GOOD NEWS:The U.S. challenges the ruling that overturned gymnast Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal

Jordan Chiles of the United States, poses with her bronze medal following the women’s gymnastics floor exercise event final on Monday at the Paris Olympics. The International Olympic Committee says Chiles must return the medal following an arbitrator’s decision that her initial scoring appeal came in four seconds too late.

Jordan Chiles of the United States, poses with her bronze medal following the women’s gymnastics floor exercise event final on Monday at the Paris Olympics. The International Olympic Committee says Chiles must return the medal following an arbitrator’s decision that her initial scoring appeal came in four seconds too late.

PARIS — U.S. gymnastics officials have challenged a ruling that led to Olympic officials’ request that gymnast Jordan Chiles return the bronze medal she was awarded at last week’s floor exercise final.

Jordan Chiles, of the United States, competes during the women’s artistic gymnastics individual floor finals Monday at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Chiles won bronze after a last-minute inquiry found the judges had underscored her by a tenth of a point. On Saturday, an appeals court vacated the inquiry, saying it had come four seconds too late.

U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles may have to return Olympic bronze medal after ruling
The Saturday ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport vacated a last-minute inquiry made by Chiles’ coaches during Monday’s competition. The inquiry had boosted Chiles’ score by a tenth of a point, moving her from fifth to third place — but arbitrators said it had been filed too late. As a result, the International Gymnastics Federation revised the final results, and the International Olympic Committee said it would “reallocate” the bronze Ana Barbosu of Romania, who finished in fourth place.

But late Sunday, USA Gymnastics said in a statement that it had submitted video evidence to the court “conclusively establishing” that Chiles’ coach Cecile Landi had indeed submitted the inquiry within one minute, as required by competition rules.

“The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted,” the statement read.

Chiles had performed last in Monday’s final, and her score initially appeared as a 13.666. Barbosu, who scored 13.700, briefly thought she had won bronze and began to celebrate.