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Jordan Chiles must return the bronze medal she won on floor exercise after gymnastics’ global governing body modified the results of the event final, moving the American out of medal position and Romanian Ana Barbosu into third. The update followed a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling Saturday night. The International Olympic Committee confirmed Sunday morning the medal would be reallocated to Barbosu.
In response, the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has appealed the Olympic chiefs’ decision to take Chiles’ bronze medal. In a statement, the USOPC expressed its belief that “Chiles rightfully earned'” the bronze medal.
“There were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that needed to be addressed,'” they wrote.
“The initial error happened in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision. As a result, we were not properly represented or afforded the opportunity to present our case comprehensively.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport had announced earlier Saturday that it decided a Team USA request to have Chiles’ performance re-scored came outside of the one-minute window allowed by the International Gymnastics Federation’s rules.
Without that adjustment—a .1-point addition to her score based on the difficulty of her moves—Chiles would’ve finished fifth in the event, with Bărbosu in third place instead. Bărbosu could be seen celebrating her perceived finish on Monday before erupting in tears as Chiles leapt above her in the standings.
CAS added the FIG should determine the final ranking and who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu previously weighed in, saying he’d skip the closing ceremony after “our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner.” Romanian gymnastics icon Nadia Comăneci was also critical of how things played out, posting online: “I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this.”
In the appeal that set up Saturday’s decision, the Romanian Olympic Committee had asked that three bronze medals be awarded (including to Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who placed behind Bărbosu by tiebreaker.
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement Saturday. “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.”
Chiles’ coaches technically had one minute to file their review request because she had been the last athlete to compete.
“I’m on cloud nine,” Chiles told reporters at the end of the competition on Monday. “This is my first-ever individual event final, at my second Olympics. I have no words. …. This medal means everything to me.”
This story has been updated with the decision of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee to restore Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu to third in the Paris Olympics women’s floor exercise final Saturday, taking the bronze medal from American Jordan Chiles.