Simone Biles wants ‘justice’ for Jordan Chiles amid medal controversy
Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles
Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesSimone Biles wants “justice” for her fellow Team USA gymnast, Jordan Chiles.
Earlier this month, Chiles was stripped of the bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics following an investigation by the Romanian Olympic Committee. The medal was reallocated to that of Romania Ana Barbosuwho moved up to third place, while Chiles eventually finished fifth.
In an interview with People published on Monday, August 26, Biles – who won silver in the women’s floor final – said she has the support of her teammate.
“Do you think they followed the correct procedures to reach this ruling? No. That is truly why we want justice for Jordan and why we will continue to support and uplift her,” Biles said.
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The 11-time Olympic medalist also shared how she is trying to keep Chiles’ spirits high amid the floor final controversy.
“We Facetimed, texted and were just girls. I was talking to her one of the days and I was like, ‘You know what, Jordan, you must be feeling all these feelings,'” said Biles, 27. “Don’t let these emotions hold you back. This is the healthiest way to get all of this out.”
“We saw what you did,” Biles added of her Team USA teammate. “And it’s an unfortunate circumstance because nothing like this has ever happened before and it’s a real shame. But we wish all three girls could get the medal, and unfortunately in gymnastics that’s not the case.”
Jordan Chiles
Jean Catuffe/Getty ImagesChiles, 23, placed fifth during the Aug. 5 competition but moved up to third after Team USA conducted a study on the difficulty of one of her skills. The next day, Team Romania filed its own investigation, arguing that the U.S. request for review was submitted to the judges four seconds too late. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled in favor of Romania.
Chiles first addressed the medal redistribution in a statement shared via Instagram on Thursday, August 15. “I am overwhelmed by the love I have received in recent days. I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC for their continued support during this difficult time,” Chiles wrote.
“While celebrating my Olympic achievements, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been taken away. I had confidence in USAG’s appeal, which provided compelling evidence that my score met all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful,” Chiles added.
Following the Court of Arbitration of Sport’s controversial ruling against Jordan Chiles’ floor exercises, her fellow Team USA members are standing in solidarity. “Sending you so much love Jordan,” Simone Biles wrote on Saturday, August 10, via Instagram Story. “Keep your chin up, Olympic champion! We love you!” The CAS confirmed this on Saturday […]
The athlete said she had “no words” for the “unjust” decision which came as a “significant blow” overall.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) plans to appeal the IOC’s decision.
“We firmly believe that Jordan rightly deserved the bronze medal, and that crucial errors were made in both the initial International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) scoring and the subsequent CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] appeal process that must be addressed,” the organization said in an Aug. 11 statement to the Associated Press. “The first error occurred with FIG’s scoring, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given sufficient time or notice to effectively challenge the decision.”
