‘It’s About Skin Color:’ Jordan Chiles Just Wants Justice Amid Bronze Medal Scandal

Chiles said she feels "left in the dark" by people she believed could've helped her fight for her bronze medal. Now, she just wants justice.

Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles feels like she has been stripped of everything since she was asked to return her bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

An emotional Chiles opened up to an audience at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit in New York City and addressed her current state following the discrepancy with the gymnastics floor routine scores, which BLACK ENTERPRISE previously mentioned, prompted Olympic officials to ask her to give up the bronze medal she was awarded back in August.

“The biggest thing that was taken from me was the recognition of who I was, not just my sport, but the person I am,” Chiles said at the conference on Sept. 11. “To me, everything that has gone on is not about the medal,” and mentioned, “it’s about my skin color.” The Team USA athlete reflected on the moment in 2018 when she lost her love of the sport due to what she claimed resulted from emotional and verbal abuse from a coach. “I lost it again,” she said. “I just feel like there weren’t a lot of people supporting me.” Chiles believes there were people who she feels could’ve helped her with the situation involving her bronze medal, but instead, she felt “left in the dark.”

The two-time Olympic medalist was awarded the bronze medal in the floor exercise after her coach submitted an appeal that bumped her from fifth place. However, the Court of Arbitration claimed the appeal was four seconds late. Chiles was ordered to return her medal after reversing the scores, resulting in Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu finishing in third place.

The drama surrounding the bronze medal exposed the athlete to heavy criticism and racism, which she has already spoken out about. At the Forbes conference, she asserted her goal regarding the situation, stating, “At this rate, it’s not really about the medal; it’s about my peace and my justice.” The 23-year-old Olympian gracefully updated fans on social media in August about her willingness to remain hopeful in the pursuit of justice as U.S. officials fight on her behalf.