Simone Biles is speaking out to support Jordan Chiles and still wants “justice” for her 2024 Paris Olympics teammate after a ruling to take her medal.
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Few people can imagine what Chiles went through to make it to the podium like the gilded G.O.A.T. As her friend and teammate, Biles also knows the devastating impact of the score reversal and ruling to revoke the Chiles’ bronze medal. While discussing her haircare partnership with K18, Biles told PEOPLE how she’s supported the embattled gymnast.
“We’ve been FaceTiming, texting, just being girls. I did talk to her on one of the days, and I was like, ‘You know what, Jordan, you have to feel all these feels. Don’t let these emotions stop you. This will be the healthiest way to get all of this out,’” Biles said.
The record-breaking Olympian affirmed the stellar floor exercise performance that would’ve earned a bronze without controversy if the judges scored Chiles properly.
“We saw what [Chiles] did. And it’s an unfortunate circumstance because something like this has never happened before and it’s truly a shame, but we wish all three girls could get the medal and unfortunately in gymnastics that’s not the case,” Biles said.
“Do we think they did the correct procedures to come to this ruling? No. That’s really why we want that justice for Jordan and why we’re going to keep supporting her and uplifting her,” she continued.
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The judges reportedly undercounted the same move in her routine all four times she competed until her coach raised an inquiry during the individual finals competition. The officials agreed Chiles’ difficulty on one move deserved and additional 0.1 points added to her final score.
That took her from fifth place to third, surpassing two Romanian gymnasts. Their team appealed the change, claiming the inquiry came four seconds too late. The Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed and ruled to reverse her score. Instead of simply awarding an additional bronze to the next closest competitor, the court ruled to strip Chiles of the medal. Team USA Gymnastics submitted video evidence disputing this claim, but CAS hasn’t reopened the case.
Except for a recently released statement calling out the racist abuse she endured in the backlash, Jordan stayed offline after the news broke. Loved ones like her big sister Jasmine had her back online while Biles shared posts to lift Chiles’ spirits.
“I know she’s not on social media, but some of the funny things I’ve seen, I said, ‘Okay, Jordan, can I send you something that I think you would really like right now?’ And so I’ve sent her little things, and it was like one of them was these four or five girls guarding a medal, and I thought that was the cutest. And then I sent her Flavor Flav’s bronze [medal he made for her] and then I sent her LeBron [James]’s tweet,” she continued.
What’s Next For Jordan Chiles?
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The love is strong for the 23-year-old caught in the controversy. And Jordan Chiles’ determination is even stronger. The world watched her go through one of the most challenging and unprecedented disappointments after a victorious Olympics. However, that isn’t stopping the star from Team USA.
On Monday, Chiles briefly broke her hiatus for a triumphant update. She posted a picture on her Instagram Story from outside the World Champions Center (WCC). According to Essentially Sports, this is the Texas gymnastics academy Simone Biles and her family founded. Chiles trained there since 2017, and now she’s back among the best where she belongs.
Chiles will also return to the Bruins Gymnastics team to compete in the upcoming NCAA season. Shortly after her floor exercise win, she announced that she would return to UCLA as one of their most decorated students.
