Aly Raisman Blasts Olympic Medal Reversal

Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman has stepped forward to show her solidarity with fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles, who is embroiled in a contentious situation regarding her bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Chiles, 23, initially placed fifth in the August 5 women’s gymnastics floor final. After her coach’s successful inquiry, her score was revised, moving her up to third place and bumping Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu from the bronze medal position.

The situation took a surprising turn when, on August 10, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) acknowledged that the inquiry into Chiles’ performance had been accepted four seconds beyond the one-minute deadline for submission. Consequently, on August 11, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made the decision to revoke Chiles’ medal and reassign it to 18-year-old Barbosu.

Raisman, who has long been an advocate for athlete welfare, expressed deep concern over the incident.

She also emphasized the broader implications of this decision on the mental health of the athletes involved. “There needs to be a lot more transparency moving forward. We need to understand how this happened and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

The Romanian Olympic Committee also expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, particularly since their own inquiry into gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea’s routine did not result in a score change.

In response to the decision, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has announced its intention to appeal, supported by USA Gymnastics, which claims that "video evidence" justifies a review in Chiles’ favor.

Barbosu, who benefited from the medal reallocation, shared her thoughts on the controversy via Instagram, expressing her empathy for both Chiles and her fellow Romanian gymnast, Sabrina.

Raisman, who faced a similar experience at the 2012 London Olympics when an appeal moved her from fourth to third place on the balance beam, has been in touch with Chiles. While the details of their conversation remain private, Raisman expressed her empathy, saying, "I can't begin to imagine the challenges she's dealing with and how tough this must be. She mentioned stepping back from social media. The bullying has been awful, and my heart truly aches for her. I fully stand by her, and it deeply saddens me to see this happening. It’s so unjust.”