Jordan Childs is an outstanding athlete and a member of the gold medal winning U.S. women’s gymnastics team. She won a bronze medal in the individual floor exercise, which is a testament to her incredible athletic ability and excellence.
The International Olympic Committee unfairly stripped Childs of her medals, a measure that was previously reserved for athletes convicted of cheating or using performance-enhancing drugs. Childs was not like that. Her only fault was the bureaucratic confusion and failure of the various judicial authorities that govern her sport. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is currently fighting the decision.
After Childs’ performance, her coach appealed her score, and the judges reconsidered and adjusted the score, awarding her a bronze medal. However, a later argument alleged that Childs’ coach was four seconds late in filing the appeal, and the panel stripped her of her medal. USA Gymnastics said there was video evidence that the appeal was filed before the one-minute deadline, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) refused to review it.
Once the appeal was accepted, it should not have been overturned. There are questions about the conflict of interest surrounding the judge who ruled against Childs. And overall, it is against the Olympic spirit. The Romanian team that won bronze from Childs suggested that each of the three athletes should be awarded a medal, which is a solution with precedent.
This is not to take credit from other athletes. Whether two or three athletes get bronze, or just Chiles gets it as the judges say, Jordan Chiles earned it. And the International Olympic Committee needs to fix that.
How you can help
Send a postcard to Jordan Childs
Show your solidarity with Jordan Chiles by sending her a postcard of encouragement as she fights to retain her bronze medal. Send messages of support and praise to help Chiles combat the hateful, racist messages she faces.
Please send fan mail to the following address:
Jordan Childs
american gymnastics
1099 N. Meridian Street
Sweet 800
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Instructions for postcards:
Click on the image above to download the postcard.
The postcards are free to download and are designed to be printed double-sided on 80-110 lb. cardstock. We recommend doing a test print to ensure they print properly. For postcards, you will need USPS postcard rate stamps or regular letter rate stamps, depending on the size. Please see the USPS website for detailed specifications.
Take a picture of your printed postcard and tag MoveOn to spread the love on social media too! Find us on Twitter and Instagram at @MoveOn and on TikTok at @MoveOnOrg! In the caption, share our petition to the Swiss Federal Court and the International Olympic Committee to correct this wrong and ensure Jordan Chiles keeps his bronze medal. moveon.org/bronze.
Sign the petition
There is no confusion about Childs’s exceptional talent or the score she received. She won a bronze medal. The IOC must now reverse its wrong decision.
Sign this petition and demand that the International Olympic Committee recognize Childs’ gymnastics excellence and award her a bronze medal.
