U.S. Gymnastics officials have said an arbitration panel will not reconsider a decision ordering gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she won in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics.

USA Gymnastics says it will continue to work to ensure Chile retains the medal.

“USA Gymnastics was informed on Monday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that CAS rules do not allow for a reconsideration of an arbitration award, even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue all possible avenues and appeals, including the Swiss Federal Court, to ensure a fair score, ranking and medal award for Jordan.”

CAS invalidated an on-field appeal by Chile’s coach that sent them to third base, arguing that the appeal was made four seconds after the one-minute scoring period had expired.

USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying Sunday that the agency had provided video evidence to CAS showing that U.S. team coach Cecile Landi first filed an appeal 13 seconds before the deadline.

The dispute over such tiny details leads to a legal battle over the results of the gymnastics competition that could last for months or years.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said on Saturday evening that it would respect the court’s decision and promote Romanian Ana Barbosu to third place. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling on Sunday and announced that the medal would be re-awarded.

CAS ruled on Saturday that Landis’ request to increase Chiles’ score by 0.1 point occurred outside the one-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landis’ request occurred 1 minute and 4 seconds after Chiles’ original score was announced.

The IOC said it would be in contact with the USOPC regarding the return of Chile’s bronze medal and would work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a re-award ceremony in honor of Barbosu. Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won gold and Simone Biles of the United States won silver.

Any appeal could be directed to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or to the European Court of Human Rights.

Late Monday, rapper Flavor Flav — who is a prominent supporter of 2024 Olympians, including discus thrower Veronica Fraley — posted on social media platform X that he had made a rhinestone-embellished bronze medal for Chiles as a possible replacement while the U.S. battles “the powers that be.” The replacement looks like a watch the rapper has worn for decades, dating back to his days with the group Public Enemy.

“Thank you. This means the world to me,” reads a response on the X-account of Gina Charles, the gymnast’s mother. “As you can imagine, she is not on social media at the moment. I will share this with her.”

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games