Jordan Chiles' medal controversy escalates as US Olympic Committee accuses CAS of major errors
PARIS, FRANCE: The battle to keep Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal took a dramatic turn Wednesday night, as the USA Olympic Committee launched a fierce accusation against the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). They claim that CAS made shocking errors in handling the case.
To recap, MEAWW previously reported that Chiles was stripped of her Olympic bronze after CAS ruled that the medal was awarded in error. The decision stated that Chiles' inquiry, which elevated her from fifth to third place, was filed four seconds past the one-minute deadline and therefore deemed invalid. This verdict was delivered on Saturday, August 10, adding another twist to the ongoing controversy.
CAS faces criticism over Jordan Chiles' bronze medal controversy
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has claimed that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) made a critical error by emailing the wrong contacts at their organization, as per Daily Mail.
This mistake left them with little time to respond before it was decided that Romania's Ana Barbosu would replace Jordan Chiles and take her bronze medal from the floor final.
According to a statement from the USOPC, CAS sent important notices to incorrect email addresses. It took three days for CAS to reach Chris McCleary, the USOPC’s general counsel after Romania appealed Jordan Chiles’ score. The USOPC argues that this delay, which occurred from August 6-9, deprived them of adequate time to file objections and gather necessary evidence.
The statement reads, "The USOPC strongly contests the CAS decision due to significant procedural errors. From August 6-9, CAS sent crucial communications to erroneous email addresses at USOPC and USAG, an error not corrected until Aug 9 - three days after filing, two days past the deadline to submit objections and less than 24 hours before the hearing."
The statement continues, "This deprived us of adequate time to respond meaningfully or gather necessary evidence. We informed CAS of our objections immediately. Our objections have since been validated by new evidence indicating administrative errors by FIG (The International Gymnastics Federation) and mishandlings by CAS, which would have been impossible to raise at the time of the rushed hearing.”
It concluded, “In short, we were denied a meaningful opportunity to be heard. Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to ensure Jordan Chiles receives the recognition she deserves. Our pursuit of truth in this matter remains unwavering."
CAS responds to accusations of conflict of interest
Earlier on Wednesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) responded to accusations of a conflict of interest regarding the panel's decision to strip Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal.
Hamid G Gharavi, who led the panel that awarded the medal to Romania's Ana Barbosu instead of Chiles, has been revealed to have had a decade-long professional relationship with the Romanian government.
CAS issued a statement condemning the claims from certain US media outlets that suggested bias due to Gharavi's professional ties or national affiliations.
The statement emphasized, "The court condemns the outrageous statements published in certain US media alleging that the panel, and more particularly its chairman, was biased due to other professional engagements or for reasons of nationality. As none of the parties involved in this case has challenged any panel member during the procedure, it can reasonably be assumed that all parties were satisfied to have their case heard by this panel. Any subsequent criticism is without foundation or merit."
According to reports, panel members are required to complete a conflict of interest form before handling cases.
USA Gymnastics expressed its devastation over the ruling and announced plans to challenge the decision by appealing to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. While it is uncommon for CAS decisions to be overturned, the strong reaction from the US Olympic Committee underscores their firm belief in their case.
Since the ruling emerged on Saturday, Chiles has remained silent after announcing a social media hiatus on Instagram.
Internet supports Jordan Chiles
After discovering the issues with how Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal case was handled, Internet users have shared their opinions, with many expressing support for Chiles and arguing that she deserves to keep the medal.
One shared, "This is what happens when you get judges, the USA, and something that doesn't go its way. There Los Angeles Olympic Games will not be worth watching."
"Why would the judges bump up her score just because her coach asked them? surely the judges votes are final... as for the head of CAS being Romanian favouring a Romanian athlete pure conflict of interest," someone else wrote.
Another stated, "So contrast it due to procedural errors, not the actual charge though." One more person asserted, "Just make them joint bronze winners... problem solved." One user claimed, "Athletics becoming political."
One fan of Chiles supported, "Chile's deserves her medal - so give it back." Another added, "I just watched the video of both. I have to admit, I think Chiles had the stronger performance."
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
