Jordan Chiles and her legal team have filed an appeal over her 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal, which includes footage they believe confirms her coach submitted the score inquiry in time.
Jordan Chiles is looking at a new way to regain the bronze at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.
After the gymnast was stripped of her bronze medal in the women’s gymnastics floor event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a new appeal filed by Chiles’ attorneys with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland Sept. 16 features video footage allegedly showing her coach submitted her score inquiry in time.
The new court documents filed include footage from teammate Simone Biles upcoming Netflix documentary, Simone Biles: Rising, which allegedly confirms Chiles’ coach Cecile Landi asked for a score inquiry to reevaluate the 23-year-old’s difficulty score during the Aug. 5 competition, according to People. The new score put her ahead of Romania’s Ana Barbosu for a third place finish, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled that the inquiry came in after the specified 60 second mark, voiding Chiles’ updated score and reinstating Barbosu as the bronze medal winner.
In the video footage submitted by Chiles’ attorney, Religion of Sports—the production company behind Simone’s docuseries—and director Katie Walsh said that they can prove the exact time Landi submitted the inquiry, with the filing saying it happened 49 seconds after the results came in at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.
In the footage, Chiles can be seen hugging her coach 15 seconds after the results, with the filing alleging that Chiles “clearly and audibly” stated “an oral objection for the first time” 49 seconds after the result.
And while Chiles and her team are hopeful she’ll get her bronze medal back, they’re also hoping the new ruling can have wider ranging effects.
“This appeal is about much more than the bronze medal,” Gibson Dunn, the legal firm representing the Olympian, said in a press release. “Chiles is pursuing her case to encourage the entire Olympic community to take steps to ensure that future Olympians do not face a similar ordeal.”
They also allege that the CAS previously “violated Chiles’ fundamental ‘right to be heard’ by refusing to consider the video evidence that showed her inquiry was submitted on time.”
Her team is also accusing Hamid G. Gharavi, the president of the CAS panel that revoked Chiles’ medal, of having a “serious conflict of interest” in his participation of the ruling as he “acted as counsel for Romania for almost a decade and was actively representing Romania at the time of the CAS arbitration.”
“Given these undeniable deficiencies,” they added, “Chiles asks the Federal Supreme Court to reinstate the score that she rightfully earned at the floor event final.”
E! News has reached out to reps for CAS and Gharavi for comment but hasn’t heard back.
Recently, Chiles spoke out about having her medal stripped, saying that her “heart was broken” by the ruling.
“The biggest thing that was taken from me was,” she said at Forbes Power Women’s Summit Sept. 11, “that it was the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person I am at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
“Everything that has gone on is about my skin color, not about the medal,” she felt. It has to do with the fact that there were steps taken to get to this point where one is an athlete. And it seemed as though everything had been taken away.”
For more about Chiles’ Olympics ordeal, keep reading.
August 5
One week after Team USA won gold in the artistic gymnastics women’s team final at the 2024 Olympics, Jordan Chiles set out to win her first individual Olympic medal at the women’s floor exercise final.
As the last athlete to compete in the event, she knew she’d have to beat the scores of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade (14.166), USA’s Simone Biles (14.133) and Romania’s Ana Barbosu (13.700) if she wanted to make podium. After performing her Beyoncé-inspired routine, Chiles received a score of 13.666, landing her in fifth place.
But then her coaches submitted an inquiry upon her behalf. According to NBC Olympics, “an inquiry is a verbal challenge of a routine’s score. It is followed by a written inquiry that must be submitted before the end of the rotation. The challenge can only be brought forward after the gymnast’s final score is posted and before the end of the next gymnast’s routine at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
If the gymnast is the last to compete, there is a one-minute time limit that begins after the score is shown on the scoreboard, according to the International Gymnastic Federation (FIG).
The scoring inquiry was about a split leap in Chiles’ routine called the tour jeté full.
“In the team qualification, in the team final, she did not get credit for this skill,” Olympian and NBC gymnastics analyst John Roethlisberger said during the broadcast. “In the initial evaluation of the skill, the judges did not give her credit for that. I talked to Cecile and Laurent Landi, her coaches, and they said, ‘We thought she did it much better here in the final. So we thought we have nothing to lose, let’s put in an inquiry.’”
After reviewing Chiles’ routine, the judges accepted the inquiry and credited Chiles 0.1 for the leap, bumping her score up to 13.766 for third place.
As a result, Chiles—who burst into happy tears when she saw the results—won bronze. Meanwhile, Barbosu, who’d already been waving Romania’s flag in celebration of her own performance, lost her place on the podium.
Afterwards, Barbosu—who was crying as she left Bercy Arena—reacted to the news on social media.
“Thank you everyone for the support messages!” she wrote on Instagram. “I will take a break from the social media at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
August 6
Chiles also shared what the jaw-dropping moment was like for her.
“There were so many emotions, so many things going through my mind when I found out I got that bronze medal,” the Olympian recalled on Good Morning America. “I couldn’t be more proud of myself. Ana Barbosu—she’s an amazing athlete. She’s done amazing things within her gymnastics as well. So, I’m very proud of myself but also very proud of her as well.”
Meanwhile, coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi clapped back after a social media user accused the U.S. coaches of cheating so Chiles could medal.
“I shouldn’t have to explain but I will ONCE,” she wrote on Instagram in response to a commenter. “Jordan’s highest possible SV [start value] on floor is a 5.9. At quals and team finals, she received a 5.8 and we didn’t question it because we saw that not all elements were completed.”
But during floor finals, she thought Chiles performed “better and being placed 5th with nothing to lose, I sent the inquiry so I wouldn’t regret not asking at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
“I didn’t think it would be accepted and at my surprise it was,” Canqueteau-Landi continued. “Jordan won this bronze medal and I didn’t steal anything from anyone. I simply did my job and fought for my athlete. Do I feel bad for the Romanian athlete? Of course I do! It was so sad and heartbreaking to see but it is the sport! You don’t have to like it but you do have to respect the outcome and more importantly respect Jordan and not drag her down because you disagree. She EARNED that bronze medal, her 1st individual Olympic medal and I couldn’t be more proud and excited!”
However, not everyone shared her excitement as the Romanian Federation of Gymnastics filed appeals on behalf of Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who placed fourth. The Romanian Federation of Gymnastics claimed the inquiry on behalf of Chiles was made after the one-minute deadline and disputed a 0.1 execution penalty Maneca-Voinea had received.
Prime minister of Romania Marcel Ciolacu also announced on Aug. 6 that he would not be attending the Olympics Closing Ceremony after he alleged the two athletes were “treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
August 9
Days later, Chiles’ mother Gina called out the “racist disgusting comments” she was seeing online.
“I’m tired of people who say it no longer exists,” she wrote on X. “My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched…and she’s being called disgusting things.”
August 10
The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Barbosu’s appeal and decided the inquiry submitted on behalf of Chiles “was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline.” As a result, the court said Chiles’ initial score of 13.666 would be reinstated. It dismissed Maneca-Voinea’s application regarding her execution penalty.
Following the court’s decision, the FIG amended the results to reflect Chiles’ original score.
USA Gymnastics expressed its disappointment over the court’s decision.
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise,” they said in a statement. “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 at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
“Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media,” USA Gymnastics continued. “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.”
USA gymnasts Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera expressed their support for Chiles.
“Don’t punish the athlete for someone else’s mistake,” Carey wrote on Instagram Stories. “With you all the way Jo. You are forever an Olympic champion that has so much to be proud of.”
Meanwhile, Romanian Prime Minster Ciolacu celebrated Barbosu being moved back to third place—writing on Facebook, “Justice has been served.”
August 11
The International Olympic Committee said Chiles has to return her bronze medal at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.
“Following the CAS decision with regard to the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final and the amendment of the ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, the IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania),” the IOC told NBC News. “We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
Soon after, Barbosu reflected on the decision.
“Sabrina, Jordan, my thoughts are with you,” the 18-year-old wrote on Instagram Stories Aug. 11. “I know what you are feeling, because I’ve been through the same. But I know you’ll come back stronger. I hope from deep of my heart that at the next Olympics, all three of us will share same podium. This is my true dream.”
“This situation would not have existed if the persons in charge had respected the regulation,” she continued. “We athletes are not to be blamed, and the hate directed to us is painful. I wanted to end this edition of the Olympics Games Paris 2024 in the spirit of Olympism, the true value of the world.”
However, USA Gymnastics insisted its inquiry on behalf of Chiles had been submitted within the necessary timeframe and alleged it had evidence to prove it.
“USA Gymnastics on Sunday formally submitted a letter and video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, conclusively establishing that Head Coach Cecile Landi’s request to file an inquiry was submitted 47 seconds after the publishing of the score, within the 1-minute deadline required by FIG rule,” the gymnastics organization said in an Aug. 11 statement. “In the letter, USA Gymnastics requests that the CAS ruling be revised and Chiles’ bronze-medal score of 13.766 reinstated at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
USA Gymnastics said the “time-stamped, video evidence” shows Canqueteau-Landi first stating “her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted.”
“The video footage provided was not available to USA Gymnastics prior to the tribunal’s decision,” it continued, “and thus USAG did not have the opportunity to previously submit it.”
August 12
One day after submitting the letter and video, USA Gymnastics revealed it had been notified by CAS that “their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented.”
“We are deeply disappointed by the notification,” USAG said in a statement, “and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”
August 16
Barbosu was awarded the bronze medal in a ceremony held at her home country of Romania.
“I can’t help but think about Sabrina and Jordan right now,” she told reporters after receiving the price. “It’s a difficult situations for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have not done anything wrong at the Olympics.”
September 16
Attorneys acting on behalf of Chiles filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland to overturn the CAS decision that ultimately stripped her of the bronze medal.
“This appeal is about much more than the bronze medal,” read a press release from Gibson Dunn, the legal firm representing the gymnast. “Chiles is pursuing her case to encourage the entire Olympic community to take steps to ensure that future Olympians do not face a similar ordeal at Why Footage in Simone Biles’ Netflix Docuseries Could Help Jordan Chiles Get Bronze Medal Returned.”