It’s been over three weeks since Jordan Chiles had her bronze medal snatched away in one of the Paris Olympics’ most jaw-dropping twists. Originally landing in fifth place, Chiles was bumped up to bronze after a successful appeal by her team. But just as quickly as it was awarded, the medal was yanked back and handed over to Romania’s Ana Barbosu after the Court of Arbitration for Sport deemed the appeal was filed four seconds too late. So, the original order was restored: Barbosu snagged the bronze, Sabrina Maneca Voinea took fourth, and Chiles was left in fifth.

Understandably miffed, Chiles isn’t returning her medal just yet, and USAG is now considering taking the case to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. In the meantime, she’s been bolstered by an outpouring of support from the gymnastics community, including current teammates and retired stars. Aly Raisman, a particularly vocal ally, has praised Chiles for her composure and decision to step away from social media, saying, “I think she should do whatever she needs right now and to take care of herself.” Raisman has also questioned the International Olympic Committee’s decision-making, adding a fresh layer of drama to this already tangled tale!

Aly Raisman’s calls for justice for Jordan Chiles

In an Exclusive interview with US Magazine, gymnastics icon Aly Raisman threw her full support behind Jordan Chiles, who’s been caught in the whirlwind of her medal drama. Raisman, the ever-vocal captain of the “Final Five,” firmly believes she shouldn’t be giving it back. “Jordan deserves answers as to what evidence the Court of Arbitration (CAS) for Sport has,” Raisman said.

Aly didn’t hold back, adding, “It’s very confusing to me. It makes no sense. I don’t think Jordan should give her medal back.” She raised some solid points about the appeal chaos, noting that CAS claimed the US team missed the deadline by four seconds. But Raisman argues that the blame shouldn’t fall on Chiles. “There’s a designated trained official. It’s their job to keep the time,” she explained. “They are not allowed to accept the inquiry if it’s not under that minute window. They accepted the inquiry, which means that the person who’s trained to do that, they saw it was under a minute.”

Raisman also pointed out that the judges had already agreed to bump Chiles’ points to award her the bronze. “From there, the judges admitted they made a mistake with the score and raised the score. I think it’s really unfair. It’s unacceptable to me.” For now, Chiles isn’t budging on returning her medal, even as Ana Barbosu has already received hers back in Romania. As we mull over Raisman’s take, new evidence has surfaced revealing similar issues raised by CAS against the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in the official hearing!

New evidence of FIG’s fault emerges in the Jordan Chiles medal fiasco

In a surprising turn of events, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has faulted the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for its mishandling of an appeal case, revealing significant gaps in its investigation process. FIG’s President of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Technical Committee, Donatella Sacchi, admitted that they couldn’t pinpoint who recorded the timing of the appeal, which raised eyebrows given the gravity of the situation.

The CAS panel was baffled by FIG’s inability to provide clarity on who was responsible for monitoring the one-minute window for filing inquiries, whether it was the Omega electronic system, Sacchi’s superior, or someone else entirely. FIG’s statements and exhibits were deemed inadequate, with Sacchi herself struggling to answer who exactly was overseeing the timing.

USAG has contested the ruling, presenting evidence that their inquiry was filed within the 47-second mark, and is now taking the matter to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. This leaves the fate of Jordan Chiles’ potential re-award in limbo, underscoring the need for a definitive resolution. Reflecting on this new update and Aly Raisman’s words what are your thoughts on the Jordan Chiles medal controversy? Share in the comments below!