Source: Naomi Baker / Getty
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is upholding its decision to revoke the Bronze medal Jordan Chiles’ rightfully earned at the Women’s Gymnastics final at the Paris Olympics. The medal–for now–will remain with Romanian’s Ana Bărbosu. Make no mistake, however: this is another case of a Black woman being denied Olympic recognition despite her achievements.
On Aug. 14, CAS released a media statement, claiming that USA Gymnastics (USAG), the national governing body for Team USA, did not provide evidence that could dispute they submitted their request for a score change on behalf of Chiles under the 1-minute rule during a recent hearing with Romania.
But in a Washington Post report from earlier this week, USA Gymnastics strongly disputed that finding, and says it has a video showing team head coach Cécile Canqueteau-Landi was not late. She filed an inquiry 47 seconds after the score posted. Her initial appeal to the judges was based on their failure to include the difficulty of one of Chiles’ moves. The judges agreed and added the appropriate points to Chiles’ score, moving the gymnast from fifth place to a medal-securing third place.
That’s when Team Romania, apparently wrongfully, complained, saying, without proof, that the appeal wasn’t filed in time, which is what led to the awful ruling by the CAS.
Who is judging these judges?
In the end, the panel, following Team Romania’s likely baseless complaint, chose to side with them anyway, snatching Chiles’ actual victory from her and bestowing it upon a gymnast who did not actually earn it: Romania’s Ana Bărbosu. But it doesn’t end there or with that finding. Foul play on the part of the CAS may be afoot.
Here’s why:
The panel was bizarrely headed Dr. Hamid Gharavi, an attorney based in France who lists Romania as a client, and who is “currently serving as legal counsel to Romania in disputes at the World Bank’s International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Dispute..” and has worked “on behalf of Romania [..for…] almost a decade,” according to the New York Times.
Dismissively, the Gharavi-led judging panel claimed that,
“At the hearing, there was no dispute between the parties that Ms. Chiles’ inquiry was submitted 1 minute and 4 seconds after her score was official [sic] displayed on the scoreboard.”
To that, they added that they were not (as they’ve done before) going to consider that proof, even if it proved that Romania’s initial claim was wrong.
It’s a hill they seem willing to die on despite the fact that the “new” evidence was a time-stamped video proving that Team USA filed its inquiry in 47 seconds–and that it was evidence that was not available to Team USA until after the hearing.
Jordan Chiles is the Bronze medal winner. Period.
Jordan Chiles rightfully earned the Bronze medal for her standout floor routine during the Aug. 5 Women’s Gymnastics final at the Paris Olympics. She initially was given the score 13.666 in the highly competitive event, placing her just behind Romania’s Ana Bărbosu, who believed she had won bronze with a score of 13.700. However, the judges failed to include appropriate points for the difficulty of Chiles’ routine, which included a mid-air rotation.
Team USA successfully challenged the judges on not including points for difficulty. They agreed and Chiles’ final score was revised score to 13.766, properly ensuring the Bronze for the 23-year-old athlete. That’s when Team Romania lost it and said the inquiry had been filed four seconds late.
But the USAG asserted immediately that was not true and Canqueteau-Landi filed for a score adjustment just 47 seconds after the original score was announced. With no other ground to stand on, Team Romania claimed Canqueteau-Landi was late in making the appeal, which devolved into what we see now: the right to review “new” evidence,” a time-stamped video making clear that Canqueteau-Landi met the one-minute rule, rendering Team Romania’s initial complaint moot.
So what’s the problem?
Romania making a claim (again, without proof) was favored over a real claim: the judges failed to properly judge Chiles. That’s when timing became the issue and the crucial video evidence came into play.
Note this though: that video was not made available until after Gharavi’s panel had already made its decision in favor of Romania. According to CNN, the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and USAG said that the critical evidence was sent late by the CAS.
More from the CNN interview:
“From August 6-9, CAS sent crucial communications to erroneous email addresses at USOPC and USAG, an error not corrected until August 9 – three days after filing, two days past the deadline to submit objections, and less than 24 hours before the hearing.”
But that’s not the only problem here, as international arbitrator and Cornell University professor, Katherine Simpson, said to the New York Times, raising deep concerns’s about Gharavi leading the CAS despite his longstanding connection with Romania. Simpson said that “… even if none of the parties objected, [Gharavi’s] work on behalf of Romania was significant and meant he would automatically have had to recuse himself under the IBA’s so-called red list of non-waivable activities.”
She continued, “I don’t understand — especially given the visibility of the case — why he was proposed for this case and why he did not refuse the case when it was offered.” Simpson is not connected with the Olympics case and is opining as an expert.
But continuing its dismissiveness of the truth of a Black woman’s labor, the CAS said in a statement, “In accordance with the guidelines on conflicts of interest issued by the International Bar Association (IBA), CAS has no reason to remove an arbitrator making such disclosure if the parties do not object to his/her appointment.”
A cross-section of coaches, Olympic athletes and fans to challenge his ability to rule without bias, ABC News reported.
CAS has a history of failing Black women
For their part, Romanian officials proposed that Bărbosu and Chiles share the bronze award, but why should that happen? Chiles won, fair and square. Yet CAS’s decision is yet another example of the hoops, jumps, and hurdles Black women must go through to succeed in their desired field.
Chiles’ bronze medal would have been the third added to her illustrious collection, cementing her name in the gymnastics world as a strong contender after helping Team USA strike gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Chiles’ bronze medal would have been her third addition to an already impressive collection, solidifying her status as a formidable contender in gymnastics following Team USA’s gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This follows her international acclaim as a member of the team that won silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and her role in securing Team USA’s gold at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Chiles has consistently excelled in both national and international events, demonstrating her talent across various gymnastics apparatuses.
Why can’t CAS recognize that? Maybe because they have a habit of ignoring the skills and labor of Black women.
The Olympics failed Caster Semenya.
This isn’t the first time that the Olympics have tried to stop Black female athletes from achieving greatness. The same bogus tactics were used to hinder the progress and success of track and field star Caster Semenya in 2018.
The Black South African runner was barred from competing in the Tokyo Olympics and several other sporting events due to hyperandrogenism, a condition characterized by elevated testosterone levels, according to Reuters.
The hormone, which boosts muscle mass, strength, and endurance, led to her exclusion following her remarkable gold victories in the 800 meter race at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Thankfully, Black women know how to stand tall in the face of adversity even when challenges present roadblocks. Semenya successfully appealed the ruling in 2023 after filing a human rights lawsuit, the Associated Press noted.
Still, the harsh criticism stemming from the unfair decision has left a deep scar for Semenya, who continues to feel the sting of having her gender and athletic abilities questioned. During a recent interview with CNN, the 33-year-old runner said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should be “making sure that all athletes that take part in Olympics are well protected.”
Semenya added, “There should not be any other organization that will come in and segregate people, come in, discriminate people, come in, dehumanize people. Psychologically, I will say it does demoralize someone.”
Sha’Carri Richardson was failed, too.
Superstar sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s journey to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was derailed by a 30-day suspension for testing positive for marijuana, which she had used to cope with the grief of her mother’s sudden death. Amid intense scrutiny, as she worked to regain her Olympic form, Richardson displayed remarkable courage by criticizing CAS for its decision to permit Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete in the Winter Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance. Valieva, a 15-year-old skater, was allowed to continue competing in the Beijing Olympics even after testing positive for trimetazidine, a drug that enhances blood flow to the heart.
Despite this setback, Richardson’s resilience shone through. On Aug. 9, the 24-year-old made a triumphant return to the track by winning a gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay with Team USA, completing her leg in a stunning 10.09 seconds. The victory not only marked a significant achievement in her career but also highlighted the strength and determination of Black women, embodying the essence of Black girl magic and demonstrating the power of perseverance and focus in achieving one’s dreams.
And now, Chiles is the subject of racist bullying online all because she actually won, a white woman did not–and history was made with an all-Black Olympic Women’s Gymnastic podium. That’s white supremacy in action. Again.
SEE MORE:
Fans Rally Around Jordan Chiles As Olympic Gymnast’s Bronze Medal Is Threatened
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