American gymnast Jordan Chiles called the decision of an arbitration panel that stripped her of a gold medal “unfair” medal in the floor exercises in the Olympics from Paris.
In a message posted on social media, Chiles said the ruling had dealt him a “significant blow.”
Following the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the International Olympic Committee announced that it would reassign the bronze medal awarded to Chiles and give it to Romania’s Ana Barbosu.
Barbosu is expected to receive the award on Friday during a ceremony in Bucharest.
Chiles initially finished fifth in the final among eight gymnasts. But U.S. coach Cecile Landi appealed her pupil’s score and asked that a maneuver that raised her score by one-tenth of a percentage point be taken into account.
The coach’s proposal was accepted, allowing Chiles to move up to third place. She was awarded bronze and took the podium for the awards ceremony.
Romania successfully protested to CAS, saying Landi failed to lodge his appeal within a minute of Chiles’s score being announced. The panel ruled on Saturday that the bronze should be restored to Barbosu.
The International Gymnastics Federation reinstated the gymnasts’ original finishing order, and the IOC announced Sunday that it would award the third-place medal to Barbosu.
“I am at a loss for words,” Chiles said in an Instagram post. “I feel this decision is unfair and comes as a significant blow, not only to me, but to all those who have supported my journey. Compounding the disappointment is the series of unprovoked racist attacks on social media, which are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have poured my heart and soul into this sport, and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
U.S. Gymnastics said it will continue its efforts to allow Chiles to keep the medal. The sport’s governing body in the United States rejects Romania’s claim that Landi’s complaint came four seconds late.
On Sunday, the U.S. federation said it had submitted video evidence to CAS to show Landi made his initial appeal 13 seconds before time ran out.
