Olympic gymnast and gold medalist Suni Lee wrote a message of support to fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles, saying in an Instagram story that she was “gutted” after a rule reversal that ultimately led to Chiles being stripped of her bronze medal.
“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges??” wrote Lee. “Completely unacceptable. This is awful and I’m gutted for Jordan. I got your back forever Jo. U have all my flowers and you will ALWAYS be Olympic champion,” she wrote in the now-deleted Instagram story, which included the statement by USA Gymnastics on the ruling reversal that cost Chiles the medal.
Fellow gymnast Simone Biles also came to Chiles’ support. She shared a post by Australian gymnast Heath Thorpe, who wrote on X, “Why are the athletes the ones to suffer due to a judging error/oversight? Where is the accountability? Where is the ‘athlete wellbeing’ that is spoken of so often?”
On her Instagram page, Biles posted a photo of Chiles, writing, “Sending you so much love, Jordan. Keep your chin up Olympic champ! We love you!” Biles also shared the statement from Lee to her Instagram story.
The statements came before the International Olympic Committee formally stripped Chiles of her bronze medal, according to Sports Illustrated.
“The IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania),” the International Olympic Committee said on August 11, according to SI. “We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.” According to the Associated Press, on August 10, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Chiles’ coach’s appeal, which had led to her moving up to third place, “came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.”
The bronze medal was awarded in the women’s floor exercise final, in which Rebeca Andrade of Brazil took the gold medal, Biles took the silver, and Chiles, at least initially, won the bronze.
In an X post, First Lady Michelle Obama praised the trio of Biles, Andrade, and Chiles, writing, “I’m still not over this beautiful moment of sisterhood and sportsmanship! You can just feel the love shining through these ladies. Congrats Rebeca, Jordan, and Simone! ✨”
Jordan Chiles Wrote That She Was Removing Herself From Social Media for ‘My Mental Health’
GettyJordan Chiles, Team USA gymnast
For her part, Chiles wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story that she was “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you,” the Associated Press reported.
The post is no longer visible on Chiles’ Instagram page. On X, Chiles’ top posts show her with her medals.
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci wrote on X, “I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them #anabarbosu.”
Lee, of Minnesota, leaves Paris with a gold medal in the women’s team competition and two bronze medals in individual competitions, according to Olympics.com. Chiles won the gold medal in the team competition as well; her Olympics.com page no longer lists her bronze medal in the floor exercise event.
The United States Believes That Jordan Chiles ‘Rightfully Earned the Bronze Medal’
GettySimone Biles, Rebeca Andrade, and Jordan Chiles.
In a statement posted to X by USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) wrote that it “will be appealing the recent decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding Jordan Chiles.”
The Committee continued: “We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed. The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision.”
They continued, “As a result, we were not properly represented or afforded the opportunity to present our case comprehensively. Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to ensure that Jordan Chiles receives the recognition she deserves. We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly,” the statement said.
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Gold Medalist Says She’s ‘Gutted’ for Jordan Chiles as Bronze Medal Controversy Rages