Jordan Chiles jogged away from her coaches when she saw her score, falling to the floor and holding her head in her hands after winning bronze.
But for a few minutes after her floor exercise routine, any medal seemed unlikely.
The American was the last gymnast to compete in the floor final Monday at the Paris Olympics, and she needed better than a 13.700 to secure a podium finish. A bouncy landing on her first tumbling pass and a step forward on her final landing resulted in a couple deductions that appeared to knock her out of medal contention.
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At first, the judges flashed a 13.666, which slotted her into fifth place, but Chiles’ coaches thought something was amiss with her difficulty score. They submitted a score inquiry, requesting the judges review a dance element known as a tour jeté full (or a split leap with a 1.5 turn). This process involves a verbal and written inquiry plus a $300 fee (which is returned if the inquiry is correct). If a gymnast feels her score doesn’t accurately reflect the skills she had in her routine, she can submit the inquiry form to ask the judges for a review. There is a bit of risk, as an inquiry can also result in the judges lowering a score, but Chiles had nothing to lose given that she was the last competitor in the final and her initial score placed her fifth.
She hadn’t gotten full credit for the tour jeté full when she performed it during qualifications or the team final, but her coaches felt she did fully rotate the turn Monday. After a brief deliberation, the judges agreed. By crediting Chiles for the leap, they also raised her difficulty score, which increased her overall score to a 13.766. It was just high enough to surpass Romania’s Ana Barbosu, who had a 13.700.
Chiles, who was staring down the scoreboard, saw her new number first. Her coach Cecile Landi and Simone Biles were looking away, but their heads snapped around when Chiles began screaming in celebration. She jumped into Landi’s arms before running away, overcome with emotion.
Jordan Chiles had the BEST reaction when she found out she won bronze in the women's floor final! 🥹🥉 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/4hQl4wtF69
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 5, 2024
The new score placed Chiles behind Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade, who took gold, and Biles, who earned silver.
“This is just a dream come true,” said Chiles, sounding high pitched after partially losing her voice from cheering for her teammates over multiple days of Olympic competition. “This medal means everything. First event final, first event medal. Oh my gosh! I have no words, but I’m very proud of myself.”
It was another milestone on the redemption tour that this U.S. women’s gymnastics team has been vocal about since Olympic trials. Chiles was a member of the squad that took silver in Tokyo after Biles withdrew from the team final due to a mental block known as the twisties, and the returning 2020 Olympians were all gunning for the team gold they knew they were capable of grabbing when they performed to their usual standards.
If you don’t know, now you know…
JORDAN CHILES IS THAT GIRL. ✨#ParisOlympics
📺 E! and Peaco*ck pic.twitter.com/iZRmjs9wDL
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2024
The bronze on floor holds extra significance for Chiles, who didn’t qualify for any individual finals at the Tokyo Games and was bumped from the all-around competition in Paris due to a rule that permits only two athletes per country to advance to individual finals. During qualifications, she finished behind Biles and just .067 behind teammate Sunisa Lee, who went on to win bronze in the all-around. She earned her place in the floor exercise final in somewhat surprising fashion, after reigning Olympic floor exercise champion Jade Carey fell on the event during qualifications to open the door for another American to advance behind Biles.
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With one chance at an individual Olympic medal on the line, Chiles hit her sassy Beyoncé-inspired routine and perhaps the best tour jeté full of her life.
In the end, it was that leap that sent her jumping for joy around Bercy Arena to close the competition with a dramatic flair and a podium featuring three Black women for the first time in Olympic gymnastics history.
Required reading
- Jordan Chiles had a huge day, then came the cruel reality of Olympic gymnastics
- How is Olympic gymnastics scored? A guide to understanding the competition
- Chiles channels Beyoncé and Pucci. Biles evokes Chanel. In gymnastics, leotards bridge fashion and sport
- Jordan Chiles stepped up at the Tokyo Olympics — now it’s time for Paris
(Photo: Naomi Baker / Getty Images)
Tess DeMeyer is a Staff Editor for The Athletic working on the live/breaking news team. Prior to joining The Athletic, she worked as an associate digital producer at Sports Illustrated. Tess attended Brown University and originates from a small town outside of Savannah, GA. Follow Tess on Twitter @tess_demeyer
