Why was Jordan Chiles stripped of her bronze medal?

Jordan Chiles has been stripped of her Olympic bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has now ruled that the medal will go to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu. The shocking decision comes six days after Jordan Chiles made history alongside Simone Biles (silver) and Rebeca Andrade (gold) on the first all-black Olympic gymnastics podium. Here’s what happened and how Jordan, her family, and Team USA are responding.

Jordan first medaled in the women’s individual floor exercise event.

Jordan’s initial score was 13.666, but U.S. gymnastics coach Cecile Landi specifically challenged the difficulty score and, upon review, Jordan’s final score was increased by 1/10 of a point to 13.766, earning him bronze.

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This meant Ana Bărbosu doesn’t Romania was not happy to win the medal. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Facebook: “I have decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonourable manner. Withdrawing a medal won for honest work on the basis of an appeal, which neither the coaches nor the best technicians understand, is totally unacceptable!”

Jordan told CBS Mornings: “There were so many emotions going through my body at that moment… It was a surreal moment… I saw the score change and I was like, ‘What’s going on? Is this real? Is this happening?’ I was just, again, at that moment, very happy and obviously happy for the other athletes as well.”

Arbitration tribunal says Team USA’s appeal came too late

The Romanian team challenged the US team’s initial appeal on the grounds that it came too late, and the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) ruled that the inquiry had been filed “beyond the one-minute time limit.”

Following the CAS decision, the U.S. team released a statement saying: “We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision regarding the women’s floor exercise routine. The inquiry into the difficulty rating of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believe, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.”

“Throughout the appeals process, Jordan has been subjected to constant, completely unfounded and extremely hurtful attacks on social media,” the statement continued. “No athlete should be subjected to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage in, support or incite them. We commend Jordan for her integrity both on and off the field of competition and we continue to support her.”

The IOC has approved the CAS decision

The IOC said it would comply with the CAS decision, saying in a statement released on Sunday (August 11): “Following the CAS decision regarding the women’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise final and the change in ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, the IOC will re-award the bronze medal to Ana Bărbosu (Romania). We are in contact with the NOC of Romania to discuss the re-award ceremony and with the USOPC regarding the restitution of the bronze medal.”

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US team plans to appeal

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee released an additional statement Sunday, saying: “We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and that there were critical errors in the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that must be corrected.”

“Given the circumstances, we are determined to appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves. We remain committed to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter quickly and fairly,” they added.

Jordan Takes a Break from Instagram, His Family Speaks Out

Jordan announced she was taking a break from social media for her mental health while awaiting the IOC’s decision yesterday.

Simone Biles also spoke out with a message of support for her teammate:

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Meanwhile, Jordan’s sister released a statement about the racism Jordan has faced since winning bronze. She also noted that Jordan’s bronze was stripped from him because of “a 4-second delay that should never have happened if the judges had done their job.”

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We will update this story with news as it arises.