Swiss Court opens door for Jordan Chiles to regain Olympic bronze

Switzerland’s supreme court on Thursday ordered the Court of Arbitration for Sport to review new video evidence as Team USA and UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles bid to regain a bronze medal from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The court asked CAS to revisit its decision to overturn Chiles’ bronze medal finish following an appeal by the Romanian federation that a scoring appeal by U.S. coaches that resulted in Chiles being awarded the bronze medal was not made within the required one-minute appeals window.

But the Swiss court, in a statement, said that new documentary film footage supports Chiles’ bid to have her bronze medal finish reinstated.

“In the highly exceptional circumstances of the case in question,” the Swiss Federal Tribunal said in a statement, “it considers that there is a likelihood for the audio-visual recording of the final on Aug. 5, 2024, to lead to a modification of the contested award in favor of the applicant (Chiles).”

“We are delighted that the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has righted a wrong and given Jordan the chance she deserves to reclaim her bronze medal,” Maurice M. Suh, an attorney for Chiles, said in a statement. “As the Court recognized, there is ‘conclusive’ video evidence that Jordan was the rightful winner of the bronze medal.”

USA Gymnastics, in a statement, said, “We are pleased the Swiss Federal Supreme Court recognized the flaws in the initial process and that Jordan’s case can now be heard inclusive of all relevant evidence. USA Gymnastics will continue to support the efforts of Jordan and her team to retain her bronze medal in the 2024 Olympic women’s floor exercise. We look forward to a fair arbitration that includes the clear evidence proving the inquiry into Jordan’s score was filed well within 1 minute as required by FIG rules. “

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won the floor title with a score of 14.166 on Monday ahead of Team USA’s Simone Biles at 14.133. When the initial final scores were posted on the arena scoreboard, Romania’s Ana Barbosu was listed in third place at 13.700 points with Chiles fifth at 13.666.

But after the U.S. coaches requested a scoring inquiry into whether Chiles was given full credit for all her elements during her routine, her score was adjusted to 13.766, giving her her first individual medal in two Olympics and completing the first Olympic gymnastics medal podium featuring three Black women.

Romania, however, later filed its own appeal with CAS, maintaining the U.S. appeal was not made within the one-minute window from when Chiles’ score was posted as required by the rules of the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG), the sport’s worldwide governing body.

A few days later, CAS ruled that “The initial score of 13.666 given to Ms Jordan Chiles in the final of the women’s Floor exercise shall be reinstated” and that the “Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique shall determine the ranking of the Final of the women’s Floor exercise and assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision.”

“The Swiss Court’s historic decision confirms that Chiles’ bronze medal was unjustly revoked through a rushed arbitration process that deprived Chiles of the critical opportunity to present key video evidence confirming that her bronze medal was rightfully earned,” attorneys for Chiles said in a statement. “The Court ruled that the video evidence in question ‘is conclusive’ and if considered by the CAS, may have ‘led to a modification of the award in favor of’ Chiles.

“Chiles will now have the opportunity to fully prepare and present her defense of the bronze medal—for the first time—in a new arbitration proceeding in the coming months.”

CAS said in a statement that with the Swiss Court ruling, it “can now ensure a thorough judicial review of the new evidence that has since been made available.”

The new review could take as long as a year, CAS said.

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