United States gymnast Jordan Chiles recently updated fans on the now-infamous bronze medal fiasco at the Paris Summer Olympics, indicating she’s a bit distraught about some of the reactions from fans.
If you’re unaware of the controversy or if it’s escaped your mind after months of little news activity, the story is a bit convoluted.
Chiles was initially awarded the bronze in the floor exercise, but it was later contested under the notion that her coach had filed an improper appeal that upped her score due to a difficulty rating. That appeal was later determined to have been filed four seconds after the one-minute deadline allowed by gymnastics rules.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of the appeal’s disqualification, leading to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) deciding to reallocate the bronze medal to Romania’s Ana Bărbosu.
Essentially, Bărbosu won the bronze. Then Chiles won the bronze. Then Bărbosu won the bronze. A cluster mess by any measure. Making matters worse, Team USA appears to have video evidence the appeal was, in fact, filed within the permitted time frame.
Chiles, in an interview with Forbes Talks, discussed the situation.
Jordan Chiles Criticizes Fans For Accusing Her Of Playing The Race Card
In a recent interview, Jordan Chiles indicated she was saddened to hear from fans who believe she played the “race card” in trying to maintain control of the Bronze medal.
Incidentally, Chiles has refused to give the medal back.
“People telling me that I pulled the race card and that it was a racial situation,” she lamented in the interview. “I think it was hard for me to really understand why that was even a question or why that was even a thought because I am just as talented as the other girl as much as she is as talented as I am.”
Chiles, though, was more a victim of biased media that sought to portray the American women on the Olympic podium as having achieved some sort of racial milestone. The narrative helped push some fans to think it was being used to downplay the Romanian gymnast’s efforts.
It was the media who ran with the “all-black podium” narrative that was initially made possible by stripping the Romanian gymnast of the bronze. That’s what turned it into a black-white issue. As always, the media.
RELATED: Jordan Chiles Demands ‘Justice’ As She Takes Bronze Medal Fight To Court
Will She Continue To Fight?
Further along in the interview, Jordan Chiles shared some examples of what she describes as harrowing comments on social media over the Bronze medal controversy.
She has previously claimed to be the victim of “racially driven attacks on social media.”
In reality, support for Chiles online has been overwhelming and positive. Most sports fans feel a resolution could have been achieved by giving both women a Bronze medal. Everybody would have presumably been happy.
The controversy isn’t just disappointing for Chiles, but also for Bărbosu, who initially celebrated her bronze, then had to run off the floor crying when they took it away.
The gold and silver medalist in the team competition indicated she would let others keep up the fight for the medal – she’s done all she can.
“I can’t do anything anymore but to continue to fight for what is right for me,” she said. “I can’t you know, let myself dive into this hole knowing that I did everything that I could.”
“And so I’m going to let all the other people on the outside world figure everything out.”
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