USA Gymnastics officials say an arbitration panel will not reconsider a decision asking gymnast Jordan Chiles to return her bronze medal she was awarded the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics.
USA Gymnastics says it will continue efforts to ensure the Chileans keep their medal.
“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that its rules do not allow an arbitration award to be reconsidered even when new conclusive evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed with the notification and will continue to pursue all possible avenues and appeal processes, including to the Swiss Federal Court, to ensure fair scoring, placement and awarding of medals to Jordan.”
CAS nullified one on the floor Chile coach’s appeal this moved her into third place, saying the appeal occurred 4 seconds beyond the one-minute limit for score queries.
USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying Sunday that the agency presented video evidence to CAS that showed Team USA coach Cecile Landi first appealed 13 seconds before the deadline.
The dispute over these minute details sets up what could be a months- or years-long legal battle over gymnastics results.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said on Saturday night that it would respect the court’s decision and elevating Ana Barbosu of Romania to third place. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the decision on Sunday, announcing it was relocating the medal.
CAS ruled on Saturday that Landi’s investigation to add 0.1 to Chile’s score fell outside the one-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s investigation occurred 1 minute and 4 seconds after Chiles’ initial score was published.
The IOC said it will contact the USOPC regarding the return of Chile’s bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a relocation ceremony in honor of Barbosu. Rebeca Andrade, from Brazil, won the gold and Simone Biles, from the USA, was the silver medalist.
Any appeal could go to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Court or the European Court of Human Rights.
On Monday night, rapper Flavor Flav – who has been a prominent celebrity supporter of 2024 Olympic athletes, including discus thrower Veronica Fraley — posted on social media platform X that he had made a dazzling bronze medal to Chile as a potential replacement as the US battles “the powers that be.” The replacement is in the form of a watch, which the rapper has used for decades, since his time in the group Public Enemy.
“Thank you. It means the world,” according to a response posted on X’s account Gina Charles, the gymnast’s mother. “She’s not on social media right now, as you can imagine. I will share it with her.”
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