Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles win 2024 Jack Kelly Fair Play Award for sports(wo)manship — Chiles speaks to Today about bronze medal controversy

Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles won the 2024 Jack Kelly Fair Play Award, awarded annually by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to “an athlete, team, coach or official in recognition of an outstanding act of fair play and sportsmanship displayed during the past year.”  

The criteria continue: “Fair play can be described as an athlete who is dedicated to playing fair, obeys the rules, and upholds the spirit of the game. Sportsmanship is an athlete whose conduct and attitude demonstrate gracious behavior before, during, and after competition.”

As shown above in USA Gymnastics’ Instagram post celebrating the announcement, the show of sportsmanship that put Biles and Chiles in contention for the award appears to be their bowing to Rebeca Andrade on the floor exercise podium after Andrade won gold in the event, Biles silver, and Chiles bronze. Yes, that bronze. 

And that bronze — or, rather, the controversy surrounding it — is precisely why it’s a very pleasant surprise to see the award going to Chiles, and USA Gymnastics celebrating it. To gymnastics fans and followers of the sport, of course, Chiles absolutely deserves this award given her conduct during and after the investigation into the awarding of the floor exercise bronze. But we know that Chiles took a social media break after her medal was stripped by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and received a number of racist comments and questions about her sportsmanship online. 

Chiles made a public statement in the wake of the controversy (see above), and USA Gymnastics left a comment on it that said, in part, “We’re with you until the end.” 

We know from the documented experiences of many, many gymnasts over the years that USA Gymnastics has not always supported its athletes through controversy; indeed, the opposite has mostly been true. The Larry Nassar case brought that lack of support to light. 

Now, I don’t want to give the organization too many props; I think in most ways, it is still very much a work in progress. But its support of Chiles during this controversy has been unexpected and, I’m sure, welcomed by Chiles and her family and friends. 

That image of Biles, Andrade and Chiles on the floor podium is iconic and always will be. It is wonderful to see it recognized for what it is — not a stunt, not a joke, but a true display of fair play and sportsmanship absolutely worthy of the award Biles and Chiles have now received. It is a huge step forward for the gymnastics bureaucracy to place its public faith in these athletes, and particularly in Chiles, as she continues to seek resolution in the medal case while moving forward with her gymnastics career. 

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Other gym news

College Gym News has a feature on uncommitted 2025 recruits to watch, as well as a tracker for 2025 signings; a coach’s take on the recruitment process; a data deep dive on the progress of CGN’s first class of five-star recruits, who are now college seniors; and a look at the Canadian experience of NCAA recruitment.  

The Gymternet has the Swiss Cup results.

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Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee will both appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Here’s a behind-the-scenes video. 

Social media post of the week

Jordan Chiles gave her first interview since the bronze medal controversy to Today this week.