"No athletes should be subject to such treatment" - USA Gymnastics defends Jordan Chiles after online bullying, expresses disappointment with CAS

By Anirudh

Modified Aug 10, 2024 18:09 GMT

USA Gymnastics has extended support to Jordan Chiles after the gymnast experienced online bullying over the last few days.

Chiles won her first individual Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 2024 Paris Games in the floor final. She had initially finished fifth before her position was changed when she submitted an inquiry to the judges. This pushed Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu to fourth place and off the podium.

While she has been ecstatic since then about the medal, she has faced the ire of a large section of fans. To add to the trouble, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Saturday (August 10) that Chiles' appeal was submitted past the one-minute deadline and therefore should not have been granted. This will see her go back to her original score of 13.666, meaning a fifth-place finish and no bronze medal.

"The inquiry submitted on behalf of Ms Jordan Chiles in the Final of the women’s Floor exercise was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline provided by article 8.5 of the 2024 FIG Technical Regulations and is determined to be without effect. The initial score of 13.666 given to Ms Jordan Chiles in the final of the women’s Floor exercise shall be reinstated," the CAS verdict read.

USA Gymnastics expressed their disappointment with the CAS ruling on social media, while reaffirming their support for Chiles.

"We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women's floor exercise. The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles' floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring. Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media," they said.

"No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her," they added.

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Jordan Chiles goes off social media as CAS stripes her off Olympic bronze

Jordan Chiles in action at the 2024 Paris Olympics (Image via Getty)

Having already endured a barrage of online abuse, Jordan Chiles decided to take a break from social media. After initially sharing a series of heartbroken emojis, the 23-year-old explained that she needed to step away for the sake of her mental health.

"I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health," she said on her Instagram stories.

The CAS ruling means that Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea will now reclaim their original positions ahead of Chiles.