Jordan Chiles’ Olympic Medal Stripped—Fans Say Decision Feels “Deeply Anti-Black”

Posted on by EDITORIAL FEATURES

Gymnast Jordan Chiles became a trending Twitter (X) topic on Sunday (August 11) after the bronze medal she won the floor exercise was stripped by the International Olympic Committee and given to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu. The decision caused an uproar on social media, with many calling it “deeply anti-Black.”


Chiles had initially finished fifth in the competition last Monday (August 5), before U.S. coach Cecile Landi successfully lobbied that Chiles’ difficulty score had been undercredited. Officials on the scene agreed and adjusted her score by 0.1 points to 13.766, which elevated Chiles above two Romanian athletes. Consequently, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said he’d refuse to attend the Olympic closing ceremony in protest.

Nearly a week later, the International Olympic Committee said it would abide by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that Landi’s protest was made 64 seconds after scores were posted—while the deadline for such debate is one minute.

Following the CAS decision with regard to the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final and the amendment of the ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, the IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Bărbosu (Romania),” the IOC said in a statement. “We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”

There’s still hope for Chiles. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee said it would be filing an appeal of its own.

It said in a statement, “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. Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive 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.”

Still, social media continued to blow up with reactions to the decision. Chiles’ mother, who caught wind of the racist insults being hurled at her daughter, wrote, “The racist disgusting comments are still happening in 2024. I’m tired of people who say it no longer exists. 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.”