By: Olivia Ho

Social media is buzzing about the American gymnast Jordan Chiles’ 2024 Paris Olympic bronze medal. On August 5th, Jordan Chiles was chosen as the third-place finisher. However, whether she should have gotten the medal has been hotly contested. The situation is complicated, especially how the medal ended in Ana Bărbosu’s hands and the ongoing conflict that the gymnast industry faces.

Chiles placed fifth in the women’s floor exercise final but was later awarded the bronze medal after her coach, Cecile Landi, successfully filed an inquiry that led to an adjustment of her difficulty score. Since the inquiry was a success Chiles was moved up to third place.

Ana Bărbosu, Chile’s competitor, was shocked and burst into tears after seeing the score change.

The judge’s decision was then challenged by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, which argued that the inquiry was submitted four seconds past the one-minute deadline. In the end, the controversy hinges on whether or not this is true.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), ruled in favor of Romania. This led to the reallocation of the bronze medal to Bărbosu.

The situation highlights the harsh rules that govern score inquiries in gymnastics, where coaches must act swiftly to challenge scores, and where split-second decisions can alter athletes’ careers. The FIG’s regulations specify that the last gymnast has only one minute to file an inquiry right after their score is displayed.

This tight timeframe can lead to disputes, like in Chiles’ case. Despite new video evidence suggesting the inquiry was timely, CAS upheld its decision, emphasizing the finality of its rulings unless all parties agree to reopen the case.

This incident also started multiple discussions about the fairness and transparency of the scoring process. Chiles’ emotional response to this was a temporary withdrawal from social media as she wrote in a post:
“I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you.”

As USA Gymnastics continues to appeal the decision, the Chiles case is not the only one, as other gymnasts have also experienced unexpected changes to their scores and rankings.