American gymnast Jordan Chiles said Thursday that being stripped of her bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics was devastating and heartbreaking for her and was an unfair blow.

The 23-year-old from Los Angeles also said the barrage of attacks on social media has left her extremely hurt as she tries to recover from the controversy surrounding the floor exercise final.

Due to a correction of the score regarding the difficulty level, Chile came third in the floor exercise. However, Romania appealed the decision and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the USA’s appeal had come too late. The International Gymnastics Federation then awarded the medal to Romania’s Ana Barbosu.

USA Gymnastics appealed the CAS decision, submitting time-stamped video evidence. The appeal was filed in a timely manner, but the CAS indicated that it could not reconsider its decision, prompting USAG to announce that it would refer the case to the Swiss Federal Court.

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“While celebrating my Olympic success, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped,” Chiles said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.

“I had confidence in the USAG appeal, which conclusively proved that my result complied with all the rules. That appeal was unsuccessful,” she said.

“I am at a loss for words. This decision feels unfair and is a huge blow, not only to me but to everyone who has supported my journey. What adds to the grief is that the unsolicited racially motivated attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country,” she added.

Despite the grief and setbacks, she is convinced that a just solution will eventually be found, Chiles said.

“I am now facing one of the most difficult moments of my career. Believe me, I have had many. I will approach this challenge like others – and do everything I can to ensure justice is done,” she wrote.

Chiles won a gold medal as part of the victorious U.S. team, her second Olympic medal after the team silver in Tokyo.

“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days. I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC (US Olympic and Paralympic Committee) for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles wrote.