Jordan Chiles, a talented gymnast representing the United States, may be required to return the bronze medal she won at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Saturday that an inquiry submitted by Chiles' coaches was improperly granted by the judging panel, leading to an increased score in the women's floor exercise final.

According to the CAS ruling, Chiles' appeal was submitted past the one-minute deadline, making it ineligible for consideration. As a result, CAS determined that Chiles should have received a score of 13.666, placing her in fifth position, just outside the podium. However, CAS did not address the final order of finish or the fate of Chiles' bronze medal.

The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), the international governing body for gymnastics, will be responsible for determining the new ranking and medal assignment in the women's floor exercise final, in compliance with CAS's decision. So far, FIG has not issued any official statements in response to the ruling.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and USA Gymnastics, along with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, expressed their disappointment with CAS's decision. In a joint statement, they described themselves as "devastated" and maintained that the appeal on Chiles' score was filed in good faith and accordance with FIG rules. They condemned the baseless attacks directed towards Chiles on social media and praised her integrity both on and off the competition floor.

Chiles, who is 23 years old, stated immediately after the event that she was unaware her coaches had filed an appeal on her behalf. She has endured hurtful social media messages accusing her of "stealing" the bronze medal from Ana Barbosu of Romania. Responding to the criticism, Chiles posted broken heart emojis on her Instagram story and announced a temporary departure from social media for the sake of her mental health.

This controversy arises just days after an intense final day of Olympic gymnastics competition. During the women's floor exercise final, Chiles initially finished fifth, trailing closely behind Barbosu and another Romanian gymnast, Sabrina Voinea, who both scored 13.7000. Nevertheless, a late inquiry made by the U.S. prompted the judges to reconsider a deduction imposed on Chiles, ultimately elevating her score by one-tenth and securing her the bronze medal.

Chiles' unexpected rise to the podium left Barbosu devastated, as she believed she had secured the bronze medal until the successful appeal was announced. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation has lodged multiple appeals to CAS, contesting the result of the event. While CAS granted one appeal related to Chiles' deduction, it rejected the second appeal concerning a separate deduction against Voinea.

It remains uncertain what further actions, if any, can be taken by USA Gymnastics or the USOPC in response to CAS's ruling. In most cases, CAS decisions can only be appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, which primarily reconsiders them on limited procedural grounds.

Despite the controversy, Chiles expressed immense pride in winning an individual medal at the Paris Games. After contributing to the U.S. team's silver medal in Tokyo 2021, she continued to make significant contributions in this year's team final, where the American team claimed the gold medal.

As the gymnastics community awaits FIG's determination of the floor exercise final's new ranking, the fallout from this ruling is leaving a lasting impact on Chiles' Olympic journey.