Sports

(NEW YORK) — What began with a miscalculation in the degree of difficulty for Jordan Chiles’ women’s gymnastics floor exercise final routine has led to another new twist in the celebration turned saga over who won bronze at the Paris Olympics.

New documents have revealed that Dr. Hamid G. Gharavi, the head of the three person panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sports that overturned a review, ruled against Chiles and forced her to give the bronze to Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu, has actually represented Romanian interests for years.

Coaches, fellow athletes and fans have cried foul after seeing that Gharavi’s resume has multiple legal cases in which he represented Romania in arbitration cases, accusing the president of the panel of having a conflict of interest.

“I am not allowed to comment on these or any other matters in relation to my role as an arbitrator in this or any other case,” the France-based attorney told ABC News in a statement.

Gharavi’s position had previously been revealed before the panel was created, according to The New York Times.

Chiles’ bronze medal finish happened after a Team USA inquiry into the difficulty of a move that the judges determined was worth an extra one tenth of a point and pushed her from fifth place to third, edging out Bărbosu.

“The sport of gymnastics is a subjective sport, and there are humans, and humans are going to make errors,” four-time U.S. Olympic gymnastics medalist Dominique Dawes told ABC News’ Good Morning America.

What was considered to be one of the best ever Olympic Games with a historic all-Black gymnastics podium, has now been mired in controversy and confusion.

The CAS voided an appeal from Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, stating that it came in too late.

USA Gymnastics fought back, submitting video evidence of the appeal to CAS.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”

Still on a high the morning after her win, the 23-year-old Team USA star appeared on GMA and took time to praise Bărbosu.

“She’s an amazing athlete she’s done amazing things within you know her gymnastics as well, so I’m very proud of myself, but also very proud of her as well,” Chiles said.

Team USA has vowed to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution was the first to report the legal ties between Gharavi and Romania.

In a statement to ABC News, the U.S. Olympic Committee said they were “not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision against Chiles,” but they are “committed to pursuing an appeal so that she receives the recognition she deserves.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Naomi Osaka is opening up after her loss at the Cincinnati Open on Monday.

The four-time Grand Slam singles champion failed to make the main draw in Cincinnati after losing in a qualifying match against Ashlyn Krueger. On Sunday, she won her opening match in the qualifying tournament against Anna Blinkova.

On Tuesday, Osaka took to Instagram to reflect on the loss and said that what she’s feeling is similar to “being postpartum.”

“In a weird way I’ve come to appreciate losses, you don’t play tennis for 20+ years without your fair share of them,” Osaka began. “You learn from a loss and then eagerly await your next opportunity to put what you learned to test.”

“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body,” she continued. “It’s a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to. I try and tell myself ‘it’s fine you’re doing great, just get through this one and keep pushing’, mentally it’s really draining though.”

“Internally I hear myself screaming ‘what the hell is happening?!?!'” she added.

The two-time U.S. Open champion went on and acknowledged that Monday’s loss is possibly part of “a small phase from all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard etc),” but said she could only like the feeling that she’s experiencing to “being postpartum.”

“That scares [me] because I’ve been playing tennis since I was 3, the tennis racquet should feel like an extension of my hand,” she said. “I don’t understand why everything has to feel almost brand new again. This should be as simple as breathing to me but it’s not and I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now.”

Osaka said that she is learning and will continue to put in the work every day — which is something she hopes to teach her daughter.

“I love the process (though the process doesn’t love me sometimes haha), putting in work everyday and eventually having the opportunity to get to where you want to be,” she said. “I know life isn’t guaranteed so I want to do the best that I can with the time that I have, I want to teach my daughter that she can achieve so many things with hard work and perseverance. I want her to aim for the stars and never think her dreams are too big.”

“Nothing in life is promised but I realized that I can promise myself to work as hard as I can and give it my best shot till the very end,” she added.

Osaka ended her message with, “See you in New York ♥️,” noting that she will play again at the U.S. Open at the end of the month.

2024 marks Osaka’s tennis comeback a year after welcoming her daughter in July 2023.

Last month, she competed in singles at the Olympics but lost to Angelique Kerber in the first round.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Washington Nationals 9, Baltimore Orioles 3
Cleveland Guardians 2, Chicago Cubs 1
Oakland Athletics 9, NY Mets 4

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto Blue Jays, LA Angels TBD 
Detroit Tigers 15, Seattle Mariners 1
Houston Astros 3, Tampa Bay Rays 2
Boston Red Sox 9, Texas Rangers 4
Minnesota Twins 13, Kansas City Royals 3
NY Yankees 4, Chicago White Sox 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Colorado Rockies 3, Arizona Diamondbacks 4 
Pittsburgh Pirates 0, San Diego Padres 3
Atlanta Braves 4, San Francisco Giants 3 
Miami Marlins 5, Philadelphia Phillies 0
L.A. Dodgers 7, Milwaukee Brewers 2
Cincinnati Reds 4, St. Louis Cardinals 1

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — When breaking, or breakdancing, made its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the sport quickly had its breakout star, b-girl Raygun, a 36-year-old Australian college professor.

Raygun, whose birth name is Rachael Gunn, went viral after her performance Friday in Paris, where she took on b-girls in their late teens and early 20s with unique dance moves that quickly became the focus of memes and jokes on social media.

Gunn did not earn a medal in Paris, losing her three round-robin battles by a score of 54-0.

The online criticisms of Gunn’s performance led her to defend her skills, telling reporters that what she brought to her performance was “creativity.”

“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best — their power moves,” Gunn said, according to ESPN. “What I bring is creativity.”

“All of my moves are original,” she continued. “Creativity is really important to me. I go out there, and I show my artistry. Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about.”

On social media, some users dubbed one move by Gunn “the kangaroo,” while others compared her dance moves to when a child asks you to watch their performance.

“I’d like to personally thank Raygun for making millions of people worldwide think ‘huh, maybe I can make the Olympics too,'” one user wrote on X, alongside a photo of Raygun’s Olympic performance.

The online critiques of Gunn’s performance led Australia’s Chef de Mission, Anna Meares, to issue public support Saturday for her performance.

“I love Rachael, and I think that what has occurred on social media with trolls and keyboard warriors, and taking those comments and giving them airtime, has been really disappointing,” Meares said at a news conference, according to ESPN. “Raygun is an absolutely loved member of this Olympic team. She has represented the Olympic team, the Olympic spirit with great enthusiasm. And I absolutely love her courage. I love her character, and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has.”

On Sunday, the head judge of the breaking competition in Paris defended Gunn, while the head of the World DanceSport Federation said officials are looking out for her “mental safety” after the online criticism.

According to her Olympics biography, Gunn is a former jazz and ballroom dancer who entered the sport of breaking through her husband, Samuel, who had been breaking for the past decade.

Gunn started breaking in her mid-20s and went on to become the top-ranked b-girl in Australia in 2020 and 2021.

Last year, she won the QMS Oceania Championships in Sydney to earn Australia’s first-ever spot in the b-girl competition at the Olympics, according to her bio.

When not breaking, Gunn, who holds a Ph.D. in cultural studies, is a researcher and lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, where she studies the “the cultural politics of breaking,” according to her university biography.

As both a breaker and a researcher, Gunn told the podcast “The [Female] Athlete Project” that her bag, “always has two main things, my knee pads and my laptop.”

While in Paris, Gunn shared a photo of herself on Instagram in Team Australia’s uniform along with the caption, “Don’t be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you.”

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News and ESPN.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Cleveland Guardians 9, Chicago Cubs 8

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto Blue Jays 4, LA Angels 2
Houston Astros 6, Tampa Bay Rays 1
Boston Red Sox 5, Texas Rangers 4
Minnesota Twins 8, Kansas City Royals  3
Chicago White Sox 12, NY Yankees 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Colorado Rockies 4
San Diego Padres 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 1
Atlanta Braves 1, San Francisco Giants 0
Cincinnati Reds 6, St. Louis Cardinals 1
LA Dodgers 5, Milwaukee Brewers 2

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport will not hear U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles’ appeal to keep her bronze medal from the Olympics despite new evidence, according to USA Gymnastics.

“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented,” the governing body for gymnastics in the U.S. said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”

Chiles initially finished fifth in the individual floor exercise at last week’s Paris Olympic Games, only to be moved up to the bronze medal spot when her coaches appealed the scoring of one of the elements in her routine.

The judges had incorrectly downgraded one of the elements of her routine and added the correct 0.1 points to her score on appeal. She jumped from 13.666 points to 13.766 points and passed over two Romanian gymnasts to place third.

The decision to award Chiles the bronze medal came as Romania’s Ana Barbosu was already celebrating her spot on the medal stand. She left in tears and her coaches would appeal the ruling, saying Chiles’ coaches took four seconds longer than the allotted one minute coaches have to appeal to the judges.

The International Gymnastics Federation awarded Barbosu third place after the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided the appeal made by Chiles’ coach at the event, with CAS saying Chiles’ score was “raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline.” In saying the challenge came too late, the CAS reinstated the incorrect 13.666 score.

In accordance with the CAS ruling, the International Olympic Committee said in a statement it “will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania). We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”

“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise,” USA Gymnastics wrote in a statement shared to Instagram on Saturday after the initial ruling was delivered, adding, “Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media.”

USA Gymnastics said Sunday it had video evidence that the appeal by Chiles’ coaches was submitted 47 seconds after Chiles’ incorrect score was published, well within the one-minute time limit.

The CAS on Monday said it would not even look at that evidence since their rules did not allow it.

USA Gymnastics said Monday it would continue to fight for Chiles, who has already returned to the U.S. with her bronze medal. She posted over the weekend on social media that she would be taking a break from posting amid the controversy.

Teammates Simone Biles and Suni Lee both issued statements of support for Chiles on Instagram over the weekend.

“Sending you so much love, Jordan,” Biles wrote in her post. “Keep your chin up Olympic champ! We love you!”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Simone Biles and Suni Lee took to social media to share support for teammate Jordan Chiles after the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) ruled that Chiles’ bronze medal for her gymnastic floor exercise would be returned and reallocated to Romania’s Ana Bărbosu.

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced on Sunday that it would be appealing the decision to award the medal to Bărbosu, saying in a statement: “We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal.”

Biles posted an Instagram story of her and Chiles embracing with white hearts across the top of the photo.

“Sending you so much love, Jordan,” Biles wrote in her post. “Keep your chin up Olympic champ! We love you!”

Lee also posted an Instagram story reposting USA Gymnastics’ statement on the ruling reversal.

“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges??” wrote Lee. “Completely unacceptable. This is awful and I’m gutted for Jordan. I got your back forever Jo.”

“U have all my flowers and you will ALWAYS be Olympic champion,” she wrote, adding a flower emoji.

Chiles also posted on social media on Saturday as the appeal was unfolding.

Chiles posted a story with broken heart emojis followed by another, saying she would be leaving social media for the moment.

“I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you,” she wrote.

The decision by the FIG to award Bărbosu third place comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) voided an appeal made by Team USA that was made at the event and resulted in Chiles’ placing third, with CAS citing a rule that the appeal on Chiles’ score was “raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline.”

“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise,” USA Gymnastics wrote in a statement shared to Instagram on Saturday after the ruling was delivered, adding: “Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
LA Angels 6, Washington 4
Detroit 5, San Francisco 4
Seattle 12, NY Mets 1

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 2, Baltimore 1
Oakland 8, Toronto 4
Houston 10, Boston 2
NY Yankees 8, Texas 7
Cleveland 5 Minnesota 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami 7, San Diego 6
Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 3
Colorado 9, Atlanta 8
Arizona 12, Philadelphia 5
LA Dodgers 6, Pittsburgh 5

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Denver 34, Indianapolis 30
LA Rams 13, Dallas 12

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) — Noah Lyles’ characteristically exuberant walkout for Thursday’s 200-meter final gave little indication that the American sprinter was among the dozens of athletes who have tested positive for COVID or other respiratory illnesses.

But within minutes, the track star was being pushed from the stadium in a wheelchair, in visible discomfort following his bronze medal-winning performance.

“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” Lyles wrote soon after on his Instagram page.

Lyles is the latest athlete to test positive for COVID-19 at an Olympic Games that has almost entirely done away with the strict health guidance that shaped the Tokyo 2020 games, which itself was delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

In Paris, there are no prohibitions on competitors or spectators who have tested positive for the virus.

The Paris Games is being lauded as an Olympic return to form, the City of Light’s venues packed with excited spectators — among them athletes’ friends and families, many of whom were unable to travel to Tokyo.

But the collective joy is coming at a cost.

British swimmer Adam Peaty, Australian swimmers Lani Pallister and Zac Stubblety-Cook, and German decathlete Manuel Eitel are among at least 40 athletes that had tested positive for COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses as of Tuesday, according to the World Health Organization’s event-based surveillance system, which collates reports from media and other verified sources.

The Paris Games’ 182-page media handbook contains no mention of COVID-19. The event’s online guidance for spectators directs visitors to the Interior Ministry’s website, which notes that the nation now exempts all travelers from any COVID-related “formalities prior to entry into France.”

A Paris 2024 spokesperson told ABC News: “We are closely monitoring the health situation in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.”

“We regularly remind athletes, and all stakeholders at the Games, of the best practices to follow in the event of respiratory symptoms: wear a mask in the presence of others, limit contact and wash your hands regularly with soap and water or hydroalcoholic gel,” the spokesperson said.

“All National Olympic Committees and International Federations are also free to implement additional measures for their athletes or competitions,” the spokesperson added.

COVID cases are rising in the U.S. and elsewhere, an uptick at least partially attributed to the new “FLiRT” variation of the virus.

Long COVID — an umbrella term referring to a raft of chronic conditions related to COVID infection — also still poses a significant problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in March that 6.8% of American adults said they were living with long COVID symptoms, which vary in severity and can include difficulty concentrating, recurring headaches, changes in memory, and persistent fatigue.

Lyles’ high-profile struggles on Thursday have prompted fresh questions for organizers and athletes, not least as the American sprinter had been hugging fellow athletes despite knowing of his positive test.

USA Track & Field told ABC News in a statement on Friday that it and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee “swiftly enacted all necessary protocols” to prioritize Lyles’ health following his positive COVID test, as well as the “wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors.”

“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete,” it added. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”

“As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC, USOPC, and IOC guidelines for respiratory illnesses to prevent the spread of illness among team members, safeguarding their health and performance,” it said.

Kenneth Bednarek, the American who won the silver medal in the 200-meter contest, downplayed the danger, telling reporters at a press conference after the race: “I don’t think I was put at risk at all.”

“I take care of my body,” Bednarek added. “So when it comes to getting sick, that’s rare for me. So, I mean, when I found out it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) — Noah Lyles’ characteristically exuberant walkout for Thursday’s 200-meter final gave little indication that the American sprinter was among the dozens suffering from COVID-19.

But within minutes, the track star was being pushed from the stadium in a wheelchair, in visible discomfort following his bronze medal-winning performance.

“I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympics,” Lyles wrote soon after on his Instagram page.

Lyles is the latest athlete to test positive for COVID-19 at an Olympic Games that has almost entirely done away with the strict health guidance that shaped the Tokyo 2020 games, which itself was delayed by a year due to the pandemic.

The Paris Games is being lauded as an Olympic return to form, the City of Light’s venues packed with excited spectators — among them athletes’ friends and families, many of whom were unable to travel to Tokyo.

But the collective joy is coming at a cost.

British swimmer Adam Peaty, Australian swimmers Lani Pallister and Zac Stubblety-Cook, and German decathlete Manuel Eitel are among at least 40 athletes that had tested positive for COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses as of Tuesday, according to the World Health Organization’s event-based surveillance system, which collates reports from media and other verified sources.

The Paris Games’ 182-page media handbook contains no mention of COVID-19. The event’s online guidance for spectators directs visitors to the Interior Ministry’s website, which notes that the nation now exempts all travelers from any COVID-related “formalities prior to entry into France.”

A Paris 2024 spokesperson told ABC News: “We are closely monitoring the health situation in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.”

“We regularly remind athletes, and all stakeholders at the Games, of the best practices to follow in the event of respiratory symptoms: wear a mask in the presence of others, limit contact and wash your hands regularly with soap and water or hydroalcoholic gel,” the spokesperson said.

“All National Olympic Committees and International Federations are also free to implement additional measures for their athletes or competitions,” the spokesperson added.

COVID cases are rising in the U.S. and elsewhere, an uptick at least partially attributed to the new “FLiRT” variation of the virus.

Long COVID — an umbrella term referring to a raft of chronic conditions related to COVID infection — also still poses a significant problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in March that 6.8% of American adults said they were living with long COVID symptoms, which vary in severity and can include difficulty concentrating, recurring headaches, changes in memory, and persistent fatigue.

Lyles’ high-profile struggles on Thursday have prompted fresh questions for organizers and athletes, not least as the American sprinter had been hugging fellow athletes despite knowing of his positive test.

USA Track & Field told ABC News in a statement on Friday that it and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee “swiftly enacted all necessary protocols” to prioritize Lyles’ health following his positive COVID test, as well as the “wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors.”

“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete,” it added. “After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”

“As an organization, we are rigorously adhering to CDC, USOPC, and IOC guidelines for respiratory illnesses to prevent the spread of illness among team members, safeguarding their health and performance,” it said.

Kenneth Bednarek, the American who won the silver medal in the 200-meter contest, downplayed the danger, telling reporters at a press conference after the race: “I don’t think I was put at risk at all.”

“I take care of my body,” Bednarek added. “So when it comes to getting sick, that’s rare for me. So, I mean, when I found out it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.