Jordan Chiles is continuing her fight to reclaim the bronze medal she initially won at the Paris Olympics. On Monday, she filed a formal appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal, challenging a previous ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that stripped the American gymnast of her bronze medal in the individual floor exercise.
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Chiles’ lawyers argued that the decision violated her “right to be heard” and was “procedurally deficient,” as reported by Yahoo! News. They claimed that the court refused to consider significant video evidence proving that Chiles’ submission was made on time. Additionally, the lawyers alleged that Chiles was not adequately informed of a conflict of interest involving the CAS panel president, who had previously served as legal counsel for Romania. It’s worth noting that the gymnast eventually awarded the bronze, Ana Bǎrbosu, is Romanian.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has submitted a letter in support of Chiles’ appeal, and USA Gymnastics also intends to join the effort to seek justice for her. The organization stated that they have made a “strategic” decision to allow Chiles to lead the initial filing.
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Chiles initially finished fifth in the floor exercise final at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer. However, after her coach filed an inquiry, her score was adjusted due to a misjudgment that failed to award full credit for a skill. This raised her score from 13.666 to 13.766, moving her into third place and granting her the bronze medal. The CAS later determined that the appeal had been submitted four seconds late, leading to the medal being awarded to Romania’s Ana Bǎrbosu instead.
USA Gymnastics maintains that the inquiry was filed with 13 seconds remaining, but they were not given sufficient time to present their case. The CAS officially denied Chiles’ appeal in August. Chiles said in a later statement that she will continue to clear her name and regain her medal.
The biggest thing that was taken from me was the recognition of who I was — not just in my sport, but as a person. It’s not about the medal. It’s about my skin color and the things that led me to this point as an athlete. I feel like everything has been stripped away.”