Copyright Us Weekly
More than one year after Team USA’s Jordan Chiles was stripped of her bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the decorated gymnast is addressing the racial backlash that followed. “It was a devastating time,” Chiles, 24, said on a Tuesday, November 11 appearance on the “Baby, this is Keke Palmer” podcast, adding that initially she didn’t recognize a racial component to the controversy. “I didn’t think of it in that way until I started literally getting racist comments, saying this and saying that…people were telling me to kill myself,” she continued. “It got to a really, really tough point. I had to get off of social media for a while because it was really hard to see that.” Chiles lost her bronze medal at the women’s floor routine, where she initially placed fifth. Her coach appealed the score, a common practice in gymnastics.When the judges reviewed the routine they awarded her an extra tenth of a point, putting her in position for the bronze. The International Olympic Committee, however, changed her score back after Team Romania argued the inquiry came four seconds after the one-minute deadline. Romania’s Ana Bărbosu was later given the bronze medal instead, alongside Simone Biles (gold) and Rebeca Andrade (silver) on the podium. USA Gymnastics then provided additional video evidence showing that the appeal came in time, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) refused to reopen the case. “Yes it’s an all Black podium, which is very rare,” Chiles said. “It’s obviously something that people just don’t like.” She continued, “They didn’t want to see that. They didn’t want to see three beautiful Black women standing on that podium. They didn’t want to see the fact that we were just dominating, and I really took that to heart.” It’s not the first time Chiles has called out the alleged racism surrounding her Olympics controversy. Speaking at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit in September 2024, she became emotional while looking back at what happened. “The biggest thing that was taken from me was … the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person I am,” Chiles said. “To me, everything that has gone on is not about the medal. It’s about my skin color.” Still, in the days following the decision, Chiles opened up on Instagram about the support she has received from friends and fans. “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,” she wrote at the time. “While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away. I had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG, who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful.” She continued “To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
