Revealed: Why American gymnast Jordan Chiles appealed to Swiss court for stripped Olympic bronze

American gymnast Jordan Chiles has officially filed an appeal in the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in a bid to reclaim the Olympic bronze medal she was stripped of following the controversial decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month.

Chiles, who had originally secured third place in the women’s floor exercise at the Paris 2024 Olympics, lost her medal after Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu successfully appealed against the results.

The core of Chiles’ appeal centers around two key arguments, as outlined by her legal team from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLC.

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First, they contend that video evidence “unequivocally proves” that the inquiry, which led to Chiles’ score being revised upwards, was submitted within the one-minute window allowed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

In their statement, Chiles’ lawyers criticized the process, pointing out that the CAS panel failed to take the video footage into account.

“From start to finish, the procedures leading to the CAS panel’s decision were fundamentally unfair, and it is no surprise that they resulted in an unjust decision,” her attorneys stated.

Another crucial aspect of the appeal concerns a conflict of interest involving Hamid Gharavi, the president of the CAS panel that ruled in favor of Barbosu.

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Chiles’ legal team asserts that Gharavi had a direct conflict, as he had represented Romania for nearly a decade and was actively working with the country during the arbitration.

According to Chiles’ attorneys, this relationship compromised the fairness of the proceedings and should have disqualified Gharavi from presiding over the case.

Moreover, Chiles’ legal team also argues that the gymnast was not given a fair opportunity to defend her case.

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According to their appeal, she was only notified of the CAS hearing just hours before it began leaving her and her team little time to prepare a defense.

This last-minute notification, they claim, violated her right to a fair hearing and further underscores the procedural failures that tainted the original decision.

The dispute traces back to a tight competition at the Paris Olympics, where Chiles initially finished third in the women’s floor exercise behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade and her American teammate, Simone Biles.

However, Barbosu’s appeal to CAS overturned the result, reducing Chiles’ score and allowing Barbosu to take the bronze.

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The ramifications of the CAS ruling have been significant for Chiles, who expressed her frustration and determination to fight the decision in an emotional Instagram post last month.

“I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career,” she wrote.

“I will approach this challenge as I have others—and I will make every effort to ensure that justice is done.”

USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee have voiced their support for Chiles throughout the legal process, with both organizations condemning the handling of the case by CAS.

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Chiles’ appeal to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court represents the final step in the legal process, and a decision from the court is expected within the next four to six months.

If the court rules in her favor, Chiles could see her bronze medal reinstated. For now, the gymnast remains hopeful, vowing to persevere despite the challenges.

“I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing,” Chiles said.