Jordan Chiles wasn’t responsible for error: Colleen Quigley
- Chiles was awarded third after the inquiry
- It was later ruled to have occurred after the deadline
- The U.S. is appealing the ruling
(NewsNation) — The responsibility to be aware of the Olympic regulations falls squarely upon Team USA staff, according to former Olympian Colleen Quigley.
It follows the controversy regarding USA gymnast Jordan Chiles, who had her bronze medal stripped after an inquiry, which initially lifted her to third place, was ruled to have occurred after the one-minute deadline.
This meant Chiles was shifted back to fifth place after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, though U.S. Olympic officials are appealing.
Colleen Quigley, a former Olympic track athlete, joined “NewsNation Now” and said the responsibility fell upon Chiles’ team.
“Typically, that is not the athlete’s responsibility at all,” Quigley said. “And I’m sure in this scenario, she was not thinking about that at all. She has one very specific job, and that is to perform.
“And then, the coaches and those who are in charge, the staff at USA Gymnastics, like they’re in charge of making sure that they know this insane one-minute rule to you know file.”
USA Gymnastics has disputed the timing of the inquiry, saying it occurred 13 seconds prior to the deadline.
“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote in a statement.