Controversy and Triumph: The Unfolding Drama of the Team USA Gymnastics Podium at the Olympics

The Olympics are officially over, but the Team USA gymnastics drama isn’t. In one of the most iconic moments from this year’s games, and in sports history, the world’s first all-black Olympic gymnast podium was crowned, but now some are trying to take that moment away. American gymnast Jordan Childs had just experienced one of the greatest moments of her life, earning her first solo medal ever. Her performance in the floor exercise was extraordinary, earning her a spot alongside teammate Simone Biles and gold medalist Rebecca Andrade. But just days after that, some are trying to rip that triumph away from her. After her routine, she was initially scored incorrectly, which the US challenged, and won, putting her in third place ahead of Romania’s Ana Barbozu. But Romania says the US challenge came outside the one-minute deadline. And six days later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed, ruling that Jordan’s bronze medal would be stripped away from her and given to Romania. Childs, who had fought so hard to earn her place on that podium, was left devastated. People were outraged, saying this was blatant racism, attacks on Childs herself mounted. She took to Instagram to express her heartbreak, announcing that she would be taking a step back from social media to focus on her mental health. But Team USA wasn’t about to take this all lying down. USA Gymnastics fought back, submitting new evidence that showed the initial inquiry was actually submitted within the required time frame. They provided video footage proving that head coach Cecile Landy filed the request just 47 seconds after the score was published, well within the rules. It’s still unclear how this will all play out.