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Jordan Chiles addresses Olympic medal controversy: “I have no words”
Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles has broken her silence after the International Olympic Committee ordered her to return the bronze medal she was awarded in the women’s individual floor event during the Paris Olympics.
“I have no words,” Chiles wrote on Instagram. “This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
After initially placing fifth, Chiles, jumped into third place behind Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade and teammate Simone Biles after an inquiry. Last week, the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided the inquiry, ruling that U.S. coach Cecile Landi had made her appeal four seconds too late. This restored the original finishing order, with Romania’s Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca Voinea going to third and fourth place, respectively, and Chiles returning to fifth place.
The decision was supported by the International Gymnastics Federation. U.S. Olympic officials said they would appeal, but later said that the Court of Arbitration for Sport informed them the decision could not be reconsidered, despite what USA Gymnastics called “conclusive new evidence” that it said showed Landi making her appeal in time. Chiles has been ordered to return her medal.
The 23-year-old gymnast said “unprompted racially driven attacks” on social media have added “to the heartbreak” of recent days.
“I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career. Believe me when I say I have had many,” Chiles wrote. “I will approach this challenge as I have others — and 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.”
The post was shared by teammate Suni Lee, who previously called the decision “completely unacceptable.”
USA Gymnastics has vowed to continue to pursue “every possible avenue and appeal process … to ensure the just scoring, placement and medal award” for Chiles.
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New documentary explores the private life of “Superman” icon Christopher Reeve
Long before comic book characters dominated movie screens, actor Christopher Reeve made the world believes in superheroes with the 1978 classic “Superman.”
Reeve died in 2004, nearly a decade after an accident re-shaped his life. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is using interviews with family and friends and never-before-seen home videos to explore his real-life heroism.
Reeve started his career on the stage, studying at the prestigious Juilliard School and living with comedian Robin Williams. The pair had a friendship that was “more like a brotherhood,” said Reeve’s son Matthew. Reeve was in awe of Williams’ energy and versatility, Matthew Reeve said, but audiences quickly clued into Reeve’s own star power when he took on the role of the Man of Steel.
To his children, though, he “was just dad,” Matthew Reeve said. The documentary explores how Matthew Reeve and his sister Alexandra Reeve Givens grew up watching their dad take the stage as Superman. “Super/Man” also reveals their heartbreak over their parents’ breakup and the joy they found when Reeve re-married. He tied the knot with Dana Reeve in 1992, and the pair welcomed another child, William Reeve, later that year.
“Dana was sunshine,” Alexandra Reeve Givens recalled. “She just brought joy with her wherever she was and could find it even in the darkest moments.”
Those dark moments came suddenly, when in 1995, a near-fatal horseback riding accident left Reeve paralyzed from the neck down. The documentary allows viewers to see, for the first time, what went on out of the public’s view. Reeve can be heard talking about how he “ruined (his) life and everybody else’s,” but in a touching moment, old friend Robin Williams is seen visiting him in the hospital.
“Robin showed him ‘Hey, you’re still you,'” Alexandra Reeve Givens said. “‘You still have this foundation of friendship and people around you, who adore you. And you’re going to find those fun moments in life again.'”
That support from friends and family re-ignited Reeve’s legacy of activism. He made appearances at the Democratic National Convention and the 68th Academy Awards in 1996, about a year after the accident. Matthew Reeve said watching his father address his industry peers at the Oscars was “one of (his) most proud moments.”
“It was just a production for him to get out of bed every morning, let alone get across the country and go out in public for the first time,” Matthew Reeve said. “It was a big deal. It was a big deal to him, but it was also a big deal to the entire disability community. We stayed up in London till like three in the morning to watch that live. It’s a fond memory.”
Reeve also went on to launch what would become the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing research into spiral cord injury and help individuals and families impacted by paralysis. It was his dad’s mission to find a cure, Matthew Reeve said, while his stepmother wanted to focus on improving the lives of paralyzed people and their families. The foundation and Reeve’s platform helped bring unprecedented attention and funding to spinal cord injury research.
Reeve even kept acting and realized his lifelong dream of directing with the 1997 HBO movie “In the Gloaming.” Reeve died in 2004 from heart failure at 52.
“There is a huge amount of great actors and actresses out there, where their filmography might be amazing and what they achieve on a cultural level might be amazing, but have they actually achieved anything really as a human that moves the needle for our society?” said filmmaker Ian Bonhote, who made the documentary with Peter Ettedgui. “And Chris has done both things.”
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” will open in theaters on Friday, Oct. 11.
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