One of the big controversies of the Paris 2024 Olympics revolves around Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal in gymnastics. At first, judges ruled that she did not deserve a medal, but when the Americans appealed because her score was allegedly not counted correctly, she was awarded third place. The Romanian team, however, appealed that decision, which resulted in her medal being stripped. Now the Americans are arguing that Chiles deserves the medal and that the judges made a mistake, claiming that they have video evidence to prove it.
Why should Jordan Chiles strip her Olympic gymnastics medal?
Below we take a closer look at the confusing situation surrounding Chile's medal and whether or not they deserve it.
During the floor exercise final on August 5 at the 2024 Paris Olympics gymnastics competition, Chiles' initial score placed her in fifth place. However, her Team USA coaches appealed the decision, arguing that her difficulty rating had been entered incorrectly. After the change was considered, Chiles' revised score placed her in third place and she won the bronze medal.
However, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation appealed the judge's decision, arguing that the Americans were four seconds late in filing their appeal. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of the Romanian, and Chiles' original score was reinstated. As a result, Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea rose to third and fourth place respectively, while Chiles dropped to fifth.
