Jordan Chiles challenges the perceived unfairness in the decision that denied her an Olympic bronze medal.
In the Olympic sphere, Chiles lost her initial individual medal following challenges from the Romanian gymnastics squad to the ruling to revise her score in the floor exercise by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS eventually approved those challenges, implying that Chiles' bronze medal now belongs to Romania's Ana Bǎrbosu.
Displeased with CAS's decision, Chiles has taken the step to appeal to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, CAS's home base. In a press statement, Chiles's lawyers claimed that the procedures leading to CAS's decision were unjust, pointing out that they refused to examine the supporting video evidence, which indicated that Chiles's submission was made within the stipulated time span. Furthermore, the lawyers argued that CAS violated Chiles's "right to be heard" without informing her about the potential conflict of interest of the CAS panel's president.
CNN contacted CAS for comments.
Maurice M. Suh, Chiles's lawyer, expressed his concerns, stating that the "international community should not stand idle while an Olympic athlete who has only acted righteously is stripped of her medal due to unjust results in an arbitrary ad-hoc judicial process." Suh emphasized that the ideals of fair play should extend to the arbitration process as well.
Fully backing Chiles, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) stated their intention to secure recognition for her rightful accomplishment, acknowledging the many errors and oversights by CAS in handling the case and overlooking essential evidence of Chiles's bronze win. USOPC added that their commitment to truth in this matter remains unwavering.
USA Gymnastics (USAG) has not yet participated directly in the appeal but has pledged support to Chiles and her team. "USAG is working closely with Jordan and her legal team to submit supportive filings to the court in pursuit of justice for Jordan," USAG stated.
Chiles and her attorneys emphasized that she is dedicated to fair competition and adherence to established standards and rules ensuring fairness.
Chiles's dedication to sport and adherence to rules is evident in her decision to appeal the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) decision, arguing that they failed to consider crucial video evidence and violated her "right to be heard." The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) firmly supports Chiles, believing in her rightful bronze medal and committing to pursuing truth in the matter.
