Simone Biles Says It’s ‘Not a Big Deal’ After Video Shows Judges Missed Inquiry That Could Have Been Another Gold
Simone Biles is taking the high road, after video footage has surfaced showing that she could have won another gold at the Paris Olympics.
In video used to support Jordan Chiles’ bid to keep her bronze medal in the floor exercise, taken from the Netflix documentary series Simone Biles: Rising that was submitted on Monday to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, Team USA coach Cecile Landi is seen submitting a separate inquiry — this one on behalf of Biles — but it apparently went unheard.
Had the judges agreed and adjusted Biles’ score, she would have nabbed her fourth gold of the Games, besting the event’s eventual winner, Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.
Biles posted a 14.133 in the floor final, with a 6.9 for difficulty. If the inquiry had been logged and her score corrected, she would have received full credit for a split leap, vaulting her ahead of Andrade for a score of 14.233. Andrade finished the event with a 14.166.
Simone Biles Says She Wants ‘Justice’ for Jordan Chiles amid Olympic Bronze Medal Dispute (Exclusive)
When the burbling controversy was discussed on X on Tuesday, Sept. 17, the 11-time Olympic medalist once again bowed to Andrade.
“Honestly not a big deal for me, Rebeca had a better floor anyways,” Biles, 27, wrote, and added a hand-heart emoji. “Upsetting how it wasn’t processed but I’m not mad at the results.”
The G.O.A.T. then added: “BUT JUSTICE FOR JORDAN ya hear me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
During the competition on Aug. 5, Chiles, 23, was initially given a score that put her in fifth place. In the video, Landi is seen submitting a successful inquiry to the judges to reevaluate her difficulty score, which put her ahead of two Romanian gymnasts and into bronze, which she was awarded during the medal ceremony.
But days later, Chiles’ bronze was stripped after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided that Landi had been four seconds late to submit the inquiry. The American was stripped of her medal and it was awarded to Romanian Ana Barbosu following the CAS decision.
In documents filed on Monday, Chiles’ attorney submitted footage from Religion of Sports, the production company behind Biles’ docuseries, and director Katie Walsh that they claim proves the “exact time” Landi inquired on Chiles’ behalf.
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Monday’s filing argued that Landi first stated she’d like an “inquiry for Jordan” 49 seconds after the result came in, which fell within the 60 second window granted for appeals.
Simone Biles Says Her ‘Body Needed This Break’ After Olympics — but Now She’s ‘Very Excited’ for G.O.A.T. Tour (Exclusive)
Biles and Chiles, now performing in the Gold Over America Tour, are close friends and training partners. Recently, Biles elaborated on her stance in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.
“We saw what you did,” Biles said of Chiles. “And it’s an unfortunate circumstance because something like this has never happened before and it’s truly a shame, but we wish all three girls could get the medal and unfortunately in gymnastics that’s not the case.”
She continued, “Do we think they did the correct procedures to come to this ruling? No. That’s really why we want that justice for Jordan and why we’re going to keep supporting her and uplifting her.”
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