The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday rejected USA Gymnastics’ request to reopen the case into the Olympic gymnastics women’s floor exercise scoring, one day after the International Olympic Committee said Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal would be reallocated to Ana Bărbosu of Romania.
The court ruled Saturday an inquiry by Chiles’ coach — which raised the American gymnast’s score and put her in the bronze medal position — was invalid because it occurred four seconds after the one-minute window for such a challenge had closed.
That led the International Gymnastics Federation to amend its floor exercise standings, dropping Chiles to fifth, and prompted the IOC to adjust its medals accordingly.
USA Gymnastics, however, said Sunday it received video evidence showing the coach, Cecile Landi made the appeal 47 seconds after Chiles’ score was posted — 13 seconds within the window — and it submitted the evidence to CAS for review.
It said Monday it would continue its appeal process to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” it said. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”
CAS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Monday’s decision is the latest in a complex back-and-forth between national gymnastics federations and international entities. It comes one week after one of the most emotional moments of the Games, which ended with Chiles on the podium and Bărbosu in tears.
Chiles was the last of nine competitors in the floor final. Needing a 13.7 to tie Romanian gymnasts Bărbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea for third, she initially received a 13.666 score from the judges.
But Landi submitted an inquiry to challenge the difficulty score of Chiles’ routine. The judges gave her an additional 0.1, raising her score to 13.766 and moving her into third.
The Romanian team later petitioned the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming the inquiry from Landi came after the allowed one-minute window. The court agreed and said the challenge was four seconds too late. Its ruling invalidated Chiles’ score.
The court rejected part of the request from the Romanians: To have all three gymnasts, each with an argument for the bronze, awarded medals.
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