Have you ever worked so hard for something and then gotten it taken away from you? This is exactly what happened to 23-year-old Jordan Chiles. Jordan Chiles is an American gymnast who had her bronze medal revoked at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She made it to the individual floor finals. This was devastating for Chile. She had to work very hard for her medal and have it stripped away from her like that. Read more to find out what happened.
Shortly after the medal ceremony, the Romanian gymnasts filed a challenge. They had claimed that the USA filed the appeal four seconds too late. The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) agreed with the Romanians’ challenge. The scores went back to the way they were before putting Chile back in fifth place.
The Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu gained back her bronze medal. Even after this, USA Gymnastics sent out many challenges. CAS declined time and time again. Chile is completely devastated but is still hopeful about what could happen.
Some of our students here at BGJHS might have had similar experiences. Aubree Carver, a 7th grader at BGJHS, plays volleyball for BGJHS and SkyNT. Carver explained, “I got my playing time taken due to a girl saying that I didn’t want it. I had worked hard for my spot at that point.” 7th grader Turner Katherine Dotson, a cheerleader for BGJHS, shared, “You can get your spot taken at any moment, and it is a huge setback for some people.”
As of right now, Barbosu still has the bronze medal, and the scores remain the same. Chile and the USA are still working hard to gain back the medal. This experience has been very hard mentally for Chiles. “I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me but to everyone who has championed my journey,” says Chiles. Our hearts go out to Chiles, as she also said that this has been one of the hardest challenges of her career.
It seems like many student-athletes here at BGJHS most likely have had setbacks or hardships like Jordan Chiles. Even though it gets hard, remember to get back up and look on the positive side, like Jordan Chiles.
