American gymnast Jordan Chiles is receiving praise for the brave face she has put on after being stripped of her bronze medal in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.
Ana Barbosu was awarded bronze after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport said a major US appeal came too late.
All of this has put Chiles in the spotlight for reasons she didn’t exactly want, but she’s handled it with grace and is being recognized for it.
Jordan’s sister, Jazmin Chiles, posted on Twitter: “My sister’s sportsmanship is unmatched. She is the epitome of it. I’m so proud.”
USA Gymnastics tweeted that post and said, “Jordan set the standard!” with a handshake emoji added at the end.
Jordan Chiles is being praised for her sportsmanship amid her fight to retain her bronze medal
Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu received her Olympic bronze medal on Friday morning
Chiles, of course, is not happy with the CAS decision that saw Barbosu awarded a medal the United States believes it legitimately won.
Barbosu, 18, initially finished third in the floor exercise final in Paris, only for Team USA to successfully appeal the score awarded to Chile.
The American’s score improved and she moved ahead of Barbosu, who dropped her Romanian flag and burst into tears.
However, the Court of Arbitration The FIFA Appeals Court later ruled that the US appeal occurred outside the one-minute time limit allowed.
The controversial decision has taken on a life of its own, even long after the Games ended, with Chiles criticising the “unfair” decision and a series of “racially motivated attacks” that followed.
“I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of love I have received over the past few days. I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles wrote.
‘While celebrating my Olympic achievements, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped from me. I relied on the appeal filed by USAG, which presented conclusive evidence that my score complied with all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful.
‘I have no words. This decision seems unfair to me and is a hard blow, not only for me, but for all those who have supported me on my journey.
“To make matters worse, the spontaneous racist attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and I am very proud to represent my culture and my country.”
The CAS dismissed the allegations of “bias” and Chiles insisted she would fight to ensure justice was done. The gymnast also said she was confident that “the people in control will do the right thing.”
“I will never stray from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I take pride in cheering on everyone, regardless of team or country,” she continued in her statement.
“Finding joy again has been a cultural shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I’ve given everyone the opportunity to be authentic to who they are.
“I am now facing one of the most difficult moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will face this challenge as I have faced others and do everything I can to ensure justice is served. I believe at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”
The 18-year-old ousted American Jordan Chiles from the podium thanks to a shocking court decision
Chiles received a bronze in Paris before the Court of Arbitration for Sport intervened
Barbosu is now back home in Romania and a medal ceremony was held on Friday which awarded the 18-year-old gymnast the bronze.
The medal was presented to Barbosu by Octavian Morariu, Romania’s representative to the International Olympic Committee, and Mihai Covaliu, President of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee.
According local reportsThe gymnast thanked the lawyers who fought to get her back on the podium and sent a heartfelt message to Chiles and her teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who finished fourth.
“I can’t help but think of Sabrina and Jordan right now,” Barbosu said. “It’s a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have done nothing wrong at the Olympics.”
She added: ‘It’s an emotional moment for me… this result comes after many years of work in the gym and I thank the coaches without whom I would not have achieved it… this situation was possible thanks to the federation and the law firm who did not give up on us, the athletes.’
Morariu, for his part, said that “justice was done.” He said that, Observer“It was a race against time because the procedures are very strict.”
“I’m glad to be in possession of this medal,” the 18-year-old said after the ceremony.
In Paris, Barbosu responded to the change of score by dropping his Romanian flag and crying.
The gymnast’s medal ceremony was held at the Olympic House in the capital, Bucharest.
The medal event was held at the Olympic House in the Romanian capital Bucharest, and according to local reports Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also attended.
The Romanian federation clarified that this was not the same medal awarded to the Chileans on the podium in Paris.
“Thank you for coming to this ceremony today. It’s a very emotional moment for me,” Barbosu reportedly said.
‘Listening to the champions say that the medal is very heavy, until now I had not realized how heavy it is.’
She added: ‘I am happy to have this medal and I hope to represent Romania as well as possible in the future and get as many medals as possible.