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Everything to know about the controversy over Jordan Chiles鈥� Olympic bronze medal

Everything to know about the controversy over Jordan Chiles鈥� Olympic bronze medal
We have the latest turn in the Olympic medal controversy involving Gymnast Jordan Childs and unfortunately, it did not go team U SAS Way on Monday, we reported the USA Gymnastics organization sent Olympic officials what it called time stamped video evidence that showed childs coach requested *** review of her score within the allotted one minute and child should be able to keep the bronze medal that was awarded to her following *** score change. However, USA gymnastics later released *** statement on Monday saying the court of arbitration for sport would not reconsider its ruling to strip childs of the metal but the twist to the saga may not be over just yet. USA gymnastics saying it will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process including the Swiss Federal Tribunal to quote in short, the just scoring placement and medal award for Jordan.
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Everything to know about the controversy over Jordan Chiles鈥� Olympic bronze medal
Gymnastics is full of twists and turns, but the unfolding saga over which gymnast will officially take home the bronze in the 2024 Olympic women鈥檚 artistic floor exercise final has been more complicated than anyone expected.USA gymnast Jordan Chiles was stripped of her first individual Olympic medal after the Romanian gymnastics team challenged her final score. While Team USA鈥檚 appeal of that ruling was denied Monday evening, the battle for bronze is far from over.Here鈥檚 what you need to know.The competition was fierce 鈥� and it was always going to be closeThe gymnastics women鈥檚 floor exercise final was already set to be a nail-biter before Chiles stepped onto the mat for the final performance on August 5. Romania鈥檚 Ana B菐rbosu and her teammate, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, were tied with a score of 13.700. Chiles鈥� chance to earn her first individual medal and grace the Olympic podium would come down to a mere tenth of a point.The 23-year-old gymnast confidently executed her floor routine to a Beyonc茅 medley, and all three athletes waited anxiously for the judges to announce her score.Chiles was initially awarded a score of 13.666, placing her in fifth place. But as the stadium erupted in celebration over Brazil鈥檚 Rebeca Andrade鈥檚 gold medal, USA Gymnastics Coach Cecile Landi filed an inquiry over Chiles鈥� difficulty score.Minutes later, Chiles was first to notice the judges鈥� decision 鈥� leaping up and down as a stunned Landi gaped at the leaderboard. The judges revised her score by 0.1, giving her 13.766 to clinch the bronze.The win was historic 鈥� marking the first time all three positions on the Olympic podium were held by Black women. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Chiles suggested she and Biles playfully bow to Andrade. The move was captured in an iconic photo that instantly made sporting history.But the celebration would be short-lived.Why Romania challenged the scoreInternational Gymnastics Federation regulations allow a coach to challenge a difficulty score 鈥減rovided that they are made verbally immediately after the publication of the score.鈥滱ccording to the guidelines, a coach has 1 minute after the score is shown to make a verbal inquiry for the last gymnast in a rotation.Because Chiles was the final gymnast to perform, her coaches were racing against the clock.鈥淭he person designated to receive the verbal inquiry has to record the time of receiving it, either in writing or electronically, and this starts the procedure,鈥� according to the rules.The Romanian Gymnastics Federation and gymnasts B菐rbosu and Maneca-Voinea filed an official challenge with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to review the circumstances surrounding the decision to revise Chiles鈥� score.They argued the USA Gymnastics inquiry was filed 4 seconds after the 1-minute deadline and Chiles鈥� initial score of 13.666 should be upheld. All three athletes, the gymnasts argued, should be placed in third position and each awarded a medal.For the next week, the appeals process played out behind the scenes. Both parties argued their cases before a panel at a hearing on August 10, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Then, later that day, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Team Romania鈥檚 challenge.The sporting governing body announced it had determined the inquiry submitted on behalf of Chiles 鈥渨as raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline鈥� and is determined to be without effect.鈥濃淭he F茅d茅ration Internationale de Gymnastique shall determine the ranking of the Final of the women鈥檚 Floor exercise and assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision,鈥� the Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement.It was later announced the bronze would be awarded to B菐rbosu of Romania.A heartbroken Chiles reacts鈥淲e are devastated,鈥� USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a joint statement following the ruling. 鈥淭he inquiry in the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles鈥� floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.鈥滻t also noted Chiles had been subjected to 鈥渦tterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media.鈥滳hiles posted four broken heart emojis to her Instagram story following the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision and announced she would be taking a break from social media. 鈥淚 am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you,鈥� she wrote.Another twist: USA says it has timestamped evidenceHours later, USA Gymnastics announced it had formally submitted a letter and additional evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal the ruling.The team said in a statement it had submitted timestamped video evidence showing USA Gymnastics Coach Landi submitted her inquiry 鈥�47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted.鈥漈he team said it did not have access to the footage prior to the tribunal鈥檚 decision and later argued there were 鈥渃ritical errors鈥� in the initial scoring and the Court of Arbitration for Sport appeals process that needed to be addressed.鈥淕iven these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves. We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly,鈥� the team said in a statement.USA Gymnastics鈥� appeal is deniedUSA Gymnastics said the Court of Arbitration for Sport has denied its appeal for Chiles to keep her floor exercise bronze medal.鈥淯SA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,鈥� the organization said in a statement Monday evening, adding it would continue to pursue the case.鈥淲e are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.鈥漈he Court of Arbitration for Sport later confirmed in a statement that once both parties are notified of the tribunal鈥檚 final decision, 鈥渢he case cannot be reopened at the CAS level.鈥漈he sporting body also said both parties 鈥渉ad ample opportunities to present their arguments and objections鈥� during the hearing.鈥淚f new evidence (i.e. objectively unknown at the time of the CAS hearing) appears after the issuance of the CAS decision, it would be possible to ask the Swiss Federal Tribunal to order that the case be reopened. The CAS would also reopen the case spontaneously if all parties agree,鈥� the statement said.CNN has reached out to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for comment.What comes next?It鈥檚 unclear how long it could take for this appeal to work through arbitration 鈥� and it鈥檚 unclear if Chiles has already returned the medal.And while score revisions are not uncommon, Chiles鈥� case is unusual. In the past, athletes have been stripped of their medals when the International Olympic Committee finds evidence of illegal substance use.Superstar Usain Bolt was forced to return an Olympic gold medal he鈥檇 won in the 4x100m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after it was revealed his teammate, Nesta Carter, had tested positive for a banned substance.CNN鈥檚 Jacob Lev, Issy Ronald, Ben Morse, Dan Moriarty and David Close contributed to this report.

Gymnastics is full of twists and turns, but the unfolding saga over which gymnast will officially take home the bronze in the 2024 Olympic women鈥檚 artistic floor exercise final has been more complicated than anyone expected.

USA gymnast Jordan Chiles was stripped of her first individual Olympic medal after the Romanian gymnastics team challenged her final score. While Team USA鈥檚 appeal of that ruling was denied Monday evening, the battle for bronze is far from over.

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Here鈥檚 what you need to know.

The competition was fierce 鈥� and it was always going to be close

The gymnastics women鈥檚 floor exercise final was already set to be a nail-biter before Chiles stepped onto the mat for the final performance on August 5. Romania鈥檚 Ana B菐rbosu and her teammate, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, with a score of 13.700.

Chiles鈥� chance to earn her first individual medal and grace the Olympic podium would come down to a mere tenth of a point.

The 23-year-old gymnast confidently executed her floor routine to a Beyonc茅 medley, and all three athletes waited anxiously for the judges to announce her score.

Chiles was initially awarded a score of 13.666, placing her in fifth place. But as the stadium erupted in celebration over Brazil鈥檚 Rebeca Andrade鈥檚 gold medal, USA Gymnastics Coach Cecile Landi filed an inquiry over Chiles鈥� difficulty score.

Minutes later, Chiles was first to notice the judges鈥� decision 鈥� leaping up and down as a stunned Landi gaped at the leaderboard. The judges revised her score by 0.1, giving her 13.766 to clinch the bronze.

The win was historic 鈥� marking the first time all three positions on the Olympic podium were held by Black women. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Chiles suggested she and Biles playfully bow to Andrade. The move was captured in an iconic photo that instantly made sporting history.

But the celebration would be short-lived.

Why Romania challenged the score

International Gymnastics Federation allow a coach to challenge a difficulty score 鈥減rovided that they are made verbally immediately after the publication of the score.鈥�

According to the guidelines, a coach has 1 minute after the score is shown to make a verbal inquiry for the last gymnast in a rotation.

Because Chiles was the final gymnast to perform, her coaches were racing against the clock.

鈥淭he person designated to receive the verbal inquiry has to record the time of receiving it, either in writing or electronically, and this starts the procedure,鈥� according to the rules.

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation and gymnasts B菐rbosu and Maneca-Voinea filed an official challenge with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to review the circumstances surrounding the decision to revise Chiles鈥� score.

They argued the USA Gymnastics inquiry was filed 4 seconds after the 1-minute deadline and Chiles鈥� initial score of 13.666 should be upheld. All three athletes, the gymnasts , should be placed in third position and each awarded a medal.

For the next week, the appeals process . Both parties argued their cases before a panel at a hearing on August 10, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Then, later that day, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Team Romania鈥檚 challenge.

The sporting governing body it had determined the inquiry submitted on behalf of Chiles 鈥渨as raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline鈥� and is determined to be without effect.鈥�

鈥淭he F茅d茅ration Internationale de Gymnastique shall determine the ranking of the Final of the women鈥檚 Floor exercise and assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision,鈥� the Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement.

It was later announced the bronze would be awarded to B菐rbosu of Romania.

A heartbroken Chiles reacts

鈥淲e are devastated,鈥� USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a following the ruling. 鈥淭he inquiry in the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles鈥� floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.鈥�

It also noted Chiles had been subjected to 鈥渦tterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media.鈥�

Chiles posted four broken heart emojis to her Instagram story following the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision and announced she would be taking a break from social media. 鈥淚 am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you,鈥� she wrote.

Another twist: USA says it has timestamped evidence

Hours later, USA Gymnastics it had formally submitted a letter and additional evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to appeal the ruling.

The team said it had submitted timestamped video evidence showing USA Gymnastics Coach Landi submitted her inquiry 鈥�47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted.鈥�

The team said it did not have access to the footage prior to the tribunal鈥檚 decision and later argued there were 鈥溾� in the initial scoring and the Court of Arbitration for Sport appeals process that needed to be addressed.

鈥淕iven these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves. We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly,鈥� the team said in a statement.

USA Gymnastics鈥� appeal is denied

USA Gymnastics said the Court of Arbitration for Sport has denied its appeal for Chiles to keep her floor exercise bronze medal.

鈥淯SA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,鈥� the organization said in a Monday evening, adding it would continue to pursue the case.

鈥淲e are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.鈥�

The Court of Arbitration for Sport later confirmed in a statement that once both parties are notified of the tribunal鈥檚 final decision, 鈥渢he case cannot be reopened at the CAS level.鈥�

The sporting body also said both parties 鈥渉ad ample opportunities to present their arguments and objections鈥� during the hearing.

鈥淚f new evidence (i.e. objectively unknown at the time of the CAS hearing) appears after the issuance of the CAS decision, it would be possible to ask the Swiss Federal Tribunal to order that the case be reopened. The CAS would also reopen the case spontaneously if all parties agree,鈥� the statement said.

CNN has reached out to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for comment.

What comes next?

It鈥檚 unclear how long it could take for this appeal to work through arbitration 鈥� and it鈥檚 unclear if Chiles has already returned the medal.

And while score revisions are not uncommon, Chiles鈥� case is unusual. In the past, athletes have been stripped of their medals when the International Olympic Committee finds evidence of illegal substance use.

Superstar Usain Bolt was he鈥檇 won in the 4x100m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after it was revealed his teammate, Nesta Carter, had tested positive for a banned substance.

CNN鈥檚 Jacob Lev, Issy Ronald, Ben Morse, Dan Moriarty and David Close contributed to this report.