The Jordan Chiles controversy has set the gymnastics fraternity ablaze after the Paris Olympics. Despite winning the bronze medal, Chiles has been recently asked to return her medal as it was stripped off. The Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu has been declared the third-place winner on the women’s floor instead. Now, with the dust still not settled on the Chiles controversy, a look back down memory lane reveals that this is not the only instance of such a fiasco.
Going back to Athens in 2004, US gymnast Paul Hamm was in the middle of one of the biggest controversies. Competing in the men’s all-around final, Hamm looked to be right on track to win the gold medal after the first three apparatuses. However, a disastrous fall in the vault plummeted Hamm to 12th, almost ending his medal opportunities. With the Olympic gold medal looking all set to go in favor of the South Korean gymnast, Kim Dae Yun, things got quite interesting.
Requiring an almost improbable score of 9.825 on the horizontal bars, the judges awarded Hamm 9.837. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this made Hamm create history and become the first male US gymnast to win an Olympic gold. Now then, drama was still left to unfold. Days later, the South Korean team appealed against the judgment, citing that they had mistaken Yang Tae Young’s starting score to 9.9 instead of 10. The minute difference of 0.1 was all Young needed to get his hands on the gold. Sadly for South Korea, the appeal turned out to be late, and the USOC asked Hamm to return his medal. Well, unlike Jordan Chiles, Paul Hamm did not yield and kept his gold medal to himself.
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Polls of the day Poll 1 of 5 Do you think Jordan Chiles will overcome the controversy and secure her bronze medal? Absolutely No way It’s a toss-up She deserves it Do you agree with Michael Johnson’s criticism of the Diamond League’s latest changes? Absolutely Not at all Somewhat Need more information Whats your Perspective on: Is the pressure on Jordan Chiles fair, or is it too much for any athlete to handle? Have an interesting take? Join The Debate What do you think of Simone Biles’ dedication to supporting Jonathan Owens’ NFL career? Inspiring Heartwarming Over the top Just what a partner should do What do you think was the most surprising part of Simone Biles’ revelation about Jonathan Owens? His NFL struggles Their private conversations Her support for him His reaction to her success
Such a decision from Hamm did not sit well with fans and critics. Former FIG Bruno Grandi came out and declared the South Korean as the ‘true’ champion. However, Paul Hamm’s feelings were, “I personally feel I was the champion that night.” While a simple decision to give back the gold medal would have made Hamm sit on the hero’s throne, he chose to clinch his hard-earned medal and instantly became a potential target for hatred for many.
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After all these years, Hamm still believes that he is the rightful owner of the Olympic gold while the prize hangs as a cursed possession in his medals’ cabinet. Well, unlike Hamm, Jordan Chiles will have to return her medal, despite the USA trying hard to provide evidence in favor of Chiles.
Jordan Chiles’ sad end to Paris glory
Elation changed into despair for the Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu when Jordan Chiles was awarded the bronze in Paris after an inquiry. However, the emotions soon got reversed as the CAS approved Romania’s plea of Team USA being late in submitting the inquiry. According to the ruling, Cecile Landi asked for the inquiry while the clock ticked past the allotted 1-minute mark. This made their inquiry void, reinstating the scores to the original standings, and giving Barbosu the bronze medal. The ruling also asked Chiles to send her bronze back.
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via Reuters Paris 2024 Olympics – Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s Floor Exercise Final – Bercy Arena, Paris, France – August 05, 2024. Jordan Chiles of United States celebrates winning bronze. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Such a decision was met with heavy controversy. USA went on to provide video evidence to prove that Cecile Landi did call for an inquiry within the 1-minute mark. Furthermore, the investigation saw a lack of proper digital monitoring from the IOC. All these findings have complicated the Jordan Chiles case further. But, as far as the ruling stands, Chiles will likely have to be content with her team’s gold medal in Paris. Well, unless she decides to keep her medal, just like Paul Hamm.
While Jordan Chiles’ Bronze Medal Hangs in Balance, Former US Gymnast Quietly Bore the Burden of Similar Situation
