While most eyes this summer were on the gold medals earned at the 2024 Paris Olympics, US Gymnast Jordan Chiles was one of the few athletes who walked away with only one. During the floor exercise final, Chiles received a score of 13.666, putting her in 5th place, behind Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, American Simone Biles, and a pair of Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea.
Once Chiles saw her score, she was not happy. Her coach Cecile Landi then asked for Chile’s difficulty score to be raised.
In the Olympics, gymnastics scoring is composed of two main categories: Difficulty and Execution. The Difficulty category starts at zero and is based on the eight most difficult elements in a gymnast’s routine. The more difficult the skill, the higher the score. The execution score is based on how well the gymnast performs those skills. The execution score starts at 10, and judges remove points for bent legs or arms and landings. The difficulty and execution scores are added to create a final score. A typical score lands between 12-15 points. It is not uncommon for gymnasts to receive a score they aren’t happy with.
“In level eight, I received a score I thought would be higher,” gymnast and TuHS sophomore Briana Kaer said. Kaer has been a gymnast for 13 years.
Later, Chile’s score was raised by .10 point, earning her the bronze medal, just above Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu. But for Barbosu, the battle wasn’t over yet. Barbosu then argued that the inquiry filed by Landi was in violation of the one minute rule. According to the rules, competitors have one minute after the judges release scores to submit an inquiry. The Romanian gymnasts claimed the score inquiry was four seconds past the one minute requirement. The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) ruled in favor of Barbosu, Chile’s score reverted back to 13.666 and she was stripped of her bronze medal.
“I think it was the official’s fault for not catching that Jordan and her coach submitted the inquiry four seconds late, creating false hope for Jordan and dejection for Ana Barbosu,” Kaer said.
The controversy seemed to be over, but Chiles wasn’t going down without a fight. On Sept. 24, she filed two more appeals, one against the Federal Court of Switzerland and one against CAS. Chiles argues that new footage shows that the inquiry made by her coach was submitted on time, within the one minute requirement. USA Gymnastics has also filed in conjunction with Chiles.
So what does this mean for Jordan Chile’s future in gymnastics?
“This situation could definitely impact her self-esteem and confidence, as she has worked countless hours in the gym for this medal,” Kaer said. “Having it be taken away from her is definitely distressing.”
So while the decision is still up in the air, Chiles and her teammates can still celebrate the gold medal they won as a team and look ahead to what is to come.
