USA Gymnastics claims video proves Jordan Chiles should keep bronze medal as Olympics saga takes new twist

New evidence has been submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after Chiles was stripped of her floor bronze medal following an appeal from Romania

Jordan (Getty Images)

USA Gymnastics has submitted video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) that it said proves Jordan Chiles should get to keep the bronze medal she won in the artistic gymnastics floor exercise at Paris 2024.

The additional evidence was submitted by USA Gymnastics a day after Cas ruled in favour of an appeal by Romania’s Ana Barbosu, who will move up to third place in the event and secure her first medal at the Olympics.

Barbosu and her team had appealed to Cas that an inquiry by Chiles‘ coach Cecile Landi filed over the results in the event was done so after the one-minute deadline and that the American should not be awarded the score of 13.766 that lifted her to third place.

But USA Gymnastics said it provided Cas with video footage that was not available to the governing body prior to the tribunal’s decision that elevated Barbosu to third.

“The time-stamped video shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score was posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

Chiles had initially been awarded a score of 13.666, while Barbosu scored 13.700.

The decision by Cas does not affect either winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil or silver medallist Simone Biles of the United States, who scored 14.166 and 14.133 respectively.

Several teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian, who has come off social media amid the saga.

“Sending you so much love Jordan,” American star Biles posted on Instagram. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”

Jordan Chiles had been presented with bronze after the floor final (REUTERS)

“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?” six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for Jordan.”

Reuters