For the first time in Olympic gymnastics history, there was an all-black podium. Of course, there was also Ana Barbosu of Romania tearfully leaving the arena as Jordan Chiles of the USAG moved from fifth place to third. While this was a huge achievement for the 23-year-old athlete, what followed suit was not exactly what she dreamed of.

“Jordan Chiles must return the Bronze medal.” The International Olympic Committee quite ruggedly asked the gymnast to give her pride back. Surely, the ruling had the entire US of A in boiling blood. And Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, as live spectators of the event, are not behind.

Discussing the ongoing case where the latest verdict remains against Chiles, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe pick each other’s brains. During the latest episode of A Touch More podcast, the Seattle Storm legend did not hold back on her thoughts. Calling out the IOC, she said, “Some dumb rule! One second. It was literally one second. They had a one-minute window.”

Resonating with her fiancée, the soccer legend went, “The judges messed up. I didn’t like it… feels really unfair. Feels outside of the spirit of the Olympics to have the best competitor win. I understand there’s rules and technicalities. But, she did the thing and she was amazing. And no one is going to take that moment away from her. But she needs the medal.”

According to the two superstar athletes, especially Sue Bird, the entire scenario of making Jordan Chiles return her Olympic medal, “sounds like a make ’em up.” The two also made arguments on how she performed to the level of what she was supposed to and earned the bronze in full rights. But what exactly went on inside the Bercy Arena? Here is all the spice.

Putting the Jordan Chiles case in perspective with Sue Bird’s reaction

Chiles had a great trip to France as she brought back a gold for the team event and a bronze in her floor routine. Watching her in the Bercy Arena, Sue Bird recalled, “When Jordan did her routine, I was like, ‘Well, that was amazing. That’s a medal’.” To her and everyone’s dismay, the judges placed her in the fifth spot. However, the team’s coach Cecile Landi submitted an appeal and the Bercy Arena erupted as Jordan Chiles went to the podium. Not just that, big guns of the sports world like Dawn Staley too congratulated Chiles for the huge accomplishment.

In the stadium, Chiles was awarded lower difficulty scores (totaling 13.666) according to the routine the judges thought she would be performing. However, what she did do was much more complicated. As a result, her score was brought up to 13.766. These numbers put her ahead of Romania’s Ana Barbosu and Chiles won the surprising bronze.

Alas, the happiness did not stay for too long. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation took the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport suggesting that Cecile did not make the appeal within the allowed one minute. According to them, she was four seconds late. Consequently, the International Gymnastics Federation reinstated what the officials had scored Chiles originally, putting her back in the fifth spot. However, they did not take away the gymnast’s medal.

The IOC then reallocated the medal to Barbosu. USA Gymnastics followed suit and offered a video proof showing Cecile submitting the appeal at 47 seconds. However, CAS did not approve the reconsideration. For now, the USAG has confirmed Chiles that they would “continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.”

While Sue Bird did mention that dual medals have been awarded previously in such cases. However, only time will tell where this story ends up.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.