After the shockingly shady decision to strip Jordan Chiles of her Olympic bronze medal, the gymnast broke her silence about the “unjust” ruling.
While the fight continues to help the Team USA star keep her individual medal, Chiles persevered in private. Her outspoken sister, Jazmin, immediately slammed the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision on her behalf. Now, the 23-year-old has spoken about being at the center of this international scandal.
On Thursday, Chiles took to Instagram with a statement addressing the ongoing battle, “overwhelming” love from her supporters, and backlash from rancid racists. She revealed the “devastating” news came while “celebrating my Olympic accomplishments.”
“I had confidence in the appeal brought by the USAG, who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. That appeal was unsuccessful.
“I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey,” Chiles stated.
As BOSSIP previously reported, USAG previously submitted video evidence that Chiles’ coach did submit the score inquiry within the required time limit.
In addition to the scrutiny and ongoing uncertainty, Chiles and her family faced a flood of “racially driven attacks on social media.” In the face of waves of hate, both in the U.S. and from across the globe, she remains “so proud to represent my culture and my country.” When they go low, the Olympian still keeps her head held high.
“I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, holding upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country,” she continued.
“I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will approach this challenge as I have others and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done,” Chiles added.
The drama continues amid favoritism allegations about the judges who repeatedly underscored the difficulty of Chiles’ floor exercise and ultimately cost her the medal she earned. Despite the ongoing hurdles, the elite athlete’s faith remains strong that “at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”
It’s clear that Jordan has a heart of gold in addition to a medal to match from the women’s gymnastics team final. The stellar competitor has the support of her fierce family, USA Gymnastics, and the 2024 Paris Olympics hero Flavor Flav.
If they ultimately want to come for this bronze medal, it looks like they’ll have to go through everyone who has her back.