In a surprising turn of events, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation has declared that they never agreed with the decision to strip American gymnast Jordan Chiles of her Olympic bronze medal on the floor exercise. This comes just one day after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that Chiles would have to give back her hard-earned medal.

Chiles, who had been ecstatic about her bronze medal win in the women's floor exercise during the Paris Olympics, was left devastated when the IOC complied with a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The inquiry made by Chiles' coach, Cecile Landi, had initially raised her score and secured her the third-place position. However, the court nullified the inquiry as it was filed four seconds beyond the one-minute deadline.

During her floor performance, Chiles, who was the final competitor in the floor final, had originally placed fifth with a score of 13.666. Landi's inquiry, which alleged that Chiles' difficulty score was undervalued, was approved by the judges, ultimately raising her difficulty score to a 5.9. This adjusted Chiles' total score to 13.766, ranking her above Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation swiftly appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, on Saturday, the court upheld its previous ruling, reverting Chiles' score back to 13.666 and leaving her in fifth place.

Chiles' family has spoken out against the controversy surrounding her, particularly condemning the online attacks and racist comments she has faced. Her sister, Jazmin Chiles, took to Instagram to highlight the presence of racism and its impact. Chiles herself announced that in light of the situation, she would be taking a break from social media for the sake of her mental well-being.

USA Gymnastics, in an effort to support Chiles, submitted video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The evidence showed that Landi had filed the inquiry only 47 seconds after Chiles' score was posted, well within the one-minute deadline. They have requested a revision to the court's ruling and are advocating for Chiles' reinstatement with her original score of 13.766 and the return of her bronze medal.

The dispute surrounding Jordan Chiles' bronze medal continues to attract attention and debate, highlighting the complexities and challenges of the judging process in gymnastics competitions. As the discussions and appeals unfold, the gymnastics world waits eagerly for a final resolution to the matter.