U.S. gymnast Simone Biles shows off her three gold medals and her silver medal while Jordan Chiles shows off her gold and bronze medals won during the women’s artistic gymnastics event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on August 5, 2024. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Simone Biles is standing behind her U.S. teammate and gymnast Jordan Chiles after the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped her of the bronze medal she won in the floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics following an appeal by Romania.
In an interview with People published Monday, Biles said she did everything she could to support Chiles in the wake of the medal controversy earlier this month.
“We were chatting on FaceTime, texting and just being girls,” Biles told the outlet. “I was talking to her one of the days and I said, ‘You know what, Jordan, you need to feel all of these emotions. Don’t let these emotions stop you. This is the healthiest way to let all of that out.'”
Chiles initially placed fifth in the individual floor exercise at the Paris Games, but was moved up to the bronze medal position when her coaches objected to the scoring of one of the elements in her routine. The change moved her from fifth to third place, overtaking two Romanian gymnasts – including Ana Barbosu, who had already begun to celebrate her bronze medal win.
The International Gymnastics Federation awarded Barbosu third place after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Chiles’ coach’s appeal at the event was invalid. The CAS said Chiles’ score was “increased after the one-minute time limit had expired.” The CAS said the appeal came too late and reinstated the incorrect score of 13.666.
Biles told People on Monday that Chiles is “still that girl at the end of the day” and that she will continue to support her and fight for justice for her.
“We saw what you did,” Biles said of her teammate. “And it’s an unfortunate circumstance because this has never happened before and it’s a real shame, but we wish all three girls could get the medal and unfortunately that’s not the case in gymnastics.”
She continued: “Do we think they followed the correct procedures to reach this verdict? No. That is why we want justice for Jordan and why we will continue to support her and encourage her.”
Meanwhile, Chiles has broken her silence on the dispute and expressed her disappointment in a statement published on Instagram on August 15.
“I am at a loss for words,” she wrote at the time. “This decision feels unfair and is a heavy blow, not only for me, but for everyone who has supported me along the way.”
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