Jordan Chiles had the time of her life at the French capital with Team USA. They successfully concluded their ‘redemption tour’ by clinching an Olympic gold at the women’s team finals. However, she also proved to the world that she’s ‘THAT girl’ by winning her first individual medal in the women’s floor exercise finals. She further cemented this by creating an unforgettable podium moment with Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade.

But this didn’t last for long. That dream soon transformed into a nightmare because of an error on the judge’s part. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation appealed this decision to award Ana Barbosu the Olympic bronze. All it took was 5 days to break the American’s heart. The American now finds herself in the eye of the storm. But Dominique Dawes believes that come what may, the gymnast will find her way out of this unfortunate situation.

In Jordan Chiles’ time of need, Dominique Dawes comes to her aid

Imagine winning your first individual medal on the world’s biggest stage, only to have that taken away from you. Stings, doesn’t it? That’s what Jordan Chiles has been experiencing since the gymnastics events concluded in the French capital. But while the gymnast was busy licking her wounds, 1996 Olympic bronze medalist Dominique Dawes confessed that the worst was almost over. “This will test her character, but it will show us all the champion that she truly is,” she told TMZ. 

During the 2000 Olympics, Team USA had just briefly missed the podium. Dawes recalls how it was a painful send-off. But she got to reap the fruits of her hard work several arduous years later. “10 years later, we were all awarded — my team and I were awarded — a bronze medal for our team performance.” She clarified how many Olympians who have gone down a similar route don’t get to experience a medal ceremony on the podium.

While the 23-year-old is going through a painful experience, the Olympian hopes she notices the silver lining. “She got that experience, and not only did she get the experience, it was an iconic image that was taken from it. It was an all-Black female podium shot that has never occurred before, and may not occur again.” The iconic sight of Chiles, Biles, and Andrade on the podium left an indelible mark on everyone’s mind. But what put the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist in this heartbreaking situation?

A rollercoaster of emotions at the French capital

During the women’s floor exercise finals at the Bercy Arena, Jordan Chiles’ score of 13.666 initially placed her in the fifth position. However, after an appeal by her coach, Cecile Landi, her final score was increased by a tenth of a point. With this, she had finally won her first individual Olympic medal and stood alongside her best friend, Simone Biles, on the podium. It seemed like the world had witnessed a fairy tale moment on the last day of gymnastics events. But things soon took a turn for the worst. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation filed applications on behalf of Sabrina Maneca-Voinea and Ana Barbosu, hoping to reinstate them back to the third and fourth positions.

Before the CAS concluded their investigation, the 23-year-old got to hold on to her Olympic bronze for 5 days in the French capital. They determined that Team USA appealed for the review a little too late. It looked like Chiles would have to return the hardware to Barbosu. However, Team USA submitted a rebuttal showcasing that this wasn’t the case. New evidence proves that their appeal was well within the time frame. While they hope the medal stays with Chiles, it looks like the odds are in the Romanian’s favor. What do you think of this disheartening situation? Let us know in the comments.