Crew Films Simone Biles at Olympics; Netflix Doc May Help Jordan Chiles

U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles is determined to reclaim her first individual Olympic medal, which was taken away following a controversial decision. New video evidence could play a crucial role in her efforts.

On Monday, Chiles’ legal team filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, contesting a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that named Ana Barbosu of Romania as the bronze medalist in the floor exercise at the Paris Games.

Chiles initially received the medal on August 5 after her coach, Cecile Landi, successfully requested a review of the judges’ scores. This inquiry boosted Chiles’ score, elevating her from fifth place to third. This achievement marked a historic moment, as it resulted in the first all-Black gymnastics podium in Olympic history, alongside gold medalist Rebeca Andrade and silver medalist Simone Biles.

However, the situation changed a few days later. In response to a request from Romanian officials, the CAS ruled that Landi’s inquiry had missed the critical one-minute time frame by just four seconds. Consequently, the International Olympic Committee awarded the bronze medal to Barbosu, pushing Chiles back into fifth place.

Immediately, USA Gymnastics filed an appeal with the CAS, presenting video evidence that purportedly demonstrated Landi’s inquiry occurred 47 seconds after Chiles’ score was announced. Unfortunately, that appeal was denied.

This video, which has now been submitted as evidence to the Swiss court, is crucial to Chiles’ case. It was produced by Katie Walsh, the director of the Netflix docuseries “Simone Biles Rising,” and her team at Religion of Sport. They had been filming Biles’ Olympic journey when they captured footage that is now significant for Chiles.

According to the court filing, which was submitted in German, Walsh reached out to Landi to offer her support following the controversial decision. Landi asked if any footage from Chiles’ floor routine could provide clarity, and was sent a video that included recordings from three cameras set up by Religion of Sport and NBC’s live broadcast, along with a running clock.

The evidence shows that Landi approached the judges’ table 47 seconds after Chiles’ score was displayed. Moments later, it can be heard that Landi lodged a verbal objection, while a technical assistant acknowledged her concern. The filing indicates that Landi made at least one additional objection before the critical 60-second window closed.

In a statement released on Monday, Chiles’ attorney, Maurice Suh, emphasized that her “right to be heard” was compromised by the CAS’s refusal to permit the video evidence. He also pointed out what he describes as a “serious conflict of interest” involving Hamid G. Gharavi, the head of the CAS panel overseeing Chiles’ case, who was representing Romania as a lawyer during the hearing.

Chiles and Biles are participating in the Gold Across America Tour, which is set to stop at the Crypto.com Arena this Friday.

As the situation unfolds, the outcome of Chiles’ appeal may have lasting implications for her career and for the integrity of competitive gymnastics.

Source: Los Angeles Times