Simone Biles documentary adds new twist to Jordan Chiles medal saga

This tape story could come in handy in Jordan Chiles’ bid for an Olympic medal.

Footage from Simone Biles’ Netflix documentary, “Simone Biles: Rising,” is part of the American gymnast’s appeal for the bronze medal Chiles received at the Paris Olympics that was later stripped from her, USA Today reported Monday, citing court documents.

Chiles, 23, originally earned a score of 13.666 in the floor final on Aug. 5, but when Team USA called her score within the 60-second deadline, she was moved up to third place with a new score of 13.766.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled that the investigation had begun outside the 60-second time frame, but footage in the Biles program included audio of Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, saying, “Investigation for Jordan!” 49 seconds after the score was announced, according to USA Today.

Court documents show that documentary series director Katie Walsh set up multiple cameras at the Bercy Arena, where the Paris Olympics gymnastics competition was taking place, and that she had access to the audio through Landi.

She shared the images with Landi, who later passed them on to Team USA Gymnastics and the Olympic and Paralympic Committees, the report said.

The International Olympic Committee announced a few days after the floor final that Chiles had to surrender his medal.

Chiles, a two-time Olympian, called the controversy “one of the most challenging moments of my career.”

“Believe me when I say I’ve had many. I will face this challenge as I have others — and I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is done,” she posted on social media last month. “I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in power will do the right thing.”

Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu has meanwhile received a bronze medal after scoring 13.700 in the event. Compatriot Sabrina Maneca-Voinea came fourth with the same score as Barbosu, who scored higher in the routine.

Chiles officially filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland on Monday.

A press release claims that the Court of Arbitration for Sport “violated Chiles’ fundamental ‘right to be heard’ by refusing to consider video evidence showing that its investigation had been submitted on time – in direct contradiction to the findings in the CAS decision,” and that Chiles “was not properly informed that Hamid G. Gharavi, the chair of the CAS panel that revoked Chiles’ bronze medal and awarded it instead to a Romanian gymnast, had a serious conflict of interest.”

Gharavi represents Romania in legal matters.

Chiles spoke about the ordeal through tears at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit last week, saying she felt “left in the dark” about the aftermath.