Jordan Chiles has broken her silence on the “devastating” fallout from losing her Olympic bronze medal – and the horrific “racially motivated attacks” that followed.
The gymnast initially finished fifth on the floor exercise in Paris, but the United States appealed the decision and her score was increased so that she overtook Romania’s Ana Barbosu and moved into third place.
But then the Court of Arbitration made a stunning ruling Sport said the judges had wrongly granted the change because the American appeal fell outside the one-minute time limit allowed.
That meant the 23-year-old was demoted to fifth place again. Chiles initially announced she would remove herself from social media ‘for my mental health’.
But on Thursday, they released a statement on Instagram in which she criticizes the “unjust” decision and criticizes those who abused her.
Team USA star Jordan Chiles lost her Olympic bronze medal on floor exercise
Ana Barbosu is expected to receive the bronze she won from Chiles in Romania this week
“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days. I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles wrote.
“While celebrating my Olympic achievements, I received the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped. I had confidence in the appeal filed by USAG, which provided compelling evidence that my score met all the rules. The appeal was unsuccessful.
‘I am at a loss for words. This decision feels unfair and comes as a huge blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has supported my journey.
“To add to the sadness, the unsolicited racist attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
The case took a new turn on Wednesday when CAS criticised the commission for “scandalous statements” about an alleged conflict of interest regarding its panel.
Hamid G. Gharavi headed the panel that decided Chiles’ fate. It has now become known that Gharavi has been working for the Romanian government for about ten years.
Chiles initially finished fifth, but on appeal she passed Romania’s Barbosu
But the court rejected suggestions of “bias” and Chiles insisted she would fight to ensure justice is done. The gymnast also remains confident that “the people in power will do the right thing.”
“I will never deviate from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I take pride in cheering on everyone, regardless of team or country,” her statement continued.
“Rediscovering joy has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I’ve given everyone the opportunity to be authentic to who they are.
“I am now facing one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will meet this challenge as I have met others – and I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in power will do the right thing.”