Jordan Chiles and Cecile Landi burst into celebration when the judges bumped up her exercise score to 13.766 at the Paris Olympics. Landi requested an inquiry into Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu’s routine, as was within her rights and it worked. However, little did they know that it would initiate an international controversy, that would rob Chiles of her medal and severely affect her mental health.

In the days leading up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport reinstating Ana Barbosu as the floor exercise bronze medalist, Chiles faced overwhelming backlash. Some gymnastics fans who believed Barbosu should have won even resorted to racial slurs. Ultimately, Chiles announced that she would step away from social media following the CAS ruling. Despite the negativity, a loyal fan demonstrated just how inspiring the 23-year-old has been.

“Jordan Chiles ⁩and ⁦Gina Chiles⁩ I wanted to share this with Jordan to show her that she inspires!” wrote @TT_babyyy10 on X (formerly Twitter). The sports enthusiast included a clip of her son Zaidyn, who suffers from a mental disability. “This is my Autistic son Zay ‘being like Jornan’ (his words) last Olympics!” added the netizen as she captured her son attempting to replicate Chiles.

The child watched as the 23-year-old performed her balance beam routine on the TV. The child watched Chiles and attempted to replicate the tumbles and mid-air splits, in the wholesome video. “He was so happy she was back, he sat and watched so intently this time! You R his SHERO!” wrote the X-user as she tagged the Olympic gold medalist and her mother Gina Chiles in the post.

The video went viral, receiving thousands of reactions and hundreds of reposts. Unfortunately, it seems that neither Gina nor Jordan Chiles has seen the heartfelt post. However, even if Jordan Chiles hasn’t seen it, it doesn’t mean she isn’t grateful for the support from fans who continue to stand by her during this emotionally draining ordeal.

Jordan Chiles’ message to her fans

It’s hard to quantify the emotional toll the bronze medal debacle took on everyone involved. However, no one experienced it worse than the two-time Olympic medalist from Team USA. Fans brutally criticized her, even though she didn’t make the original appeal. So, on August 15, the Pan-Am Games gold medalist wrote a heartfelt note to those who supported her despite the backlash.

“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days,” Jordan Chiles wrote in her note. “I have no words. This decision feels unjust,” Jordan Chiles added. Besides lamenting the “significant blow” by the CAS, she also expressed dismay at “the racially driven attacks,” on social media. Chiles also drove home the severity of the situation, labeling the debacle one of the most challenging points of her gymnastics career.

While Jordan Chiles hopes for a positive resolution, she has decided that she needs a break from it all. The USAG has been considering whether to approach the Swiss Federal Tribunal. Thankfully, no matter what happens, the 23-year-old icon will have selfless fans like Zaidyn by her side.