Jordan Chiles Talks Racism and Olympic Scoring Controversy

U.S. Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles recently opened up about the possibility of racism playing a role in her bronze medal being retracted at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In an interview on the podcast “Baby, I’m KiKi Palmer,” Chiles was asked whether she had come to terms with experiencing racism after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reversed a scoring adjustment that had initially placed her third in the women’s floor exercise. This change ultimately moved her to fifth place.

“Initially, I didn’t see it that way,” Chiles said. “But then I started getting seriously racist comments. It got pretty rough, to the point where it was hard to cope.” She reflected on how difficult it was to see herself on that podium, especially as part of an “All Black” representation, something she acknowledged many were unhappy with.

Chiles, after taking third alongside U.S. teammate Simone Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, described the reactions she faced. “They didn’t want to see three beautiful black women on that podium. They didn’t like our dominance, and I really felt that.” It was a heavy realization for her as an athlete and a woman of color.

Romania’s Ana Barbos, who initially scored higher, was later bumped off the podium due to the scoring adjustment. After the first round of judging, Barbos was thrilled to place third, but the situation quickly changed when Chiles’s score was revised following a challenge from the U.S. coach.

When Barbos saw the adjusted scores, she was clearly distressed, eventually leaving the arena in tears.

On the final day of the Olympics, CAS ruled that Chiles’s appeal was submitted past the deadline, dropping her out of medal contention. This prompted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to demand the return of her medals the next day.

Chiles had earlier mentioned facing “racial attacks” on social media, echoing her feelings during her first sit-down interview after the incident.

“For me, it’s not just about the medals. It’s really about the color of my skin,” she expressed at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit in September 2024.

The controversy has drawn global attention to the judges involved, leading CAS and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to criticize the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for the outcome.

“Much heartache could have been avoided with better mechanisms in place,” the CAS task force noted, hoping that this will be a learning experience for the FIG and future athletes.

Chiles and her team are currently appealing the CAS decision, citing evidence that the coach had made the challenge on time, and they implied potential biases from officials linked to Romania. They have also taken the matter to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, arguing that Chiles wasn’t given a fair chance to defend herself and that video evidence wasn’t adequately analyzed.

Barbos, who now competes in women’s gymnastics at Stanford University, voiced her concern for Chiles and their shared teammate, expressing that it’s a complex situation with a lot of emotion involved. She emphasized that they had done nothing wrong and hoped everyone could appreciate the Olympic spirit despite the misunderstandings.

Interestingly, Chiles competes for UCLA, and the two teams are set to face off on March 7th.