Court won’t hear appeal from Jordan Chiles over bronze medal, USA Gymnastics says

(WASHINGTON) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport will not hear U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles’ appeal to keep her bronze medal from the Olympics despite new evidence, according to USA Gymnastics.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” the governing body for gymnastics in the U.S. said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”

Chiles initially finished fifth in the individual floor exercise at last week’s Paris Olympic Games, only to be moved up to the bronze medal spot when her coaches appealed the scoring of one of the elements in her routine.

The judges had incorrectly downgraded one of the elements of her routine and added the correct 0.1 points to her score on appeal. She jumped from 13.666 points to 13.766 points and passed over two Romanian gymnasts to place third.

The decision to award Chiles the bronze medal came as Romania’s Ana Barbosu was already celebrating her spot on the medal stand. She left in tears and her coaches would appeal the ruling, saying Chiles’ coaches took four seconds longer than the allotted one minute coaches have to appeal to the judges.

The International Gymnastics Federation awarded Barbosu third place after the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided the appeal made by Chiles’ coach at the event, with CAS saying Chiles’ score was “raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline.” In saying the challenge came too late, the CAS reinstated the incorrect 13.666 score.

In accordance with the CAS ruling, the International Olympic Committee said in a statement it “will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania). We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”

“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise,” USA Gymnastics wrote in a statement shared to Instagram on Saturday after the initial ruling was delivered, adding, “Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media.”

USA Gymnastics said Sunday it had video evidence that the appeal by Chiles’ coaches was submitted 47 seconds after Chiles’ incorrect score was published, well within the one-minute time limit.

The CAS on Monday said it would not even look at that evidence since their rules did not allow it.

USA Gymnastics said Monday it would continue to fight for Chiles, who has already returned to the U.S. with her bronze medal. She posted over the weekend on social media that she would be taking a break from posting amid the controversy.

Teammates Simone Biles and Suni Lee both issued statements of support for Chiles on Instagram over the weekend.

“Sending you so much love, Jordan,” Biles wrote in her post. “Keep your chin up Olympic champ! We love you!”