Jordan Chiles could be stripped of Olympic bronze medal in gymnastics controversy with Romania: A look at what led to this point

American gymnast Jordan Chiles after the Court of Arbitration of Sport voided an inquiry Team USA made in the floor final this past week.

Chiles, 23, took home the , but also earned a bronze medal for her individual floor exercise competition following an inquiry from her coach. This led to a reassessment of her score, bringing her up to third place, while pushing Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu down to fourth.

Throughout the week, the gymnast has faced criticism on social media as well as from Romanian officials, including the country's prime minister who over the judges' ruling.

On Saturday, however, CAS ruled that the appeal that put Chiles in third place was outside of the deadline during which gymnasts and their coaches are allowed to appeal. And now, her medal could be revoked as a result. Here’s what to know and what could happen next.

How did Chiles win her bronze medal?

Chiles competed in the individual floor exercise competition on Monday, Aug. 5. Initially, she earned a score of 13.666 which placed her fifth. However, her coach, Cecile Landi, into the level of her difficulty score. The inquiry was successful, and Chiles' score was increased, resulting in her placing third and earning a bronze medal. , and American Simone Biles won silver.

Barbosu scored 13.700, and assumed she had secured the bronze, but with the 0.1 boost in her score, Chiles made the podium with a score of 13.766, leaving the Romanian gymnast without a medal.

Landi’s inquiry noted that a jump in Chiles’ floor routine was given a lower difficulty grade than it should have been. Though Chiles did not complete a leap element in her performance, due to the difficulty of the routine, her score was bumped up. When the score was corrected per the coach’s request, Chiles’ score was recalculated, and she bumped up into third place past Barbosu and another Romanian gymnast, Sabrina Maneca-Voine, who also scored a 13.700 but had a lower execution score.

"There were so many emotions going through my body in that moment," Chiles on Thursday, Aug. 8. "There was a lot of things happening to me not being on the podium to me being on the podium. I think the biggest thing is just always understanding not to doubt yourself, and just let everything ride out how it's supposed to be."

The inquiry for Chiles meant that Barbosu didn’t make the podium for the event. However, for more than a minute, Barbosu assumed she won third, and even wrapped herself in the Romanian flag to run across the stage. When the inquiry changed Chiles’ score, Barbosu was seen crying.

Former gymnast Julia Konner, author of Perfect Balance: A Young Athlete's Guide to the World of Gymnastics, told Women's Health that , as the gymnast and coach cannot see the judge's scoring notes.

"It is difficult to know what the deductions were for exactly, beyond the obvious ones of going out of bounds, landings and form," Konner said. "Additionally, a verbal-then-written inquiry has to be placed after the gymnast's final score has been posted but before the next gymnast competes, so there is a time-crunch aspect as well."

There was immediate backlash from Romanian officials. In a Facebook post, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said he would due to the score change, calling what happened a "scandalous situation."

Former Romanian took to X to express her disappointment, writing, "I can't believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this." She also of Maneca-Voine, who was given a 0.1 deduction for stepping out of bounds, writing, "I don't see the heel touching down.. do you?"

. In the comments section of an Aug. 6 Instagram post, she wrote, "Jordan won this medal and didn't steal anything from anyone. 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!"

Following the awards ceremony, the Team USA coach told press she because "at this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like 'We're just going to try.' … I honestly didn't think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like 'What?'"

What’s happening now — and what could happen next

On Saturday, Aug. 10, CAS ruled — following an appeal from Romania — that , as it was submitted one minute and four seconds after her routine — and therefore voided the inquiry. CAS wrote that Chiles' initial score of 13.666 should be restored.

It’s not clear whether Chiles would have to return her bronze medal. CAS cannot strip Chiles of her medal directly, but can recommend a reevaluation. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) will need to make the decision. FIG spokesperson Meike Behrensen told the Associated Press that the organization will issue a statement "in due course," but did not provide a specific timeframe.

This comes on the heels of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee of the Romanian gymnast Maneca-Voinea's ground exercise score. The committee argued that if the deduction was incorrect, Maneca-Voinea — not Chiles — would have placed third. They also mentioned Barbosu's loss, noting that she was unfairly affected by the grading.

Team USA responds: ‘We are devastated’

USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee released a joint statement regarding Chiles being potentially .

"We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise. 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."

The statement said that “throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. 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."

What has Chiles said about possibly losing her bronze medal?

In a post to her Instagram Stories on Saturday, Chiles shared several broken heart emojis. She later posted, “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you.”