Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal strip sparks major controversy in gymnastics industry, reminiscent of the 2000 Sydney Olympics controversy.

The International Olympic Committee stripped U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles of her floor exercise bronze medal due to a late scoring inquiry. This is the biggest controversy since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, which saw issues with the vaulting table height and positive drug tests. Chiles is the first gymnast to lose a medal for reasons other than age or doping. The IOC president of the panel involved has ties to Romania, raising questions about fairness. In Sydney, the vault was set too low, causing many gymnasts to fall. Gold medal favorite Svetlana Khorkina was affected but declined a second chance. Andreea Răducan of Romania then won the all-around gold but was later stripped due to a positive drug test. Fifteen years later, her appeal for the medal was denied. Another scandal involved a Chinese gymnast being too young to compete. The U.S. women’s gymnastics team was eventually awarded a bronze medal. USA Gymnastics has appealed the decision to strip Chiles of her medal, but CAS rules make it challenging to overturn. Multiple medals have been awarded in previous situations involving errors. Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu, who will receive Chiles’ bronze medal, emphasized that athletes should not be blamed for such controversies. Chiles has taken a break from social media for mental health reasons and has not announced if she will return the medal.

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