In a touching show of support, Simone Biles has stepped forward to console her teammate Jordan Chiles after a shocking reversal stripped Chiles of her first-ever individual Olympic medal just days after winning it at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Taking to Instagram, Biles shared a heartfelt image of the two gymnasts embracing after the floor exercise finals, captioned with 12 white heart emojis and an uplifting message: “Sending you so much love, Jordan keep your chin up, Olympic champ! We love you!”

Chiles had basked in the glory of her bronze medal for just five days before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Team USA’s inquiry that had temporarily elevated her to third place in the floor exercise finals. The decision returned the bronze to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu, leaving Chiles devastated.

The USA Gymnastics squad behind Jordan Chiles.Instagram

Jordan, your team has your back

Biles wasn’t the only one to rally around Chiles. Fellow Olympic gymnast Suni Lee also voiced her outrage over the ruling by writing, “All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?? Completely unacceptable. This is awful, and I’m gutted for Jordan. I got your back forever, Jo You have all my flowers, and you will ALWAYS be an Olympic champion.”

Jade Carey, another member of Team USA, echoed these sentiments in her own Instagram story, reposting USA Gym’s statement and adding, “Don’t punish the athlete for someone else’s mistake. With you all the way, Jo. You are forever an Olympic champion that has so much to be proud of.”

Hezly Rivera, the youngest addition to the 2024 Women’s Artistic Gymnastics squad, also showed her unwavering support, writing, “Love you @jordanchiles and will always support you!!!” alongside a joint post from USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

There is still hope for Chiles

The emotional turmoil prompted Chiles to announce a social media hiatus for her mental health, writing, “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”

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In their joint statement, the authorities of gymnastics and Olympic sports in the USA expressed their disappointment over the ruling and condemned the social media attacks against Chiles, saying, “No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her.”

The final decision regarding the bronze medal now rests with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), after CAS ruled that the appeal by Team USA was filed past the one-minute deadline, invalidating Chiles’ medal upgrade. Despite the heartbreaking outcome, Chiles has an army of supporters standing firmly by her side.