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

Chelsea Bailey, CNN

PARIS, France (CNN) — Gymnastics is afloat of twists and turns, but nan unfolding saga complete which gymnast will officially return location nan bronze successful nan 2024 Olympic women’s creator level workout last has been much analyzable than anyone expected.

USA gymnast Jordan Chiles was stripped of her first individual Olympic badge aft nan Romanian gymnastics squad challenged her last score. While Team USA’s entreaty of that ruling was denied Monday evening, nan conflict for bronze is acold from over.

Here’s what you request to know.

The title was fierce – and it was ever going to beryllium close
The gymnastics women’s level workout last was already group to beryllium a nail-biter earlier Chiles stepped onto nan mat for nan last capacity connected August 5. Romania’s Ana Bǎrbosu and her teammate, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, were tied pinch a people of 13.700.

Chiles’ chance to gain her first individual badge and grace nan Olympic podium would travel down to a specified tenth of a point.

The 23-year-old gymnast confidently executed her level regular to a Beyoncé medley, and each 3 athletes waited anxiously for nan judges to denote her score.

Chiles was initially awarded a people of 13.666, placing her successful 5th place. But arsenic nan stadium erupted successful ceremony complete Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade’s golden medal, USA Gymnastics Coach Cecile Landi revenge an enquiry complete Chiles’ trouble score.

Minutes later, Chiles was first to announcement nan judges’ determination – leaping up and down arsenic a stunned Landi gaped astatine nan leaderboard. The judges revised her people by 0.1, giving her 13.766 to clinch nan bronze.

The triumph was historical – marking nan first clip each 3 positions connected nan Olympic podium were held by Black women. In a singular show of sportsmanship, Chiles suggested she and Biles playfully front to Andrade. The move was captured successful an iconic photograph that instantly made sporting history.

But nan ceremony would beryllium short-lived.

Why Romania challenged nan score
International Gymnastics Federation regulations let a coach to situation a trouble people “provided that they are made verbally instantly aft nan publication of nan score.”

According to nan guidelines, a coach has 1 infinitesimal aft nan people is shown to make a verbal enquiry for nan past gymnast successful a rotation.

Because Chiles was nan last gymnast to perform, her coaches were racing against nan clock.

“The personification designated to person nan verbal enquiry has to grounds nan clip of receiving it, either successful penning aliases electronically, and this starts nan procedure,” according to nan rules.

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation and gymnasts Bǎrbosu and Maneca-Voinea revenge an charismatic situation pinch nan Court of Arbitration for Sport to reappraisal nan circumstances surrounding nan determination to revise Chiles’ score.

They based on nan USA Gymnastics enquiry was revenge 4 seconds aft nan 1-minute deadline and Chiles’ first people of 13.666 should beryllium upheld. All 3 athletes, nan gymnasts argued, should beryllium placed successful 3rd position and each awarded a medal.

For nan adjacent week, nan appeals process played retired down nan scenes. Both parties based on their cases earlier a sheet astatine a proceeding connected August 10, according to nan Court of Arbitration for Sport. Then, later that day, nan Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Team Romania’s challenge.

The sporting governing assemblage announced it had wished nan enquiry submitted connected behalf of Chiles “was raised aft nan conclusion of nan one-minute deadline… and is wished to beryllium without effect.”

“The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique shall find nan ranking of nan Final of nan women’s Floor workout and delegate nan medal(s) successful accordance pinch nan supra decision,” nan Court of Arbitration for Sport said successful a statement.

It was later announced nan bronze would beryllium awarded to Bǎrbosu of Romania.

A heartbroken Chiles reacts
“We are devastated,” USA Gymnastics and nan US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said successful a associated connection pursuing nan ruling. “The enquiry successful nan Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ level workout regular was revenge successful bully religion and, we believed, successful accordance pinch FIG rules to guarantee meticulous scoring.”

It besides noted Chiles had been subjected to “utterly baseless and highly hurtful attacks connected societal media.”

Chiles posted 4 surgery bosom emojis to her Instagram communicative pursuing nan Court of Arbitration for Sport determination and announced she would beryllium taking a break from societal media. “I americium taking this clip and removing myself from societal media for my intelligence wellness convey you,” she wrote.

Another twist: USA says it has timestamped evidence
Hours later, USA Gymnastics announced it had formally submitted a missive and further grounds to nan Court of Arbitration for Sport to entreaty nan ruling.

The squad said successful a connection it had submitted timestamped video grounds showing USA Gymnastics Coach Landi submitted her enquiry “47 seconds aft nan people is posted, followed by a 2nd connection 55 seconds aft nan people was primitively posted.”

The squad said it did not person entree to nan footage anterior to nan tribunal’s determination and later based on location were “critical errors” successful nan first scoring and nan Court of Arbitration for Sport appeals process that needed to beryllium addressed.

“Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an entreaty to thief Jordan Chiles person nan nickname she deserves. We stay dedicated to supporting her arsenic an Olympic champion and will proceed to activity diligently to resoluteness this matter swiftly and fairly,” nan squad said successful a statement.

USA Gymnastics’ entreaty is denied
USA Gymnastics said nan Court of Arbitration for Sport has denied its entreaty for Chiles to support her level workout bronze medal.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by nan Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) connected Monday that their rules do not let for an arbitral grant to beryllium reconsidered moreover erstwhile conclusive caller grounds is presented,” nan statement said successful a connection Monday evening, adding it would proceed to prosecute nan case.

“We are profoundly disappointed by nan notification and will proceed to prosecute each imaginable avenue and entreaty process, including to nan Swiss Federal Tribunal, to guarantee nan conscionable scoring, placement, and badge grant for Jordan.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport later confirmed successful a connection that erstwhile some parties are notified of nan tribunal’s last decision, “the lawsuit cannot beryllium reopened astatine nan CAS level.”

The sporting assemblage besides said some parties “had ample opportunities to coming their arguments and objections” during nan hearing.

“If caller grounds (i.e. objectively chartless astatine nan clip of nan CAS hearing) appears aft nan issuance of nan CAS decision, it would beryllium imaginable to inquire nan Swiss Federal Tribunal to bid that nan lawsuit beryllium reopened. The CAS would besides reopen nan lawsuit spontaneously if each parties agree,” nan connection said.

CNN has reached retired to nan US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for comment.

What comes next?
It’s unclear really agelong it could return for this entreaty to activity done arbitration – and it’s unclear if Chiles has already returned nan medal.

And while people revisions are not uncommon, Chiles’ lawsuit is unusual. In nan past, athletes person been stripped of their medals erstwhile nan International Olympic Committee finds grounds of forbidden constituent use.

Superstar Usain Bolt was forced to return an Olympic golden badge he’d won successful nan 4x100m relay astatine nan 2008 Beijing Olympics aft it was revealed his teammate, Nesta Carter, had tested affirmative for a banned substance.

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