Jordan Chiles, a 23-year-old Olympic gymnast, has filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland to challenge the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to strip her of her bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The appeal is supported by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and her attorney, Maurice Suh. Chiles originally placed fifth in the women’s floor exercise final but moved to third place after an inquiry into the difficulty of one of her skills resulted in a score change.
After Team Romania challenged the inquiry made by Team USA, the CAS upheld the challenge and Chiles was officially stripped of her medal in the women’s floor event. Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu was awarded the bronze medal, a decision that Chiles and her attorney deemed unjust. Despite submitting evidence that the inquiry was made on time, the CAS ruled against Chiles. Suh announced that they will file an additional petition seeking alternative relief from the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, which could potentially result in a retrial before CAS.
Chiles addressed the situation in a statement on Instagram, expressing gratitude for the support she received and acknowledging the difficult time she was going through. She reiterated her belief that the appeal brought by USAG had conclusive evidence that her score followed all the rules, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. Chiles vowed to approach this challenge with the same determination she has faced other challenges in her career and expressed confidence that justice would prevail in the end.
Fellow Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman spoke out against the CAS decision, expressing her devastation for Chiles and hoping that she would get to keep her medal. Raisman criticized the decision, stating that it goes against the integrity of the sport and the Olympics. The controversy surrounding Chiles’ bronze medal being stripped has sparked outrage and support from fans, teammates, coaches, and officials. Chiles and her legal team are pushing forward with their appeal in hopes of overturning the ruling and reinstating her medal. The outcome of the appeal could potentially lead to a retrial and a chance for Chiles to present evidence supporting her case.
