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UCLA Gymnast Jordan Chiles Gifted Bronze Award After Being Stripped at Olympics

Valentina Martinez

Aug 5, 2024; Paris, France; Jordan Chiles of the United States competes on the floor exercise on day three of the gymnastics event finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-Imagn Images
Aug 5, 2024; Paris, France; Jordan Chiles of the United States competes on the floor exercise on day three of the gymnastics event finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-Imagn Images / Jack Gruber-Imagn Images

Jordan Chiles made an appearance at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, five weeks after she was stripped of her Olympic bronze medal. The UCLA gymnast may not have won a Moon Person, but Chiles secured something bronze.

As she took the stage with Flavor Flav to present the award for best collaboration, the rapper surprised Chiles with a bronze clock necklace.

The necklace is a signature accessory of Flavor Flav, dating back to the 1980s.

"I know they tried to take your medal away from you, but you know what? I got you something that they can't take away from you," Flavor Flav said before unveiling the one-of-a-kind necklace.

"Wow. I don't even know what to say here," Chiles replied.

Chiles initially finished fifth in the Olympic floor final on Aug. 5 behind Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea of Romania.

Chile's coach, Cecile Landi, appealed to the judges regarding her difficulty score. Landi argued Chiles hadn't been given full credit for a split leap with a 1.5-turn in her routine which was originally not counted.

A review panel confirmed Landi's inquiry and the additional 0.100 propelled Chiles in front of both Romanians into third place.

On the final day of the Olympics, the International Gymnastics Federation announced it was re-ordering the floor exercise results after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Chiles’ scoring inquiry had been submitted too late.

The International Olympic Committee declared Barbosu the bronze medalist. USA Gymnastics submitted a video highlighting Landi making the inquiry in time, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport stated the video couldn't be weighed in the balance.

The bronze medal would've marked her first individual Olympic medal. Chiles won a gold medal along with the other Team USA gymnasts in the team final on July 30.

The Olympian attended the Forbes Power Women's Summit earlier Wednesday where she opened up about the heartbreaking situation at the Paris Games.

“The biggest thing that was taken from me was,” Chiles said, before pausing to gather herself, “it was the recognition of who I was. Not just my sport, but the person I am.

“It’s not about the medal,” she continued. “It's about my skin color. It's about the fact there were things that have led up to this position of being an athlete. And I felt like everything has been stripped. I felt like when I was back in 2018 where I did lose the love of the sport, I lost it again.”

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Valentina Martinez
VALENTINA MARTINEZ

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