Tag: Olympic Gymnastics

The USOPC will appeal Jordan Chiles being stripped of her medal, giving the court a chance to correct an egregious ruling

One last chance to get this right.

No Olympic athlete should be subjected to the emotional roller coaster Jordan Chiles has been on the last few days as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) considered an appeal of Monday’s floor exercise final and landed on a ruling Sunday that would strip Chiles of her bronze medal.

The court voided the on-floor appeal by Team USA that moved Chiles from fifth to third place and knocked Romania’s Ana Barbosu off the podium, saying it came four seconds after the time allowed for scoring inquiries.

That decision led the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reallocate the bronze from Chiles to Barbosu, making a bad situation worse by dragging a second gymnasts through the avoidable experience of tasting Olympic success only to be told it was just a fever dream. That medal you won… that unforgettable moment on the podium… it never happened.

But alas, the court has a chance to make it right.

In a statement to USA TODAY Sports’ Christine Brennan, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said it will issue its own appeal of the ruling, citing errors in the initial scoring and the appeal process.

The best outcome is one that doesn’t penalize the athletes for the mistakes of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and IOC.

I’m not one for handing out participation trophies for the sake of making everyone happy, but because the judges couldn’t get it right in real time, the only way this can end is with Chiles and Barbosu sharing the bronze. They both have a reason to believe they were the rightful winners. It’s too late to tell either they’re wrong.

In a perfect world, the judges would have scored Chiles’ routine correctly the first time, removing the need for her initial on-floor appeal. Or they would have rejected her appeal for being too late, and there wouldn’t have been the need for the Romanian appeal. Or the IOC would have acknowledged the court’s ruling but not landed on the ridiculous decision to take away a medal Chiles earned.

There were so many opportunities for the people in charge to get this right and end it. Now, they’re getting one last chance, and they better not screw it up.

Fans loved Simone Biles and Suni Lee celebrating together after winning Olympic gold and bronze

SIMONE AND SUNI FOREVER.

Simone Biles and Suni Lee joyously celebrated together after winning Olympic medals in the women’s individual all-around final, and fans totally loved it.

Oh, my goodness. It wasn’t enough for Simone to absolutely crush the competition Thursday evening after winning her sixth Olympic gold medal in the event. But she also wholesomely celebrated with Suni — who won a well-deserved bronze medal — on the floor in a super heartwarming moment.

Suni’s kidney condition has created some unimaginable hurdles for her, including not being able to train for the Olympics until January of this year. So, seeing her screaming away and jumping with excitement after winning was fantastic, and I can’t stand it.

Olympics fans totally loved the moment, too, and couldn’t help but comment on it.

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Jonathan Owens shared a touching Instagram tribute about Simone Biles after 8th record-breaking gold medal

Jonathan Owens left a very touching message on Instagram for Simone Biles.

Simone Biles‘ husband, Jonathan Owens, was in Paris to see her win another gold medal with Team USA gymnastics, and afterward, he shared a heartfelt message.

Remember several years back when Owens said he didn’t know who his wife was? Well, it’s getting harder and harder to believe that story because his wife is only the greatest gymnast ever. Biles now has a recording breaking EIGHT GOLD MEDALS, the most in Olympics history for an American.

Jonathan was in the building to watch Simone rip out the pages of history books (while rocking a sweet custom shirt), and following her huge night, he posted a touching message to Instagram to celebrate his wife, saying, “Witnessing history every time you step on the mat…So thankful I was there to see it.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-ENnbuIpQ_/?igsh=dTZzMGc2dTJnOTZp&img_index=1

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Fredrick Richard: 5 facts about the Team USA’s Olympic bronze medal-winning gymnast with an incredible TikTok presence

The 20-year-old Michigan Wolverine is ready to make some noise at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up next is Frederick Richard.

It might be his first Olympics, but men’s gymnast Frederick Richard has high hopes for Paris. The 20-year-old from Boston secured a spot on the team with an impressive first-place finish in all-around at U.S. Olympic trials and finished in the top three in three events (high bar, parallel bars and floor exercise).

Here are five things to know about Richard ahead of the Paris Olympics.

1. He competed in college at Michigan

@frederickflips

Replying to @Jerome.. 🌯 thanks😌💪🏾 #gymnastics #competition #sport

♬ Originalton – milanoseni

Richard unsurprisingly saw great success with the Wolverines, helping Michigan finish runner-up at NCAA championships in both 2023 and 2024. He also finished first place in the all-around competition in 2023 and second this year, with NCAA titles on both parallel bars and high bar in 2023.

As a rising junior, Richard will have a chance to better those finishes in the near future.

2. His best event is high bar

Jun 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Frederick Richard competes on the high bar during the U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics Trials at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

As the top-qualifying member of this year’s squad, it stands to reason that Frederick is very good across most of the events. But his performance on high bar may be just a bit better than the rest, as evidenced by his No. 1 finish in the event at the 2024 Olympic trials and the 2023 U.S. national championships.

@frederickflips

Still going to be clean it up more💪🏾 #olympics #gymnastics #sport #athlete

♬ BBL Drizzy – Trïppy

He’s not just looking to win one event in the City of Lights.

“I want to enter the Olympics with the whole country knowing, like, that’s Frederick Richard, like this man is going to do it,” Richard said in a June 19 interview with NBC. 

3. His parents get super into his routines (understandably)

Get ready to see his adorable parents, Carl and Ann-Marie, get into it in the Parisian stands this month. Richard’s father is especially enthusiastic, and the pair follow every flip, vault, tumble and dismount with bated breath.

4. He has an incredible TikTok presence

@frederickflips

Pt.2 will be the shirt😁👌🏾#flip #flipping #michigan #umich #fyp #foryou

♬ I Bet U Won’t – Mouse on da track & Level

Whether you’re looking for behind the scenes content, highlights from routines, physical challenges or just pure personality, Richard brings it all to his TikTok account, @frederickflips.

Hopefully we will get a bit of a behind the scenes in Paris, courtesy of Richard’s accounts.

5. Men’s gymnastics at the Olympics begins on July 27

You don’t have to wait long to see Richard in action as men’s gymnastics gets underway on day one with qualifiers for all events taking place Saturday, July 27. The men’s squad will look to medal as a team with finals on July 29, and then individual events will run finals through August 5.

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