If it was up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Jordan Chiles would keep her bronze medal for her routine in the women’s gymnastics floor exercise at the Paris Olympics, and Romanian gymnasts Ana Bărbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea would each get one, too.

However, the 29-page ruling from CAS revealed that the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) had mishandled the officiating of the event, leading to the controversial decision to strip Chiles of her medal. Despite arguments from all three athletes for the bronze, the CAS panel was unable to award them all medals due to limitations in their review process.

The ruling highlighted serious issues with the administration of the floor exercise, ultimately resulting in the gold medal for Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver for Simone Biles of the United States.

Following the decision, USA Gymnastics expressed disappointment in the lack of opportunity to present new evidence to CAS and vowed to pursue further appeals to seek justice for Jordan Chiles.

Jordan Chiles, in her first public statement on the matter, expressed her determination to fight for justice and retain her bronze medal, saying, “I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”

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The inquiry made by Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, regarding the scoring of Chiles’ routine was at the center of the controversy. Despite the judges accepting the inquiry and adjusting Chiles’ score, CAS ruled that it was submitted four seconds after the allowed one-minute window, leading to the medal being stripped.

FIG’s handling of the situation was criticized by CAS, pointing out the lack of mechanisms to verify the timing of inquiries and the confusion surrounding the process.

As the saga continues, with Bărbosu set to receive the medal in a ceremony, the hope remains for a resolution that upholds fairness and justice for all athletes involved.

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The case highlights the importance of fair officiating and transparency in gymnastics competitions, emphasizing the need for comprehensive review processes to prevent similar controversies in the future.