CAS Refuses to Reopen Jordan Chiles Appeal Despite Video Evidence

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has refused to reopen the appeal for gymnast Jordan Chiles to keep her medal amid controversy following the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics wrote in a statement via X on Monday, August 12.

The statement continued, “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 update comes one day after USA Gymnastics alleged they had “video evidence” Chiles, 23, should keep her bronze medal.

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“USA Gymnastics on Sunday formally submitted a letter and video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, conclusively establishing that Head Coach Cecile Landi’s request to file an inquiry was submitted 47 seconds after the publishing of the score, within the 1-minute deadline required by FIG rule,” a Sunday, August 11, X statement read.

In the letter, USA Gymnastics requested that the CAS ruling be “revised” and Chiles’ adjusted score of 13.766 be reinstated.

“The basis for the CAS ruling on Friday striking down the inquiry was that ‘The inquiry submitted on behalf of Ms. Jordan Chiles in the Final of the women’s floor exercise was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline provided by article 8.5 of the 2024 FIG Technical Regulations and is determined to be without effect,’” the statement read.

“The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted,” the post continued.

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The statement added that the video footage provided “was not available” to USA Gymnastics “prior to the tribunal’s decision and thus USAG did not have the opportunity to previously submit it.”

The controversy began after Chiles competed in the women’s floor exercise final on August 5. While Romania’s Ana Barbosu was initially announced as the bronze medalist, team USA filed an inquiry moments later about the difficulty of one of Chiles’ moves. The judges sided with the filing, which moved Chiles from a score of 13.666 to 13.766 and earned her third-place.

The following day, Team Romania filed an inquiry into Team USA’s request, noting that it was past the deadline. CAS agreed with the inquiry days later, reverting Chiles’ score back to 13.666 and deeming Barbosu the bronze medalist.

As a result of the ruling, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) noted on Sunday that Chiles would have to give her medal back.

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“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 Barbosu,” the IOC’s Sunday statement read. “We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”

Barbosu broke her silence hours later, noting that her “thoughts” are with Chiles. “I know what you are feeling because I’ve been through the same,” she wrote via her Instagram Story on Sunday. “But I know you’ll come back stronger.”