Connected media – Linked media
WASHINGTON — In a recent judicial review, the Court of Arbitration for Sport criticized the handling of judging at the Paris Olympics, particularly in the women’s floor exercise event involving American gymnast Jordan Chiles. Despite the evident mishandling, the court confirmed that it could not issue bronze medals to all three contenders—Chiles, and Romanian gymnasts Ana Bărbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea.
A detailed 29-page ruling outlined the reasons Olympic authorities revoked Chiles’ first individual medal, pointing to significant errors by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The FIG was criticized for not properly overseeing the scoring inquiry submitted by Chiles’s coach, which occurred just seconds outside the allowed one-minute window post-performance.
On Wednesday, the CAS explicitly blamed the FIG for the controversies that overshadowed the event, noting that the situation could have been mitigated with better oversight. Romanian officials had appealed the initial decision, prompting the CAS to set up a special three-judge panel to address disputes during the Olympics.
The panel lamented that its limited review capabilities had inadvertently caused distress to the athletes involved. It stated, “If fairness principles were applicable, all three gymnasts would receive a bronze medal in recognition of their commendable performances and the undue stress they endured due to procedural oversight by the FIG.”
The document also shed light on broader management issues during the floor exercise event, which concluded with Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade securing gold and American star Simone Biles winning silver.
This ruling has intensified ongoing debates and scrutiny over the Paris Games’ events, with Chiles, Bărbosu, and Maneca-Voinea at the center of one of the most followed controversies.
“The Panel hopes that the FIG will learn from this incident to better support athletes and their teams in future competitions, ensuring such errors are not repeated,” the CAS remarked in its conclusion.
The FIG has yet to respond to requests for their comments on the matter.
USA Gymnastics, which was denied the chance to introduce new evidence at the CAS, has announced plans to appeal to the Swiss Federal Court. However, it is well-known that successful challenges in this court are exceptionally rare.
On the same day, USA Gymnastics revealed that the CAS’s disclosed details indicated that Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, had submitted her scoring inquiry 47 seconds after the score announcement, arguing insufficient time for a proper defense.
“We are committed to pursuing these and other issues through appeals as we continue our quest for justice for Jordan Chiles,” stated USA Gymnastics.
In a separate release, the CAS refuted a New York Times article alleging potential conflict of interest involving the panel’s chairman, Hamid G. Gharavi, due to his past legal representation for Romania. The court emphasized that no bias was evident during the arbitration, as Gharavi’s involvement had not been contested by any party at that time.
USA Gymnastics noted it had not been made aware of any disclosures concerning Gharavi or any other panel members up until now.
Associated media – Linked media
