“I could hear my heart breaking piece by piece” - Jordan Chiles opens up about losing Olympic bronze medal after controversy

Jordan Chiles was dealt with heartbreak after the Paris Olympics when her individual bronze medal was rescinded due to a controversy in the scoring. Recently, the American recalled her initial reaction to learning the devastating news.

Chiles began her campaign at the 2024 Games by helping USA win gold in the team event. She then individually qualified for the floor exercise finals. During the finals, the American initially posted a 13.666 to finish fifth, but her score was bumped up to a 13.766 after an inquiry, subsequently placing her third ahead of Romania’s Ana Barbosu.

However, after the Games, the CAS ruled that the inquiry was submitted outside of required time limits, thus stripping Chiles of her maiden individual Olympic medal. Recently, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Jordan Chiles recalled her initial reaction to learning she'd lost her Olympic medal, saying

“I was in a car when I found out. You know when something happens and it’s like everything around you disappears and you can hear your own heart beating? Well, I could hear my heart breaking piece by piece. I felt it from the tips of my fingers to my toes.”

“After it happened, I was not ok. I was in the gutter. It was hard, but I eventually had to put it on the back burner so that I could continue to live my life,” she went on to add.

Since being stripped of the bronze, Chiles and her lawyers have filed an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland in order to overturn the CAS ruling.

Jordan Chiles reveals how UCLA helped her find joy in gymnastics after the Paris Olympics

Chiles in action for the Bruins at the 2025 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships (Image Source: Getty)

After the Paris Olympics, Jordan Chiles made a return to NCAA Gymnastics with the UCLA Bruins. In the same interview, she discussed how her collegiate career helped her find joy in the sport again, saying,

“I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to bring myself to compete again after what happened. But UCLA has amazing students and athletes and I wanted to be a part of that again. I missed my team and competing with them brought joy back into gymnastics for me.”

In the 2025 NCAA season, Jordan Chiles led the Bruins to a runners-up finish in the national championships, finishing behind Oklahoma State. She also won an individual gold medal on the uneven bars, making her a three-time NCAA Champion.