IIn her first direct response to the controversy surrounding her bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise final, U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles said she remained confident that “the people in power will do the right thing.”

Chiles won the bronze medal in the floor exercise on the final day of gymnasts’ competition at the Paris Olympics – her first individual Olympic medal – after a dramatic change in her score moved her from fifth to third. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation, whose gymnast had originally finished third, filed a complaint questioning whether proper protocol had been followed in changing the score. An independent body, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), ruled that procedures had not been followed and reset Chiles’ and Barbosu’s scores to their original values, giving Chiles the bronze medal. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), which oversees the sport, then asked Chiles to return the medal so it could be awarded to Barbosu.

“I have heard the devastating news that my bronze medal has been stripped,” Chiles wrote on Instagram on Thursday after taking a break from social media as online interest in the controversy and criticism of her reached its peak. “I am at a loss for words. This decision feels unfair and is a huge blow, not only for me but for everyone who has supported my journey.”

CAS ruled against Chiles not because of the point change, but because Chiles’ coach Cecile Landi submitted the request more than the minute allowed by the rule after Chiles completed her routine. USA Gymnastics had filed a request with CAS to review its decision and provided additional video evidence showing that Landi had submitted the request before the one-minute time limit expired. But CAS responded with a statement that it does not rehear its decisions.

USA Gymnastics subsequently announced that it would appeal the decision, even if it required the case to be referred to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, which would be the next legal step in the process.

The case is further complicated by reports that the chair of the three-member CAS panel that made the ruling has represented Romanian interests in litigation in the past. In a statement on August 14, the CAS responded to these reports, saying: “The CAS condemns the outrageous statements published in certain US media outlets alleging that the panel, and in particular its chair, are biased due to other professional obligations or nationality. Since none of the parties involved in this case challenged any member of the panel during the proceedings, it can be assumed that all parties were satisfied that their case was heard by this panel. Any subsequent criticism is without foundation or merit.”

Chiles also addressed hurtful comments in her post: “To add to the suffering, the baseless racially motivated attacks are wrong and extremely hurtful.”

Chiles, who also helped the U.S. gymnastics team win gold in the women’s team competition, also said, “I will never deviate from my values ​​of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values ​​of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I now face one of the most difficult moments of my career. I will approach this challenge as others have – and do everything I can to ensure justice prevails. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”