Olympian Aly Raisman is sympathizing with Jordan Chiles amid her 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal drama.
“This is just so heartbreaking, and I’m just so gutted for Jordan. I can’t even imagine what this past week has been like for Jordan and the other athletes involved,” Raisman, 30, stated on the Monday, August 12, episode of Today. “This is completely devastating. I don’t think people realize these gymnasts work their entire lives for this moment, and it’s supposed to be a celebration.”
Noting that seeing Chiles celebrate her individual medal win was “one of my favorite moments at the Olympics,” Raisman added: “I think it’s so unfair, it’s so cruel, and I don’t think that Jordan should have to give her medal back. The IOC has given more than one medal before, and I think that they should do that now. It’s awful.”
Chiles, 23, initially placed fifth during the August 5 women’s gymnastics floor exercise final, but she was bumped up to third place after her coach submitted an inquiry to reevaluate her routine. The placement change resulted in Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu losing out on the bronze medal.
Simone Biles and More Gymnasts Support Jordan Chiles Amid Medal Drama
Team Romania also placed an inquiry into gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea’s routine on August 5, though her score was not changed. The decision has prompted criticism from the Romanian Olympic Committee.
On Saturday, August 10, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) announced that they improperly granted the inquiry into Chiles’ routine, as it was filed four seconds over the CAS’ one-minute deadline. One day later, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Chiles’ medal would be stripped and reallocated to Barbosu, 18.
“Look, the judges are human, and we all make mistakes,” Raisman continued on Today. “But what’s so devastating is this is the biggest moment of their lives. These gymnasts have worked so hard. They play fair. … The judges did make a mistake. They put the inquiry in. The judges accepted it, which means that they felt that it was under that minute. So, it’s unfair.”
Raisman noted that athletes are trained to “trust the process” and to trust that “the rules are there to be fair,” making the decision about Chiles’ medal even more devastating.
“There just needs to be a lot more transparency, and going forward, we need to understand how this is happening and how to ensure this doesn’t happen again. It’s appalling,” she stated. “But I think that the organizations that are in charge of this need to really look at the athletes’ mental health and how much this is affecting them, and how cruel it is to take a medal away from someone. It’s just, like, unfathomable to me.”
Raisman noted that she has spoken to Chiles amid the drama but is choosing to keep what they discussed “private.” She shared: “I can’t even imagine how much she’s going through and how hard this is. She even said she’s taking a break from social media. There’s been horrific bullying, and I just feel for her. My heart’s going out to her. I support her fully, and I’m just so sad and so disappointed that this is happening, and it’s unfair.”
What Is Happening With Jordan Chiles and Romania’s Bronze Medal Inquiry?
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced their plans to appeal the allocation of Chiles’ medal on Sunday, August 11. USA Gymnastics claimed in a statement on Sunday that “video evidence” of Chiles’ routine proves that the ruling should be “revised.”
Barbosu reacted to the scandal via her Instagram Story on Sunday, writing, “Sabrina, Jordan, my thoughts are with you. I know what you are feeling because I’ve been through the same. But I know you’ll come back stronger.” Chiles, for her part, announced that she would be taking a break from social media.
Raisman experienced a similar situation to Chiles at the 2012 London Olympics, as an inquiry submitted into her balance beam routine moved her up from fourth place to third.
