American gymnast Jordan Chiles remains determined to reclaim the individual bronze medal she won in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics, despite recently losing it due to a procedural rule violation. Last weekend, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of an appeal by Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu, who was subsequently awarded the bronze medal.

In an emotional Instagram post, Chiles, 23, expressed her devastation over the decision and criticized the racial attacks she has faced on social media. "I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow not just to me but to everyone who has championed my journey," she wrote. Chiles emphasized her pride in representing her culture and country and condemned the online abuse she has endured.

The dispute arose when Barbosu's team argued that the U.S. team's appeal regarding the floor exercise results was submitted four seconds past the one-minute deadline set by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). CAS found that this procedural error led to Chiles' score being adjusted, moving her out of the top three behind Brazilian gold medalist Rebeca Andrade and her American teammate Simone Biles, who won silver.

Despite USA Gymnastics presenting additional evidence to CAS, the legal body confirmed that the procedural breach was "crystal clear" and stated it could not award a second bronze medal to Chiles.

Chiles, who also secured a team gold medal alongside Biles in Paris, remains hopeful and is committed to continuing her fight. "I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career," she said. "I will approach this challenge as I have others and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing."