The 2024 Olympics offered no shortage of excitement (and controversies), but few have captivated the global audience as much as the bronze medal dispute in women’s gymnastics.
U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles appeared to have taken home the prize in the floor exercise final, benefitting from a successful last-second score inquiry from her coach Cecile Landi. With the updated point total, the 23-year-old surged past Romania’s Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea and into podium position.
Chiles joined silver medalist Simone Biles of Team USA and gold medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil on the podium, prompting one of the most memorable moments of this year’s competition.
Yet Chiles’ grip on her prized possession is tenuous, though not because of any fault of her own. Rather, the scoring of the competition came under question from the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, which appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Romania’s appeal set the stage for what has turned into one of the most compelling and complicated clashes in recent Olympic memory. The situation also has left the status of Chiles’ medal in limbo.
Here’s a look at the bronze medal controversy that has prompted numerous sporting luminaries, including Biles, LeBron James and Nadia Comaneci, to speak…
