Jordan Chiles Stripped Of Bronze Medal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has stopped yet another amazing Black woman from achieving Olympic greatness. 

According to People, on Aug. 11, CAS council members decided to strip Jordan Chiles of the bronze medal she earned for her impressive floor exercise performance on Aug. 5 during the Women’s Gymnastics final at the Paris Olympics. Chiles scored 13.666 in the highly competitive event, finishing just behind Romania’s Ana Barbosu, who initially believed she had secured the bronze with a score of 13.700. However, Team U.S.A. successfully challenged the difficulty score, particularly a mid-air rotation in Chiles’ routine, which revised the star gymnast’s score to 13.766, awarding her the bronze medal.

Unfortunately, CAS has now ruled that the challenge to Chiles’ score was filed “after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline” specified by the regulations, casting doubt on the legitimacy of her medal. 

Team U.S.A. isn’t going out without a fight.

Head Coach Cecile Landi and The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) will be appealing the decision, as they say, there’s video evidence that clearly shows Landi submitting her inquiry for a score adjustment on behalf of Jordan Chiles 47 seconds after the score was published, thus adhering to the one-minute deadline required by FIG rules.

“The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) will be appealing the recent decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding Jordan Chiles. We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” both parties shared in a statement with People on Sunday.

Until then, the IOC has confirmed that Jordan Chiles will be stripped of her bronze medal, which will now be awarded to Bărbosu in the interim. 

This is not the first time the Olympics have failed Black women. Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi were let down, too. 

Sadly, this isn’t the first time that the IOC has tried to stop Black women from shining at the Olympics. Namibian runners Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi were barred from competing in the 400 meters at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to naturally elevated testosterone levels, under the regulation commonly referred to as the “Caster Semenya Rule.” As highlighted by CBC, the rule, established by World Athletics, governs the maximum testosterone levels permitted for competing in certain events. 

The spotlight on Mboma and Masilingi intensified after Mboma clocked an impressive 48.54 seconds to win a 400-meter race in Poland, setting an under-20 world record and recording the seventh-fastest time ever for a woman in the event. This was also the fastest time globally for the year. Masilingi’s time of 49.53 seconds at a meet in Zambia in April was the third-fastest of 2021.

Following their outstanding performances, World Athletics conducted “medical assessments” as they were training in preparing for the Olympics. The results confirmed that both runners had high natural testosterone levels. Consequently, the Namibian Olympic Committee announced that Mboma and Masilingi would be withdrawn from the 400 meters and would instead focus on the 200 meters. 

The girls were stripped of Olympic greatness similar to that of Caster Semenya, a Black South African runner who was also impacted by the same rule in 2018. Semenya was barred from competing in the Tokyo Olympics and several other sporting events due to hyperandrogenism, a condition characterized by elevated testosterone levels, according to Reuters.

The hormone, which boosts muscle mass, strength, and endurance, led to her exclusion following her remarkable victories in the 800 meters at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Thankfully, Black women know how to stand tall in the face of resilience even when challenges present roadblocks. Semenya successfully appealed the ruling in 2023 after filing a human rights lawsuit, the Associated Press noted.

Sha’Carri Richardson was resilient when faced with scrutiny.

Superstar sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s journey to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was derailed by a 30-day suspension for testing positive for marijuana, which she had used to cope with the grief of her mother’s sudden death. Amid intense scrutiny, as she worked to regain her Olympic form, Richardson displayed remarkable courage by criticizing CAS for its decision to permit Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete in the Winter Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance. Valieva, a 15-year-old skater, was allowed to continue competing in the Beijing Olympics even after testing positive for trimetazidine, a drug that enhances blood flow to the heart.

Despite this setback, Richardson’s resilience shone through. On Aug. 9, the 24-year-old made a triumphant return to the track by winning a gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay with Team U.S.A., completing her leg in a stunning 10.09 seconds. The victory not only marked a significant achievement in her career but also highlighted the strength and determination of Black women, embodying the essence of Black girl magic and demonstrating the power of perseverance and focus in achieving one’s dreams. 

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