Jordan Chiles Appeals to Swiss Supreme Court Over Stripped Olympic Bronze Medal

American gymnast Jordan Chiles has taken the fight for her bronze medal to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland after being stripped of it by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Chiles' appeal follows Romania’s Ana Barbosu being awarded the bronze following CAS's ruling. This is prepared by SSP.

Chiles, initially placed fifth in the floor event of the 2024 Olympics, saw her score upgraded to third after officials reviewed the difficulty rating of her routine. However, Barbosu’s team contended that the inquiry leading to this change was submitted four seconds past the allowed one-minute deadline.

Despite probative video evidence presented by Chiles' lawyers suggesting that the inquiry was on time, CAS maintained its decision, prompting Chiles to challenge its rulings as "fundamentally unfair." Her attorney, Maurice M. Suh, emphasizes that the CAS panel disregarded her right to be fully heard and overlooked a potential conflict of interest, noting the panel's president had purported links to Romania.

The International Gymnastics Federation (Fig) initially supported Chiles, but CAS, deemed the highest authority in sports legal matters, found otherwise. Further disappointment ensued as US media reports suggested bias within CAS but were met with condemnation by CAS as "outrageous statements."

Chiles' struggle includes dealing with online racist abuse post-ruling. Throughout, she has earned widespread respect and support, including from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and USA Gymnastics (USAG).

Both USOPC and USAG have pledged continued support for Chiles, determined that she receives the due recognition for her achievements amidst challenging conditions they believe were handled egregiously by CAS. The groups committed to pressing for truth and fairness underline the collaborative effort to secure justice for Chiles.

As part of the gold-winning US team event in Paris, Chiles' skills and integrity stand highlighted in her push against the perceived arbitrariness and mishandling by CAS.