American gymnast Jordan Chiles has been lauded for her reaction after seeing her Olympic bronze medal stripped.
The Team USA star was forced to return her bronze medal to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu after a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport deemed that the appeal from the American team during the individual floor exercise event, which saw Chiles boosted from fifth place onto the podium, came too late under competition laws.
Therefore, the 23-year-old came under the spotlight and received scrutiny from a decision that was taken and reviewed out of her control. Chiles has been praised for the way she has handled the unwelcome attention during the difficult moment by fans, including one of her biggest supporters, her sister Jazmin, who posted on social media: “My sister's sportsmanship is unparalleled. She is the epitome of it. So proud.”
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The support was echoed by the USA Gymnastics account, who reposted the tweet and wrote: “Jordan set the standard!” with a handshake emoji at the end. Chiles initially revealed she would be taking a break from social media in the wake of her heartbreak. She eventually returned with a lengthy message detailing the findings and her feelings.
“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days. I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles wrote.
“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 decisions feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
Chiles also responded to the racial abuse she received as a result of the situation. “To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful,” she added. “I've poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country."
From Chiles’ sorrow came Barbosu’s celebration as the 18-year-old had her medal ceremony in Romania on Friday. The medal was handed to Barbosu by Romania’s representative on the International Olympic Committee, Octavian Morariu, and the president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Mihai Covaliu.
Barbosu was spotted celebrating her believed bronze medal before the review was lodged by the US team and responded to. She was later filmed in tears as her team attempted to comfort her as her Olympic dream appeared to have been snatched away from her as Chiles was set to set on to the podium.
According to reports from local outlets , Barbosu thanked her lawyers for their fight to put her back on the podium, as well as a heartfelt message to her teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who finished fourth following Chiles’ score returning to its initial mark. Also shouting out Chiles for the situation that unfolded.
“I can't help but think about Sabrina and Jordan right now,” she said. “It's a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have not done anything wrong at the Olympics.”
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