Controversy Strikes: The Story of Jordan Childs and Her Olympic Bronze Medal

Jordan Childs was part of this historic podium, but may now have her Olympic bronze medal stripped from her. Here’s what happened. On Saturday, August 10th, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, rules that an inquiry made by Team USA that increased Childs’ score, allowing her to win the bronze in the gymnastics floor exercise, was filed after the one-minute deadline. The International Olympic Committee then announced August 11th that Childs’ bronze medal will be stripped and awarded to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu. When Childs first won bronze for her floor routine, it was because the USA team made an inquiry challenging Childs’ difficulty score, which raised her score from 13.666 to 13.766, bumping her from fifth place to third place over Barbosu. Since CAS found the challenge came after the one-minute deadline within which it needed to have been filed, the International Gymnastics Federation will reinstate Childs’ original score, moving her back to fifth place. The IOC said they are working with the US and Romanian Olympic Committees to plan a relocation ceremony. However, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement on August 11th, it will appeal the decision and that it has submitted video evidence proving the challenge was submitted 47 seconds after Childs’ score was published, meeting the one-minute deadline. When Childs was awarded the bronze medal, she made history as part of the first All Black Olympics gymnastics podium, a moment that is now subject to speculation. Childs’ teammates Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee have expressed their support for Childs on Instagram. Childs herself posted to her Instagram story, I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health.