Jordan Chiles is fighting to reclaim her Olympic bronze medal after it was revoked due to technical issues. And the case has now reached a critical juncture as she has taken her case to Switzerland’s Supreme Court. The medal, which marked a historic moment on the podium with an all-Black trio of gymnasts, was stripped away following a controversial decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Her medal was revoked following a dispute over a time-sensitive inquiry, and Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu was awarded the bronze instead. And now, Chiles is waging a legal battle to reverse the controversial ruling that stripped her of the accolade. On the concluding day of gymnastics in the Paris Olympics, Chiles initially finished fifth in the women’s floor final. However, a last-minute inquiry by USA Gymnastics coach Cecile Landi challenged her score, raising it from 13.600 to 13.766.

Chiles was pushed up to third place, securing her spot on the podium alongside Simone Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. But just days after this historic achievement, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation contested the result. They argued that Landi’s inquiry had missed the crucial one-minute deadline, and Chiles’s score should not have been changed. The case escalated to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled in Romania’s Ana Barbosu’s favor. And for Chiles, the decision felt like a crushing blow, especially after the emotional high of standing on the podium with her teammate.

However, Jordan is now ready to reclaim the podium spot that was taken from her, arguing that fairness and transparency were missing from the decision that cost her the medal. At the heart of her appeal lie procedural irregularities during the CAS hearing. Moreover, there’s a video that Chiles’ team claims proves her coach, Cecile Landi, made a timely verbal inquiry that could have prevented the ruling. Chiles’ legal team claims that USA Gymnastics was not informed of Romania’s challenge until the last minute, depriving them of adequate time to prepare their defense. 

Chiles’s legal team is now asking the Swiss Federal Supreme Court to overturn the CAS ruling and potentially send the case back for a retrial. While appeals of CAS decisions are rare and difficult to win, the compelling evidence has been central to her ongoing fight. Moreover, a potential conflict of interest has also been raised, as the head of the CAS panel had previously represented Romania in legal matters. Chiles has stated that she wasn’t aware of the same during the hearing.

Chiles’ attorney, Maurice M. Suh has given the statement, “Every part of the Olympics, including the arbitration process, should stand for fair play.” On the other hand, USA Gymnastics has been standing as a pillar of support for Chiles. They have officially stated, “USA Gymnastics supports the appeal submitted today by Jordan Chiles at the Swiss Federal Tribunal as we made a collective, strategic decision to have Jordan lead the initial filing. USAG is closely coordinating with Jordan and her legal team and will make supportive filings with the court in the continued pursuit of justice for Jordan.” As Jordan now demands to be heard, fans and netizens from all across the globe too are buckled up to back her.

Fans rally behind Jordan Chiles in her fight to reclaim Olympic bronze

Gymnastics is a game of twists and turns, and that is what all are aware of. However, such a major and unexpected twist in the Olympic history of gymnastics has left fans buzzing from day one. One fan comment reflected strong support for Jordan Chiles, emphasizing that she rightfully earned her Olympic bronze medal and deserves recognition despite the technical ruling that revoked it. They commented, “Jordan Chiles earned that medal and she damn well deserves that respect. @USAGym is fighting tooth and nail for our girl and the rest of the USA is standing by to defend her.”

The fan applauds USA Gymnastics’ efforts to appeal the decision in court. Expressing nationwide support for Jordan, the fan mentioned the entire USA is prepared to defend Chiles in her fight to help her get a fair judgment. Supporting the 23-year-old gymnast in her legal battle, another netizen commented, “Jordan Chiles better win this appeal and get her Bronze back!!” Chiles has appealed the decision of CAS to Switzerland’s Supreme Court, arguing procedural irregularities and a lack of fairness during the arbitration process.

The fan is rooting for Chiles to succeed and have her medal reinstated. Another fan seems to be taken aback by Chiles’ fighting spirit. They expressed admiration for Jordan Chiles’ determination to fight for her bronze medal by taking legal action. “Jordan really said I’ll get my own legal team, I love it for her”, read the comment. 

Standing with Chiles, one fan voiced solidarity with her pursuit of fairness. They added, “I stand with Jordan.” Several fans are indeed in full support of Chiles. They believe the decision to strip her of the medal was unjust, especially given procedural issues in the arbitration process.

One X user referred to a potential delay by the official responsible for logging USA Gymnastics’ inquiry into Jordan Chiles’s score. They suggested that the officials may have misheard or hesitated, causing a 15-second delay in entering the inquiry, which ultimately led to Chiles’s bronze medal being revoked. They wrote, “It looks like the woman taking the inquiry didn’t hear something and delayed about 15 seconds to enter the inquiry in. And the woman is clear as day on the video so why can’t they identify her? lol what a mess.”

Now, the highest court in Switzerland will weigh in on the matter. As the gymnastics world watches closely, Chiles’s fight for justice continues. It’s a battle that extends beyond a simple technicality. Reclaiming the medal is not just about Chiles’ personal vindication but about setting a precedent for fair play in sports arbitration. It is time to write the next chapter of this story.