Jordan Chiles says stripping of Olympic bronze took away ‘the person I am’

American gymnast Jordan Chiles has spoken of the emotional fallout after being stripped of the bronze medal she won at the Paris Olympics this summer.

“The biggest thing that was taken away from me was the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person that I am,” she said, her voice breaking at times with emotion, during an appearance at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit on Wednesday.

Chiles was initially awarded bronze on the floor exercise in Paris after an appeal against the judges’ scoring of her routine was upheld and she was promoted from fifth to third place. However, the Romanian Olympic Committee said the appeal was filed four seconds after the one-minute time limit. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) subsequently overturned Chiles’ appeal and the IOC ordered the American to return her medal. Romania’s Ana Barbosu was promoted to third place, while Chiles dropped to fifth. The 23-year-old American has received widespread abuse on social media, some of it racist.

“It’s not about the medal,” Chiles said Wednesday. “It’s about the color of my skin. It’s about the fact that there were things that led to this position as an athlete. And I felt like everything was taken away. I felt like when I came back in 2018 and lost the love for the sport, I lost it again.”

USA Gymnastics presented evidence that it said showed Chiles’ appeal was filed within the time limit. But Cas denied the appeal, saying the decision cannot be changed “even if compelling new evidence is presented.”

Chiles said he found it difficult to process being punished despite following procedures.

“I followed the rules. My coach followed the rules. We did everything that was absolutely, absolutely right,” Chiles said.

Former Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci said the saga had taken its toll on all the gymnasts involved. “I can’t believe we’re playing with athletes’ mental health and emotions like this… Let’s protect them,” Comaneci posted on X last month.

Chiles said the support she received from those close to her and the general public helped.

“It’s been really hard to really see all the love and support,” Chiles said. “When I look here, see everyone, I can feel it now. But at first it was really hard to really take it in, because my heart was so broken.

“I really appreciate everyone who has come out and been able to say what they need to say,” she said. “Whether it was through social media, through news outlets, or just people texting me, I really appreciate it.”

The fallout from the saga also tarnished what had been a moving moment during the medal ceremony, where Chiles initially took bronze. Chiles and her U.S. teammate, Simone Biles, knelt to honor Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who won gold in the event. It was the first time in Olympic floor exercise that all three medalists were black.

Chiles, who also won gold in the team event in Paris, said her fight continues.

“It’s not over yet,” Chiles said. “Because at this rate, it’s not really about the medal. It’s about my peace and my justice.”