Simone Biles is looking out for her Olympic teammate Jordan Chiles, as the gymnast is facing being stripped of her bronze medal.
In a new interview, Biles says she has been in contact with Chiles to uplift her amid some challenging moments. “We’ve been FaceTiming, texting, just being girls,” Biles told People about her conversations with Chiles. “I did talk to her on one of the days, and I was like, ‘You know what, Jordan, you have to feel all these feels. Don’t let these emotions stop you. This will be the healthiest way to get all of this out.’”
Speaking on Chiles having her medal revoked, Biles added: “It’s an unfortunate circumstance because something like this has never happened before and it’s truly a shame, but we wish all three girls could get the medal and unfortunately in gymnastics that’s not the case.”
She continued to say that she wanted “justice” for her friend, as she didn’t agree with the ruling to take away her medal. “Do we think they did the correct procedures to come to this ruling? No. That’s really why we want that justice for Jordan and why we’re going to keep supporting her and uplifting her,” Biles concluded.
The third-place medal, which Chiles won in floor exercise at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was taken after the International Olympic Committee upheld findings that an appeal by her coach—which got the gymnast on the podium—shouldn’t have been considered.
Chiles had initially finished fifth (with a score of 13.666) in the women’s floor exercise final on August 5, before U.S. coach Cecile Landi successfully lobbied judges to raise her score, arguing that the athlete’s difficulty score had been undercredited. Officials on the scene agreed and adjusted her score by 0.1 points to 13.766, which elevated Chiles above two Romanian athletes. That decision didn’t go over well: Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said he’d refuse to attend the Olympic closing ceremony in protest.
Nearly a week later, the International Olympic Committee said on Sunday that it would abide by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that Landi’s protest was made 64 seconds after scores were posted—and the deadline for lodging such objections is one minute.
Chiles explained in a statement that the debacle had led her to now be “confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career.” She added that the decision “feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
Maya Ernest is an editor who covers everything from the latest fashion news to features that investigate personal style, social media trends, and thoughtful consumption.