Jordan Chiles is one step closer to getting her Olympic bronze medal back! This week, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, which had been investigating the case surrounding Chiles’ bronze medal win during the 2024 Paris Olympics, approved her appeal request.
“We are pleased the Swiss Federal Supreme Court recognized the flaws in the initial process and that Jordan’s case can now be heard, inclusive of all relevant evidence. USA Gymnastics will continue to support the efforts of Jordan and her team to retain her bronze medal in the 2024 Olympic women’s floor exercise,” USA Gymnastics shared in a statement following the court’s decision. “We look forward to a fair arbitration that includes the clear evidence proving the inquiry into Jordan’s score was filed well within 1 minute as required by FIG rules.”
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee echoed this support in a statement sharing: “Jordan has handled this movement with strength and professionalism, and we remain firmly behind her as she continues to pursue the result she earned,” per USA Today.
Two years ago, Chiles won the bronze medal in the women’s gymnastics floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, creating the first all-Black Olympic podium in gymnastics as she stood beside Simone Biles (silver) and Rebeca Andrade (gold). However, Team Romania contested her bronze medal win, arguing that it should be awarded to her competitor, Ana Barbosu, claiming that Chiles’ coach failed to appeal Chiles’ score within the one-minute deadline during the competition. The committee ultimately granted Team Romania’s appeal, forcing Chiles to return the medal as the Olympic title was reallocated to Barbosu.
“The biggest thing that was taken from me was that it was the recognition of who I was,” Chiles said, reflecting on losing her Olympic title. “I made history, and I will always continue to make history, and something that I rightfully did, I followed the rules. My coach followed the rules. We did everything that was totally, completely right.”
Now, Switzerland’s Supreme Court is sending the case back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to review newly surfaced evidence. The new evidence is an audiovisual recording that shows Chiles’ coach filing the inquiry about her score 47 seconds after it was posted during the Olympics, contradicting the basis of Team Romania’s initial appeal. The Swiss court is handling the matter because the CAS is based in Switzerland; the CAS handles certain Olympic matters such as this one.
“In the highly exceptional circumstances of the case in question,” the Swiss Federal Tribunal said in a statement, per CBS News. “It considers that there is a likelihood for the audio-visual recording of the final on Aug. 5, 2024, to lead to a modification of the contested award in favor of the applicant (Chiles).”
“As the Court recognized, there is ‘conclusive’ video evidence that Jordan was the rightful winner of the bronze medal,” Chiles’ attorney Maurice Suh, as reported by USA Today. “We also appreciate the Court’s recognition that ‘extraordinary time pressure’ and notification defects prevented Jordan from presenting this important evidence in August 2024,” Suh added. “We appreciate that Jordan will receive a full and fair opportunity to defend her bronze medal.”
Though CAS announced that it “can now ensure a thorough judicial review of the new evidence that has since been made available,” the sports arbitration court has not revealed the date of Chiles’ new hearing. Regardless, Suh says Chiles is prepared to “fight vigorously,’ for her title.
