Jordan Chiles Says Backlash to Olympic Medal Controversy Is ‘About My Skin Color’

Jordan Chiles is speaking out in her first interview since The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped her of her individual bronze Olympic medal last month.

“The biggest thing that was taken from me was … the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person I am,” a visibly emotional Chiles, 23, told Moira Forbes at Forbes Power Women’s Summit on Wednesday, September 11, after taking several seconds to collect herself. “To me, everything that has gone on is not about the medal. It’s about my skin color.”

Chiles initially placed fifth after her floor routine at the 2024 Paris Olympics last month. Her coach appealed her score, citing the difficulty level of her routine. After the point adjustment, Chiles was then awarded the bronze medal — only for the IOC to take the points back after Team Romania filed an inquiry with the CAS claiming that Team USA’s appeal was submitted four seconds after the 1-minute deadline. Romania’s Ana Bărbosu was then awarded the bronze medal.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) appealed the IOC’s decision, citing video evidence that allegedly shows Chiles’ coach was within the 1-minute deadline. However, the CAS refused to reopen the appeal. Team USA Gymnastics said in a statement they planned to appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

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In the wake of Chiles’ appeal and the subsequent controversial ruling, Chiles received “consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement last month. Chiles told Forbes, 45, on Wednesday that she felt “left in the dark” amid the backlash.

“I just felt like there [weren’t] a lot of people supporting me who I thought could support me in that situation, could help me,” she said.

Chiles compared the medal controversy to losing her love for gymnastics in 2018 while “dealing with a coach who emotionally and verbally abused me.” She noted that in both situations, she “didn’t have the ability to use my voice or be heard.”

Chiles maintained that she and her coach “followed the rules” in Paris and did everything “totally, completely right,” and said that no IOC ruling can hinder her legacy.

“No matter what, I’m always gonna have those accolades with me,” the Olympic medalist said. “The star’s never gonna get dimmed, and I’m always gonna just keep walking forward.”

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Chiles previously addressed the IOC’s decision via Instagram last month.

“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,” she wrote. “To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful.”

The athlete went on to state that she will “never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence [and] upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness.”

Chiles previously competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she was part of the silver medal-winning team and individually won silver for both vault and floor.