Jordan Chiles shares how she has grown stronger despite Olympic bronze medal controversy

Jordan Chiles, a gymnast from Oregon, lost her Olympic bronze medal not because of something that happened on the floor or in the arena, but because of a harsh decision that took away what she had worked hard for in the Paris Olympics. 

After the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that her score inquiry was late, the medal was stripped from Chiles and given to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu. As much as it hurt deeply to be so close to victory and lose it, the athlete refused to let her losses define her. She is stronger than that. 

On being resilient  

In an interview, Chiles revealed what made her resilient even when her expectations were shattered.  She shared:  “I still had the courage and the resilience to put myself in that position.” 

Chiles added: “People didn’t expect that I was able to accomplish all the things that I was accomplishing. And that’s why I wanted to give this opportunity to show the struggle in the resilience that I had coming out of it.” 

Along with the painful CAS ruling, Chiles had to also deal with online hate. The young athlete faced completely false and deeply hurtful comments on social media, even attacks  based on her race, which led her to question her identity. She dealt with these issues quietly, and her patience, determination, and strength all paid off in a big way. 

Thriving in college gymnastics 

The former world champion is now excelling in college gymnastics, playing a significant role in bringing her team together. With her incredible performances– including two perfect 10s in a season where they’re hard to come by– she has helped the UCLA Bruins women’s gymnastics programme to new heights in the NCAA competition. 

As part of moving on and accepting all the hurtful events, she highlighted what made her stronger: “I’m doing way better than I was when it first happened…. I can only do so much for myself is really focus on my mental (health).”