Jordan Chiles breaks silence after being stripped of Olympic bronze medal

American gymnast Jordan Chiles is speaking out on social media for the first time after the Olympic athlete was stripped of a bronze medal amid the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 23-year-old athlete thanked her fans, as well as her loved ones, for being there for her during what she described as "one of the most challenging" moments of her career.

"I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days," she wrote on Instagram Thursday afternoon. "I am also incredibly grateful to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, USAG, and the USOPC for the unwavering support during this difficult time.

Chiles went on to note the decision feels "unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey."

Chiles qualified third in women's floor exercise and competed last in the eight-woman final, where the order was determined randomly in advance. She finished her routine and was awarded a 13.666, which was fifth just behind Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu and Romanian teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea at 13.700.

Cecile Landi, who is Chiles' personal coach and also served as coach for Team USA in Paris, appealed to the judges to have an element restored to Chiles' routine. Judges approved the appeal, boosting Chiles' score by .1, good enough for Chiles to earn her third career Olympic medal.

But CAS voided the appeal, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.

Chiles was later stripped of the bronze medal, with the International Gymnastics Federation restoring Barbosu to third.

USA Gymnastics issued a statement Monday, saying it is "deeply disappointed" 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."

In her social media post, Chiles said she will overcome it all. She vowed to stay strong.

"I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career," Chiles wrote. "Believe me when I say I have had many. I will approach this challenge as I have others -- and I will make every effort to ensure that justice is done. I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing."

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.