Jordan Chiles defends himself against Olympic critics

Jordan Chiles defends himself against Olympic critics

Jordan Chiles’ fans continue to support her steadfastly after the decision to strip her of the bronze medal she won at the 2024 Paris Olympics was taken. A newly uploaded interview for Way Up With Angela Yee reveals exactly how the gymnastics star felt when her performance was subsequently questioned.

The conversation was recorded on August 9, but out of respect for Chiles, Yee did not release it until Friday (August 23). In the 30-minute discussion, the athlete discussed the USA women’s gymnastics team’s Redemption Tour, the viral podium moment she and Simone Biles shared with Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, and of course, the controversy surrounding Chiles’ contested third-place finish in the solo floor exercise final.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the 23-year-old of her medal after the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (RFG) filed a complaint claiming that U.S. coach Cecile Landi asked judges too late to re-evaluate Chile’s score. Her routine initially earned her a score of 13.666, which put her in fifth place, but after the appeal she moved up to third place with a score of 13.766, overtaking Romania’s Ana Bărbosu, who originally took the bronze medal with her 13.700. At the start of the spectacle, the Washington native faced online attacks and backlash.

Chiles told Yee, “That was a lot,” when asked how she handled the issue. Additionally, the Olympian added that contesting scores is nothing unusual. “It happens a lot; it just depends on what the judges are really looking at,” she said. The UCLA student further explained that it was “really the level of difficulty and what my floor routine should or shouldn’t be. Again, it all depends on the judges. I didn’t do anything wrong. My coaches didn’t do anything wrong.”

She noted, “The main thing I think a lot of people take away is that she changed the score. And it’s like, I can’t control that. I can’t control what they did. It’s a rule. It’s literally in the manual. Look at the manual.” Two days after the interview, on August 11, it was decided that Chiles would be stripped of her medal and Bărbosu would be declared third place.

The comments section of the video shared on YouTube was flooded with congratulatory messages and people affirming the young woman as an Olympic champion regardless of the verdict. On Friday (August 23), Chiles shared a now-deleted post on her Instagram story with the caption: “She’s a 10 but she’s still healing from things she didn’t deserve.”

The world-class gymnast had previously explained in an open letter to her fans that she had to give up her solo victory. She said the decision felt unfair and the “racially motivated attacks” she was subjected to afterwards were extremely hurtful. Supporters, including her teammates and the US Olympic Committee, stood by her before and after her statement.

Hear more of Jordan Chiles’ full interview with Angela Yee below.

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