How Did Jordan Chiles Make Podium at Final Gymnastics Event Despite Mishap at Paris Olympics?

Today, the floor was her canvas, and Jordan Chiles was ready to paint her masterpiece. In her double Olympic run, she was finally competing for an individual medal, with stakes higher than ever. As the fifth performer, she had already seen the likes of Rebeca Andrade and Simone Biles set the bar sky-high with dazzling 14+ scores. But Chiles is “That Girl,” and she stepped onto the floor with unshakeable confidence.

With every twist and turn, her routine was a symphony of grace and power. Her rhythm was impeccable, her moves pristine. Yet, the judges’ scores told a different story. A few wobbly landings tarnished her performance, leaving her with a 13.666—fifth behind the two Romanian gymnasts tied at 13.700. The disappointment was palpable, but Chiles wasn’t done yet.

The tension in the arena was electric. As scores were recalculated and the atmosphere thickened with suspense, Chiles’ fate hung in the balance. And then, in a twist of fate, the numbers shifted. Jordan Chiles ascended to the bronze medal spot, her perseverance and skill shining through.

In that moment, the floor wasn’t just her canvas—it was her stage, and Jordan Chiles delivered a performance that will be remembered for years to come.

How did that happen? Well, Jordan Chiles submitted an inquiry for her score, and the final numbers were good enough for a bronze. In Olympic gymnastics, there are 9 judges who score each event. And they are broken down into three groups. A panel judges the execution score, another one judges the difficulty score, followed by a reference panel. And after the final scores show up, gymnasts do have the option to make an ‘inquiry.’ This is nothing but verbally challenging the scores, which later needs to be backed by a written inquiry too. Depending on the judges, the scores then increase, decrease, or may remain the same. This is the path that Jordan Chiles opted for. She raised an inquiry on her difficulty score and her scores increased to a 13.766, which landed her the bronze spot.

Post the score shift, a tornado of emotions engulfed Chiles. Covering her face with her palm, she wept tears of joy as her bestfriend Biles happily wrapped her arms around her. Interestingly, the Romanian gymnast Sabrina Maneca–Voinea had also raised an inquiry. But, she couldn’t pose a score good enough for a bronze. And thus, Jordan Chiles was the FX bronze medalist.

Jordan Chiles has a big announcement incoming?

Last week, the USA women gymnasts, including Chiles bagged a gold medal in the Team finals. Scoring a 13.966, Chiles’ contribution to the winning side was significant. Complementing that with what she did today, its clear how she is transitioning into an elite face in USA gymnastics. However, this has sparked speculations that tomorrow, August 6 is when a big switch might be on the cards for her.

The word going around is that Chiles might step back from elite gymnastics to focus singularly on her NCAA career. The X update by Scott Bregman read, “Jordan Chiles has a date to add to your calendar. I just say stay tuned for August 6th. There might be an announcement for something.” Is the UCLA Bruin going back in all her glory to the NCAA route? There are no confirmations. Nonetheless, she has given an inclination of sorts.

Speaking to Olympics.com recently, Jordan Chiles mentioned, “I know floor is coming up. That’s my main focus, but you never know. You never know. I might have the four letters [UCLA] across my chest. You might see me in ’28.” Thus, it is possible that post the Paris Olympics, things might look different for her. What do you think? Let us know below.