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Jordan Chiles may have a real path to reclaiming her Olympic bronze medal after Switzerland’s highest court ordered a rare review of the case that stripped it away.
According to HuffPost, Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court ruled Thursday (January 29) that the dispute over the women’s floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics should be sent back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to examine newly surfaced evidence. The court described the situation as involving “highly exceptional circumstances.”
The decision centers on a critical timing issue: whether USA Gymnastics submitted its inquiry challenging Chiles’ score within the one-minute deadline required during competition. The Swiss court said new audio-visual footage from the August 2024 final could show the appeal was made on time — a finding that could directly impact the medal outcome.
Chiles was originally awarded the bronze medal in Paris after her score was upgraded, creating a historic moment alongside gold medalist Rebeca Andrade and silver medalist Simone Biles. Days later, however, Romania appealed to CAS, arguing the U.S. inquiry was late. CAS ruled in Romania’s favor, and the bronze medal was reassigned to Ana Maria Barbosu.
In its ruling, the Swiss court said there is a “likelihood” that the newly available recording could lead to a modification of the original decision in Chiles’ favor.
CAS confirmed in a statement that it will now conduct a judicial review of the new evidence. The Lausanne-based court did not provide a timeline for when a final ruling could be issued, though similar proceedings can take months or longer.
Chiles’ legal team welcomed the decision. In a statement, per HuffPost, attorney Maurice M. Suh said the ruling gives Chiles “the chance she deserves” to reclaim her medal, pointing to what he described as “conclusive” video evidence supporting her case.
USA Gymnastics also praised the Swiss court’s move, saying it acknowledged flaws in the initial process and allows the case to be reviewed with all relevant evidence included.
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