For U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles, the 2024 Olympics have been a whirlwind from beginning to end.
On the one hand, Chiles picked up her first gold medal in the team event alongside Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Suni Lee and Hezly Rivera, a momentous accomplishment for the UCLA talent.
On the other hand, Chiles is embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of this year's Games. The bronze medal she received in the individual floor exercise final on Aug. 5 is in danger of being stripped after Romania's gymnastics team appealed the results.
Chiles initially received a 13.666 on floor before seeing her score increase by 0.1 following her coach's inquiry, which vaulted her into past third- and fourth-place finishers Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea of Romania.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Aug. 10 that her original score should be reinstated, as her coach's inquiry in the immediate aftermath of her routine came four seconds outside the allowed one-minute window for appeal.
On Sunday morning, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Chiles would be asked to return her bronze medal for it to be reallocated to Barbosu. USA Gymnastics already announced that it is appealing the IOC's decision.
Here's the latest updates on Chiles' status following the IOC's announcement.
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Will Jordan Chiles be stripped of her bronze medal?
The IOC is stripping Chiles of her bronze medal and reallocating it to Barbosu, the organization announced on Aug. 11.
The decision came after CAS ruled that Chiles' coach, Cecile Landi, failed to submit her inquiry into Chiles' score within the allotted one-minute timeframe, with her request coming four seconds late.
That ruling created a domino effect, with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) choosing to restore the initial results from the meet after the CAS announcement. Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea finished their runs with a matching 13.700 score, and Barbosu received the tiebreaker due to higher execution score.
The IOC was the last chip to fall, announcing Sunday morning its decision to reallocate Chiles' bronze medal.
Notably, the Romanian delegation called on the IOC to award three bronze medals in the apparatus. The Olympics' governing body could have allowed Chiles to keep her medal while issuing another one to Barbosu, but it instead called on Chiles to return her newly-minted prize.
"We are in touch with the [National Olympic Committee] of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal," the IOC said in a statement.
MORE: Why Romania protested Olympic floor exercise results
Does Jordan Chiles have to return her bronze medal?
Per the IOC decision, Chiles would have to return her bronze medal. But USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee expressed outrage over Sunday's decision, with the latter revealing its intentions to appeal the move.
The reallocation of medals most often comes after an athlete who finishes in podium position is found to have been using performance-enhancing drugs. That was the case for Jamaica's Beverly McDonald, who garnered gold in the women's 200m final this summer — 24 years after finishing second in the race to American sprint star Marion Jones. Jones' PED use invalidated her gold-medal-winning time, and McDonald was finally recognized more than two decades after the fact.
The usurping of Chiles' bronze medal is all but unprecedented, as it results from a judging error. Nevertheless, it seems as if Chiles could suffer the same fate to that of Jones and other athletes whose Olympic titles — and medals — were taken away, even if she didn't cheat.
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Why is USA appealing IOC decision on Jordan Chiles?
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee is submitting an appeal to the IOC on Chiles' behalf, arguing that Chiles "rightfully earned the bronze medal" and that there were "critical errors in both the initial scoring by the FIG and the subsequent CAS appeal that need to be addressed."
The committee also claimed that it was not given "adequate time or notice" to effectively challenge CAS's decision, limiting the its ability to effectively present its case.
"Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves," the U.S. committee said. "We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly."
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