Paris Olympics 2024: Jordan Chiles releases statement on 'unjust' decision to take away her bronze medal

American gymnast Jordan Chiles released a statement on having her bronze medal from the Paris Olympics stripped from her, saying the decision to take her medal away based on a scoring controversy in the women's floor exercise event is "unjust" and serves as a "significant blow" to her and her compatriots. The statement came following a Thursday ruling by the International Olympic Committee that Romania would be allowed to award Ana Barbosu the bronze medal that originally belonged to Chiles.

Chiles stands at the center of a scoring dispute stemming from the final routine of the floor exercise final, in which she was originally ranked fifth with a score of 13.666 just behind Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who both posted a 13.700. Chiles had been deducted a tenth of a point for an improper split leap, but her coach Cecile Landi submitted a formal appeal to the deduction, which the judges ended up agreeing with, reinstating the points lost and improving Chiles to third.

Romania escalated the issue to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming Landi submitted the scoring inquiry four seconds past the deadline for her to do so. Despite the United States stating it has video evidence that the inquiry was made within the allotted time, USA Gymnastics has said that the CAS will not reconsider its ruling.

"I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days," read Chiles' statement. "I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG, and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time. While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away. I had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG, who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful.

"I have no words. 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.

"I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country. Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are.

"I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will approach this challenge as I have others -- and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing."