Jordan Chiles Falls to Fifth Place in Paris Olympics

In a dramatic turn of events at the Paris Olympics, USA Gymnastics expressed devastation after Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu was reinstated to third place in the women's floor exercise, demoting American Jordan Chiles to fifth. Initially, Chiles had received a score of 13.666, prompting her coach, Cecil Landi, to appeal the decision. The judges upheld the appeal, raising Chiles' score to 13.766, which placed her above Barbosu and fellow Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who both scored 13.700. Chiles celebrated her moment on the podium alongside teammate Simone Biles. However, the joy was short-lived for Chiles. Following a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation's request for a reassessment led to the reinstatement of Chiles' original score. This decision resulted in a modification of the final rankings, pushing Chiles back to fifth place. The news left Barbosu in tears, as she was demoted to fourth after initially being awarded a medal. In response to the ruling, USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee expressed their disappointment, stating they were "devastated" by the outcome. Chiles took to social media to share her heartbreak, posting emojis that reflected her feelings and announcing a break from social media for her mental health. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation had previously sought to award three bronze medals, highlighting the contentious nature of the competition.