Jordan Chiles reveals why she put her Olympic gold medal around Mariska Hargitay’s daughter Amaya's neck

PARIS, FRANCE: Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles recently shared an emotional moment with Mariska Hargitay’s daughter, Amaya Hargitay.

During a surprise backstage encounter on August 2, Chiles, 23, put the gold medal she won for her performance in the women's artistic gymnastics team final around Amaya’s neck, a moment that quickly went viral. This gesture came after Hargitay’s family surprised Chiles and fellow gymnast Suni Lee.

Jordan Chiles puts her Olympic medal around Amaya Hargitay's neck

Jordan Chiles opened up about why she chose to place her Olympic gold medal around Amaya Hargitay's neck. “I’ve been in her position before when it comes to your beauty, the diversity, everything like that,” said Chiles.

“Obviously, for you to walk around and, you know, everybody’s going to ask questions like, ‘Is this really your mom?’ You know, I’ve been there once before. And so I felt like in that moment, it was really cool just to give her that opportunity to feel seen,” she added, according to Today.

Jordan Chiles reflects on facing racial challenges

Mariska Hargitay and her husband Peter Hermann adopted Amaya Hargitay in April 2011. They are also parents to two sons, August, 18, and Andrew, who was adopted in October 2011.

Chiles has previously shared her experiences with hurtful comments regarding her racial background as her father is Black and her mother is Latina.

“Some lady in the crowd basically was like, ‘She doesn’t deserve to be on the floor. She doesn’t even look like anybody else,’” Chiles recalled a painful moment she competed as a child.

“I’ve been told that my mom wasn’t my mom,” she said, before adding, “I’ve gotten told that I wasn’t Black,” reported Teen Vogue.

The gold medalist noted that meeting Amaya was particularly special. “You know what, she’s gorgeous. It caught my eye,” she said.

“It wasn’t just like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m just doing that for publicity.’ No, it caught my eye and I felt like the beauty is what needs to be seen, and I’m happy I had that moment with her.”

Chiles added that Hargitay is “just the best” and their encounter “felt like I’ve known her for years.”

Mariska Hargitay expresses gratitude after Jordan Chiles' heartfelt gesture for daughter

Mariska Hargitay expressed her gratitude and admiration for Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee after they interacted with her daughter Amaya Hargitay. Calling it a "mountaintop moment", the actress wrote on Instagram, "Thank you @sunisalee and @jordanchiles for shining your bright, beautiful, Olympian light on my sweetest girl.”

She also commented on USA Gymnastics’ photos of the special moment, emphasizing the emotional impact Chiles’ gesture had on her and her daughter. “I have no words,” she penned.

Meanwhile, Chiles continued to make headlines by winning a bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise final on Monday, August 5, adding to her impressive Olympic resume that includes a silver medal from the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.