Why Jordan Chiles' score changed after floor exercise final, earning her a bronze medal

The wild final day of gymnastics ended with a shocking finish for Team USA.

Jordan Chiles was left leaping for joy, while Ana Barbosu, who already had been celebrating her apparent bronze medal with a Romanian flag, was left sulking off the floor.

So what exactly happened?

When Chiles’ score in floor exercise final was first announced at 13.600, she appeared to finish in fifth place. But Team USA submitted an inquiry, arguing that one of her leap’s difficulty level should be graded a D instead of C — which means Chiles would get more points for successfully completing it.

The inquiry was approved and Chiles’ score rose to 13.766, just ahead of Barbosu’s 13.700.

The 23-year-old American has now claimed her first individual medal after gold in the 2024 team event and silver in the 2020 team event.

“They (Team USA coaches) told me what they did, and I was like, ‘OK, let’s see what they can come back with,'” Chiles said. “When I saw (the score change), I was jumping up and down. They were like, ‘what happened?’ and I showed them. I honestly didn’t expect this whatsoever.

“I’m just proud of myself.”

Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles of Team United States celebrate winning the silver and bronze medals respectively after competing in the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Floor Exercise Final on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 05, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Chiles’ teammate Simone Biles finished one spot better than her, earning a silver medal. Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won gold, the first competition she won in Paris.

The Brazilian star claimed bronze in the team event before taking silver in all-around and vault. But in Monday’s floor exercise final, Andrade earned the top spot with a score of 14.166.

Andrade narrowly beat silver medalist Biles (14.133), who stepped out of bounds twice during her routine.