfair to penalize the athlete for someone else’s error.” She added, “You are forever an Olympic champion, Jo, with much to be proud of.” Meanwhile, Romanian Prime Minister Ciolacu applauded Barbosu being reinstated as third place on Facebook, commenting, “Justice has been served.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

According to the International Olympic Committee, following a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and adjustments made to the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, Chile is required to return their bronze medal. The IOC will instead award the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu from Romania. They are currently communicating with both Romania and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee about a ceremony for the reallocation of the medal and the process of returning the original bronze medal.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

After that, Barbosu pondered over her decision.

“Sabrina, Jordan, my thoughts are with you,” the 18-year-old wrote on Instagram Stories Aug. 11. “I know what you’re going through because I’ve been there myself. But I have faith that you will come back stronger. From the deepest part of my heart, I hope that at the next Olympics, all three of us will stand together on the podium. This is my sincere wish.”

“This situation wouldn’t have happened if those in charge had followed the rules,” she continued. “It’s not our fault as athletes, and the hate we receive hurts deeply. I want to end this edition of the Paris 2024 Olympics Games with the true spirit of Olympism – the universal values of the world.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

USA Gymnastics asserts that they submitted a letter and video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on time, with the evidence showing that Head Coach Cecile Landi made her request to file an inquiry just 47 seconds after the score was published, well within the 1-minute deadline set by FIG rules. The gymnastics organization also requested a revision of the CAS ruling and the reinstatement of Chiles’ bronze medal score of 13.766. They claim that the video evidence, which they didn’t have access to before the tribunal’s decision, shows Coach Canqueteau-Landi making her request at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score was posted.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

After sending the letter and video, USA Gymnastics announced that they had been informed by CAS that they cannot reconsider an arbitral award, even when there is convincing new evidence. This decision left us deeply disappointed, but we will persist in exploring all potential avenues and appeal processes, such as the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to fight for Jordan’s fair scoring, placement, and medal recognition.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

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

She shared with reporters following the award ceremony, “My mind is preoccupied with Sabrina and Jordan at this moment. We find ourselves in challenging circumstances, overwhelmed by uncertainty and intense feelings. I wish everyone could comprehend that we haven’t done anything improper during the Olympics.

Simone Biles' Docuseries May Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Back

As a committed follower, I am sharing that I took action by enlisting attorneys who petitioned the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland on my behalf. Their objective was to challenge the decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which resulted in me losing my hard-earned bronze medal.

The statement in the press release from Gibson Dunn, the law firm for the gymnast, goes beyond just the bronze medal. Chiles is bringing this case forward to inspire the whole Olympic community to take actions that prevent future athletes from experiencing a similar hardship.

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2024-09-18 00:18