Jordan Chiles' sister accuses Olympics of ‘racism’ after American gymnast stripped of bronze medal
Shortly after the ruling, Chiles announced that she would be stepping away from social media to protect her mental health
Jordan Chiles was officially stripped of her bronze medal in floor exercise at the Paris Olympics 2024 following a court ruling on Saturday. The IOC announced that the medal will now be reallocated to Romania's Ana Barbosu after it was determined that the American gymnast was incorrectly awarded the third place. Following the controversial ruling, Chiles' sister called out the Olympic judges for “racism.”
Jazmin Chiles slams Olympics, blames ‘racism’ for sister Jordan being stripped of bronze medal
The 23-year-old athlete's sister slammed the decision to remove Chiles from the third place in the gymnastics event that took place on August 5. “Please keep Jordan (and my family) in your prayers,” Jazmin, who owns Hair Goals by Jazmin Dominique, a beauty salon in Washington, wrote in a heated statement shared on her Instagram story.
“Racism is real, it exists, it is alive and well,” she continued, adding, “They have officially, 5 days later, stripped her [Chiles] of one of her medals. Not because she didn't win, not because she was drugged, not because she stepped out of bounds. Not because she wasn't good enough.”
Jazmin went on to say, “But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.” “FOUR SECONDS. Her bronze was stripped over 4 seconds of time that would have never needed to happen if the judges did their job,” she added. “I love you baby sis. And I got yo back no matter what,” she concluded.
Jordan Chiles announces break from social media
The stylist's statement comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favour of two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu, who had initially won bronze, and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea on August 10. “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,” CAS said.
Shortly after the ruling, Chiles announced that she would be stepping away from social media to protect her mental health. “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you,” she shared on her Instagram story. Amid the medal controversy, Chiles has been a victim of unprecedented hate and backlash online.
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USA Gymnastics condemns online attacks on Jordan Chiles
In light of the situation, USA Gymnastics issued a statement to extend support to the Olympian. “The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles' floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the statement read. The association also condemned the online attacks made against Chiles.
“Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her,” the statement added.