Jordan Chiles says overturning Olympic bronze medal feels ‘unfair’

Jordan Chiles said the decision to strip her of her Olympic bronze medal feels “unjust,” but added that she believes those in authority over the matter will eventually make things right.

“I am at a loss for words. This decision feels so unfair and is a huge blow not only to me, but to everyone who has supported my journey,” Chiles said in an Instagram post on Thursday. Her comments come two days after USA Gymnastics announced that an appeal of the decision to strip Chiles of the medal she won in the floor competition on August 5 has been denied — despite providing video evidence that their initial appeal was filed on time, after the bronze medal was stripped due to the belief that it was not.

Chiles went on to say that what made the ordeal worse were the racially charged “attacks” she received from people online. However, she noted that she will accept the setback in the hopes of getting justice.

“I will take on this challenge as I have taken on others — and I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people who have the power will do the right thing,” Chiles continued.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday denied USA Gymnastics’ appeal to reinstate Chiles’ medal, noting that “their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered when new, conclusive 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 those before the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure that Jordan receives a fair placement and is awarded a medal,” the organization said.

Chiles said she was thrilled with the amount of support she received following the decision, but admitted it was a “devastating” experience.

“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 for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles said. “While celebrating my Olympic achievements, I received the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped. I was confident in the appeal filed by USAG, which provided compelling evidence that my score met all of the rules. The appeal was unsuccessful.”

Chiles concluded her message by saying that as an athlete she will not underestimate her values ​​when it comes to sportsmanship.

“I will never stray from my values ​​of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values ​​of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness,” Chiles said. “I am proud to cheer on everyone, regardless of team or country. Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I am thrilled to see others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are.”

Although she lost her individual bronze medal, she is still a gold medalist: the US women’s gymnastics team won gold this year.

Read Chiles’ full statement below:

“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 for their unwavering support during this difficult time. While celebrating my Olympic achievements, I received the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped. I was confident in the appeal filed by USAG, which provided compelling evidence that my score met all of the rules. The appeal was unsuccessful.

“I am at a loss for words. This decision feels unjust and is a huge blow, not just to me but to everyone who has supported my journey. To add to the sadness, the unsolicited racist 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.

“I will never stray from my values ​​of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values ​​of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I am proud to cheer on everyone, regardless of team or country. Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I am thrilled to see others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are.

“I am now facing one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will face this challenge as I have faced others — and I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in power will do the right thing.”