Jordan Chiles’ mother responds to racist comments after Olympic medal drama

Jordan Chiles‘mom, Gina Chiliscame to her daughter’s defense after the gymnast faced backlash for the bronze medal in her floor routine after her coach appealed her original score.

“The racist disgusting comments are still happening in 2024,” Gina wrote via X on Friday, August 9. “I’m tired of people saying it doesn’t exist anymore. My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is second to none… and she is called disgusting things.”

Jordan, 23, initially placed fifth in the floor exercise finals on Monday, August 5, before Team USA filed an investigation over one of her skills, claiming she performed a full tour jeté. The judges ultimately accepted the investigation, moving Jordan from fifth to third place and earning her a bronze medal. (Jordan initially scored 13.666 for her routine and was increased to 13.766 after the study was accepted.)

Team American Gymnast Simone Biles earned a silver medal in the event and Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade took home the gold.

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Romanian gymnast Ana Bårbosu was in third place before Jordan’s research was evaluated. She started celebrating on the floor with her country’s flag before realizing she hadn’t won the bronze. During the broadcast, Barbosu, 18, was seen walking away from the event in tears.

Gina isn’t the only person coming to Jordan’s defense, as her coach: Cecile Canqueteau-Landialso shut down the rumor that Jordan had ‘stolen’ the medal.

“I don’t have to explain it, but I will ONCE,” Canqueteau-Landi wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, August 6. “Jordan’s highest possible SV on floor is 5.9. In the qualifications and team finals she received a 5.8 and we had no doubts about that, because we saw that not all elements had been completed. During the floor finals we thought [it] was better and since I was in 5th place and had nothing to lose I sent the request so I wouldn’t regret not asking. I didn’t think it would be accepted and to my surprise it was.”

Canqueteau-Landi explained that she was “just doing my job and fighting for my athlete,” despite feeling empathy for Bårbosu.

She continued: “Do I feel sorry for the Romanian athlete? Of course I do! It was so sad and heartbreaking to see, but it’s the sport! You don’t have to like it, but you do have to respect the outcome and, more importantly, respect Jordan and not put her down because you don’t agree with it. She DESERVED that bronze medal, her first individual Olympic medal and I couldn’t be more proud and excited!”

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After securing her place on stage, Jordan recalled the “true emotions” of the moment that left “everyone” in tears.

“Honestly, there were so many emotions going through my body at that moment,” Jordan said in an interview Today performance on Thursday, August 8. “There [were] a lot of things happen, [from] I’m not on stage and I’m on stage. I think the most important thing is to always understand that you should not doubt yourself, and just let everything turn out as it should be.

Team Romania also filed an investigation about gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea‘s performance, ultimately placing fifth, but her score remained unchanged. (Maneca-Voinea, 17, and Bårbosu both finished with an equal score of 13.700, but because Bårbosu had a higher execution score, she finished higher at the end of the competition.)

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Mihai Covaliupresident of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, sent a letter of protest to the Gymnastics Federation in a Facebook post on Tuesday, asking it to reconsider Maneca-Voinea’s score. The message also revealed that as a result of the loss, the gymnast had made a “public statement that he would retire from this sport.”

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced the same day that he would skip the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics in protest, claiming the country’s athletes were “treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner.”

He wrote: “To withdraw a medal earned for honest work based on a call that neither the coaches nor the top technicians understand is completely unacceptable!”