After learning that her Olympic medal was going to be taken away, USA gymnast Jordan Chiles made the decision to step back from social media in order to prioritize her mental health.
It has been a few days since fans last heard from the 23-year-old Olympian. However, on Thursday, Chiles resurfaced online to share her official statement regarding the loss of her bronze medal.
In her statement, Chiles mentioned her disappointment that the appeal by USA Gymnastics was unsuccessful and that she is now facing one of the most difficult challenges of her career.
But to make matters worse, Chiles revealed that she is dealing with "hurtful" and "racially driven" comments from some people.
"I have no words," Chiles wrote. "This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey. To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I've poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country."
It's certainly disappointing to learn what Chiles is going through outside of losing her medal, but she has strong backing from her teammates, coaches and fans. USA Gymnastics has been consistent in its support for the young athlete, and it continued to do so by leaving a firm comment on Chiles' post.
"The medal is bronze, but your heart is gold & NO ONE can take that away," USA Gymnastics commented. "We’re with you until the end."
The controversial medal decision came from the floor exercise final, where Chiles initially received a score of 13.666, putting her in fifth place. After an appeal by the USA coaches, the judges bumped her score up to 13.766, moving her past Romania's Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea (13.700 each) and into medal position.
The Romania Gymnastics Federation later challenged the USA's appeal, saying it came four seconds outside of the one-minute deadline. The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Romania's challenge, thus giving the medal to Barbosu.
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