CAS tells USA Gymnastics it won’t reconsider Jordan Chiles medal

WASHINGTON – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will not reconsider a ruling that cost United States gymnast Jordan Chiles an Olympic bronze medal in the floor exercise despite new evidence, USA Gymnastics said on Aug 12.

Chiles took the bronze when a challenge from Team USA about her degree of difficulty of her routine was accepted, denying Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu third place.

But CAS cancelled the re-evaluation of Chiles’ score, saying that Team USA’s appeal was lodged four seconds after the regulatory deadline. And the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opted to award the medal to Barbosu.

USA Gymnastics attempted to have CAS reconsider the matter and reinstate the bronze to Chiles, citing new video evidence proving the appeal was made in time, but said on Aug 12 that attempt has been denied.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” the statement said.

USA Gymnastics added that it will press its effort further, potentially to Swiss authorities, in a quest to resolve the Paris Olympics dispute in the American’s favour.

“We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement and medal award for Jordan,” the statement said.

On Aug 11, USA Gymnastics submitted a letter and video evidence to CAS establishing team coach Cecile Landi’s request to file an inquiry was submitted 47 seconds after the publishing of the score, within a one-minute deadline required by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

USA Gymnastics also said Landi filed a second statement 55 seconds after the original posting of the score.

It did not provide the video footage before the initial CAS decision because it was not available to the governing body at that time, leaving no opportunity to submit it for the hearing.

Chiles, who had helped the US win the gold medal in the team event in Paris, and whose bronze in the floor completed the first all-black podium in Olympic women’s gymnastics history, was subjected to racist abuse online after the judges’ initial decision to raise her score.

She received so much abuse that she decided to step away from social media after posting the four broken hearts emoji. She wrote: “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you.”

Chiles had support from her family, however.

Her mother, Gina Chiles, said: “My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched… and she’s being called disgusting things.”

Jordan’s sister, Jazmin Chiles, posted on Instagram, asking for prayers for Jordan and her family because of all they had been through since the medal ceremony. “Racism is real, it exists, it is alive and well,” she wrote.

This controversy was not the first of its kind in gymnastics at the Summer Games. In 2004, American Paul Hamm won the all-around gold medal, beating South Koreans Kim Dae-eun, who won the silver, and Yang Tae-young, who won the bronze.

After the medals were awarded, the South Korean gymnastics federation appealed, saying that the judges had erred on Yang’s score on the parallel bars and insisting that he should have won the gold.

The FIG acknowledged the mistake and suspended those judges, leading the federation president to personally ask Hamm to return his medal so it could go to Yang.

Hamm refused.

After a long legal battle, which ended up in CAS more than a month later, Hamm got to keep his medal. AFP, NYTIMES