By CNN
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American gymnast Jordan Chiles’ legal team has submitted a new application in the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland over the decision that led to her losing an Olympic bronze medal, pointing toward new video evidence that Chiles’ lawyers say proves her case.
This latest brief asks the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland to reopen the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) proceedings to consider crucial evidence which Chiles’ attorneys say, “it did not previously consider.” CAS is based in Switzerland.
Chiles’ attorneys say that a documentary crew has video and audio recordings to prove Chiles’ case.
“The evidence in question – footage from a documentary crew that was recording the women’s gymnastics floor finals – proves that CAS’s prior decision rested on a critical factual error that was compounded by the fact that CAS allowed Chiles less than a day to prepare for her hearing,” Chiles’ attorneys said in a statement sent to CNN Tuesday.
“CAS stripped Chiles’s bronze medal based on its conclusion that Chiles’s coach was four seconds late in making a verbal inquiry to correct Chiles’s score, but the new evidence clearly shows that the inquiry was made on time.”
USA Gymnastics (USAG) also filed a brief to reopen CAS’ award on the bronze medal, the organization told CNN Tuesday.
USAG said it also has footage which “definitively proves coach Cecile Landi filed an inquiry into Jordan Chiles’s score well within 1 minute required by FIG rules.”
“The audiovisual evidence which CAS refused to consider clearly proves Jordan’s bronze-medal finish in Paris was correct,” USAG said in its statement.
“With today’s filing, we are simply asking that the CAS arbitration be decided based on a true and accurate understanding of facts. As Jordan has publicly stated, the case at this point is about her peace and justice, and the right of all athletes to be treated fairly. We all continue to pursue justice for Jordan.”
CNN has reached out to CAS for comment.
Chiles was stripped of her first individual Olympic medal after the Romanian gymnastics team challenged the decision to revise her final score in the floor exercise to CAS.
The controversy began after Chiles’ routine in the floor final in Paris. Romanian gymnast Ana Bǎrbosu appeared to have locked up the bronze medal after Chiles finished her routine.
The American pulled out everything she had in her performance and hardly put a foot wrong, but the score came in at 13.666, only good enough for fifth place. Her coaches submitted an inquiry to challenge the difficulty score given to her by the judges and won. Another .1 points were added to her score to finish with 13.766, enough for the bronze.
An international uproar began, including the Romanian prime minister announcing he would boycott the Olympics’ closing ceremony over the treatment of Bǎrbosu.
The Romanians disputed that Chiles’ challenge was made in time, arguing that it was made after the one-minute deadline following the judges’ scores being posted. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled the challenge was made four seconds after the one-minute deadline and reverted Chiles’ score to 13.666, putting her back in fifth place.
That decision led to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) handing the bronze medal to Bǎrbosu.
Chiles’ latest filing follows an earlier filing, from September 16, where Chiles opted to appeal CAS’ decision to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said they are determined to see Chiles receive the recognition she deserves.
“Due to the egregious errors and oversight by CAS in handling the case and overlooking clear evidence of Jordan’s rightful Bronze win, we are determined to ensure she receives the recognition she deserves. Our commitment to truth in this matter remains steadfast,” the USOPC told CNN last week.
