The ruling, highly unusual in cases of this nature, suggested Chiles could regain the bronze medal she originally got in Paris.
WASHINGTON — The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has granted Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles an appeal in the dispute over her bronze win at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Switzerland’s supreme court said on Thursday its judges sent the “highly exceptional circumstances” of the bronze medal awarded in the women’s floor exercise back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to examine new evidence. The decision is highly unusual in cases of this nature.
Following the decision, USA Gymnastics issued a statement.
“We are pleased the Swiss Federal Supreme Court recognized the flaws in the initial process and that Jordan’s case can now be heard inclusive of all relevant evidence,” the governing body for gymnastics said. “USA Gymnastics will continue to support the efforts of Jordan and her team to retain her bronze medal in the 2024 Olympic women’s floor exercise. We look forward to a fair arbitration that includes the clear evidence proving the inquiry into Jordan’s score was filed well within 1 minute as required by FIG rules.”
“USA Gymnastics recognizes and thanks the Swiss-based firm of Schellenberg Wittmer and the U.S. firms of Jenner & Block and Rubinstein ADR for their work with USAG in our collective advocacy for Jordan,” the statement said.
The federal judges’ ruling — highly unusual in cases of this nature — suggested Chiles could regain the bronze medal she originally got in Paris after challenging her judged score.
Chiles’ third-place finish in the women’s floor finals was overturned after the Romanian team appealed to the CAS Olympic Court in Paris. The team argued that the U.D. did not challenge the score in time. The medal was awarded in Bucharest the next week to Ana Maria Barbosu.
“We are delighted that the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has righted a wrong and given Jordan the chance she deserves to reclaim her bronze medal,” said Maurice M. Suh, part of the legal team representing Chiles, in a statement. “As the court recognized, there is ‘conclusive’ video evidence that Jordan was the rightful winner of the bronze medal.”
Suh added that Chiles will “fight vigorously” and is grateful to have a “full and fair opportunity to defend her bronze medal.”
USA Gymnastics praised the court for recognizing “the flaws in the initial process and that Jordan’s case can now be heard inclusive of all relevant evidence.”
The case rests on a handful of seconds: Can the U.S. team prove it made a timely appeal in the Olympic arena on behalf of Chiles?
The federal court wants CAS to examine a recording that could show the original U.S. challenge of the judged score was within a one-minute deadline on the field of play.
“In the highly exceptional circumstances of the case in question,” the Swiss Federal Tribunal said in a statement, “it considers that there is a likelihood for the audio-visual recording of the final on Aug. 5, 2024, to lead to a modification of the contested award in favor of the applicant (Chiles).”
The court based in Lausanne, across the Olympics’ home city from the supreme court, gave no timetable for the review. It likely will take at least one year to prepare and process before a verdict is ready.
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