Jordan Chiles has been asked to return her bronze medal (Credit: USA Gymnastics/ X.com/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

US gymnast Jordan Chiles is at the center of an unusual controversy. The 23-year-old is being asked to return her Olympic bronze medal due to the timing of an appeal filed by her coach. The chain of events leading to this unprecedented decision unfolded shortly after the individual floor exercise final on August 5, 2024.

Chiles initially received a score of 13.666, placing her fifth. However, her coach, Cecile Landi, appealed the scoring of one element in her routine. The judges agreed and increased Chiles' score by 0.1 to 13.766. This minor adjustment put her in third place, ahead of Romanian gymnasts Ana Bǎrbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who both scored 13.700. Since Bǎrbosu had a higher technical score, she was the original recipient of the bronze medal.

However, shortly after the medal ceremony, Romanian officials filed a challenge. They alleged that Team USA's scoring inquiry exceeded the one-minute deadline by four seconds. On August 10, 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) agreed with their appeal. They ruled that the original scores be reinstated, putting Chiles back in fifth place.

Chiles hopes she gets to keep her bronze medal (Credit: Jordan Chiles/ X.com/ CC-BY-SA-2..0)

Following the CAS ruling, the US and Romania proposed awarding bronze medals to both Chiles and Bǎrbosu. However, on August 11, 2024, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected this request. They asked Chiles to return her bronze medal so it could be given to Bǎrbosu.

Undeterred, USA Gymnastics filed another appeal with CAS. This time they provided a time-stamped video. The footage revealed Landi submitting two inquiries: one 47 seconds and another 55 seconds after the initial score was posted. However, CAS rejected the request. They stated that the rules did not allow them to reconsider a decision even if there was new evidence. On August 16, 2024, Bǎrbosu received the bronze medal in a ceremony held in Bucharest, Romania.

Meanwhile USA Gymnastics continues to challenge the decision. They next plan to appeal to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, which holds the authority to overturn the CAS decision. Jordan Chiles, who has yet to return the medal, remains hopeful about the outcome.

"I will approach this challenge as I have others — and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done," Chiles said. "I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing."

Resources: CNN.com, Sportingnews.com, theGuardian.com