The issue had been one of the sporting controversies of the Paris Olympics. And it is not over. The lawyers of the 23-year-old gymnast Jordan Chiles filed an appeal on Monday, September 16, before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court to challenge the withdrawal of her bronze medal in floor, in favor of Romanian Ana Barbosu.
On August 5, the former had the honor of accompanying her compatriot Simone Biles (2my) and Brazilian Rebeca Andrade on the podium at the Arena Bercy; a review of her score, just after her performance, allowed her to move up to second. The procedure is classic in gymnastics competitions, where athletes and coaches sometimes ask judges to review a routine to ensure that the elements are scored correctly, which can result in an upward or downward reassessment of the score.
However, this time the review was contested by the Romanian team, claiming that they had arrived four seconds after the scheduled time. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in their favour and five days after the final, the International Olympic Committee reassigned the award to Ana Barbosu. On 16 August, the 18-year-old received her medal during a ceremony in Bucharest. But what we thought was the end of the story is not.
Video test
Because Jordan Chiles’ lawyers claim to have video evidence that the American made her request on time. They also allege a “serious conflict of interest” in favour of Ana Barbosu, saying that the president of the jury that heard the case had worked for several years as an adviser to Romania. The country, which has long been one of the great gymnastics nations, has not seen one of its representatives climb the podium at the Olympic Games since the London Games in 2012.
“In light of these undeniable failures, [Jordan] Chiles asks the Federal Supreme Court to restore the score he legitimately obtained in the final exam »argue the lawyers of the Gibson-Dunn law firm, which represents the American. “All elements of the Olympic Games, including the refereeing process, must respect fair play”One of them, M, insists.my Mauricio Suh.
The young woman’s appeal has the support of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. On August 15, the person concerned deplored a decision on social media “unfair on the part of the CAS” and remembered that “To add to this heartbreak”She had been the target “spontaneous racial attacks” online. Her Romanian rival stated that this whole controversy was “sad” : “We expected the referees and Olympic staff to do their job properly.”
