Jordan Chiles praised for her sportsmanship on the day her Olympic bronze was handed to Ana Barbosu

American gymnast Jordan Chiles is being praised for her brave stance after losing her bronze medal on the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.

Ana Barbosu was awarded the bronze medal after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport found that a major American appeal had come too late.

All of this has led to Chiles being thrust into the spotlight for reasons she didn’t necessarily want, but she has handled it all with grace and is now being recognized for it.

Jordan’s sister, Jazmin Chiles, took to Twitter and posted, “My sister’s athleticism is second to none. She epitomizes it. So proud.”

USA Gymnastics tweeted that message, saying, “Jordan sets the standard!” with a handshake emoji at the end.

Chiles is obviously not happy with the CAS decision, which awarded Barbosu a medal that the United States said was rightfully won.

The 18-year-old Barbosu initially finished third in the floor final in Paris, but Team USA successfully appealed Chiles’ score.

The American’s score was increased, putting her ahead of Barbosu, who dropped her Romanian flag and burst into tears.

However, the Court of Arbitration has Sport later ruled that the American appeal fell outside the one-minute time limit.

The controversial decision has taken on a life of its own, even long after the Games ended. Chiles criticized the “unjust” decision and a series of “racially motivated attacks” followed.

“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days. I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG and the USOPC for their unwavering support during this difficult time,” Chiles wrote.

“While celebrating my Olympic achievements, I received the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped. I had confidence in the appeal filed by USAG, which provided compelling evidence that my score met all the rules. The appeal was unsuccessful.

‘I am at a loss for words. This decision feels unfair and comes as a huge blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has supported my journey.

“To add to the sadness, the unsolicited racist attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”

CAS rejected allegations of “bias” and Chiles insisted she would fight to ensure justice was done. The gymnast also said she was confident that “the people in power will do the right thing.”

“I will never deviate from my values ​​of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values ​​of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I take pride in cheering on everyone, regardless of team or country,” her statement continued.

“Rediscovering joy has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I’ve given everyone the opportunity to be authentic to who they are.

“I am now facing one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many. I will meet this challenge as I have met others – and I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in power will do the right thing.”

Barbosu is now back home in Romania and a medal ceremony took place on Friday where the 18-year-old gymnast received her bronze.

The medal was presented to Barbosu by Octavian Morariu, the Romanian representative to the International Olympic Committee, and Mihai Covaliu, President of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee.

According to local reportsthe gymnast then thanked the lawyers who fought to get her back on the podium. She also sent a heartfelt message to Chiles and her teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who finished fourth.

“I can’t help but think of Sabrina and Jordan right now,” Barbosu said. “It’s a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we did nothing wrong at the Olympics.”

She added: ‘It is an emotional moment for me… this result came after many years of work in the gym and I thank the coaches, without whom I would not have succeeded… This situation was possible thanks to the federation and the law firm who did not abandon us, the sportswomen.’

Morariu, meanwhile, claimed that “justice had been done.” He said, per Observer: ‘It was a race against the clock, because the procedures are very strict.’

The medal event took place at the Olympic House in the Romanian capital Bucharest. According to local sources, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also took part.

The Romanian Federation made it clear that this is not the same medal that the Chileans received on the podium in Paris.

“Thank you for coming to this ceremony today. It’s an emotional moment for me,” Barbosu said, according to reports.

‘When I heard the champions say that the medal is very heavy, it was only now that I realised how heavy it is.’

She added: ‘I am happy to have this medal in my possession and I hope to represent Romania as well as possible in the future and take as many medals as possible.