(Los Angeles) American gymnast Jordan Chiles said Thursday it was “unfair” that her bronze medal in the floor event at the Paris Games was stripped in favor of Romania’s Ana Barbosu following a dispute over her score.
On August 5, Chiles climbed to the third step of the podium ahead of Barbosu, obtaining, following an American protest, the re-evaluation of her initial score.
But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing the case considered that the American appeal had been filed four seconds beyond the regulation minute. In these conditions, the IOC re-awarded the bronze to the Romanian.
Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade was crowned Olympic floor champion ahead of American superstar Simone Biles.
“I was devastated to hear the medal was taken away from me while I was celebrating my performance,” Jordan Chiles, 23, said on the social network X.
“This unfair decision is a hard blow, not only for me, but for all those who have supported me in my journey,” added the athlete, also deploring the “gratuitous, undignified and very painful racial attacks” that she suffered online.
“I am facing one of the most difficult moments of my career. But believe me, I have seen others. I will approach this one like the previous ones and I will do everything necessary to ensure that justice is done. This is not the end of the story, those responsible will do what is necessary,” said the gymnast.