(NEW YORK) — Olympian Jordan Chiles opened up this week in her first interview since being stripped of her bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The star gymnast, whose bronze medal in the women’s gymnastics floor exercise final was revoked in August, spoke on the subject at the 2024 Forbes Power Women’s Summit in New York City on Wednesday.
“The biggest thing that was taken from me was that it was the recognition of who I was,” said Chiles, pausing halfway through and becoming emotional. “Not just my sport, but the person I am.”
“To me, everything that has gone on, it’s not about the medal, it’s about my skin color, it’s about the fact that there were things that have led up to this position of being an athlete,” she said.
She added, “I felt like when I was back in 2018, where I did lose the love of this sport. I lost it again. I felt like I was really left in the dark.”
Chiles referenced a coach she said she had in 2018, who she claimed “emotionally and verbally abused” her, though she did not name them, and said losing her medal made her feel voiceless again.
“I wasn’t able to be heard,” she said.
She added, “I made history and I will always continue to make history, and something that I rightfully did, I followed the rules. My coach followed the rules. We did everything that was totally, completely right.”
Initially, Chiles finished fifth in the individual floor exercise final at the Paris Olympics, only to be moved up to the bronze medal spot after her coaches appealed the scoring of one of the elements in her routine. In moving from fifth to third, she leaped over two Romanian gymnasts — including Ana Barbosu, who had already begun celebrating bronze.
The International Gymnastics Federation has since awarded Barbosu third place, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided the appeal made by Chiles’ coach at the event, with CAS saying Chiles’ score was “raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline.” In stating the challenge came too late, the CAS reinstated Chiles’ incorrect 13.666 score.
CAS later said it would not hear Chiles’ appeal to keep her bronze medal from the Paris Olympics despite new evidence, according to USA Gymnastics.
Following the unsuccessful appeal, Chiles took to Instagram to share her feelings on losing the medal.
“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,” she wrote in a statement at the time.
“To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country,” she continued.
Chiles took home one medal from the Olympics, helping Team USA secure gold in the women’s artistic team all-around event. She was also a part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
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