Sports
Olympic judges ignored Simone Biles' score review that could have given her gold, breaking US tie with China
Newly released footage shows the women’s gymnastics judges at the Paris Olympics floor routine final neglected to process a request from U.S. coaches for a review of Simone Biles’ routine. Had the request been considered and her score changed with what the U.S. coaches saw, it likely would have resulted in Biles taking gold.
Biles initially won silver with a score of 14.133, just 0.333 points behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who won her second Olympic gold after a famed comeback from three ACL tears.
The footage, submitted to the Swiss Federal Tribunal as part of a court case involving American teammate Jordan Chiles’ attempt to claim bronze in the event, was released to the public in an official Swiss court filing.
It shows Biles asking coach Cecile Landi if he’s asking the judges about her appeal. The coach’s wife, Laurent Landi, replied to Biles, saying, “He said he did.”
Laurent was then heard speaking French before Cecile turned back to Biles and said, “They didn’t send it.”
Biles was penalized 0.6 points for stepping outside of the competition mat. If she had she gotten full credit for her split leap, it would have given her an additional 0.10 in difficulty and a 14.233. That would have put her ahead of Andrade, who scored a 14.166.
If Biles had won gold in that event, the U.S. would have finished with 41 gold medals at the Paris Games and in sole possession of the gold medal lead. Instead, the U.S. settled for a tie with China at 40 golds.
It also would have taken away one of the many highly discussed moments of the Paris Olympics, when Chiles and Biles bowed down to Andrade on opposite sides of the medal podium. It was, before further review, the first all-Back gymnastics podium in Olympic history.
Biles responded to the footage in a post on X Wednesday, saying she is happy with the outcome and is more focused on Chiles’ court case.
“Rebeca had a better floor anyways, upsetting how it wasn’t processed, but I’m not mad at the results,” Chiles wrote. “BUT JUSTICE FOR JORDAN.”
Biles has won more Olympic medals than any gymnast in U.S. history with 11, seven of them being gold with team events included. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history.
The video was provided to Chiles by the director of Biles’ latest documentary project, “Simone Biles: Rising,” on Netflix. Director Katie Walsh and production company Religion of Sports, which received permission to film Biles and her team during Olympic competition. This footage has now been released to help Chiles in her case for the bronze medal, which was stripped and given to Romania’s Ana Barbosu at the end of the Paris games.
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Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles of the United States pose with their Paris 2024 Olympic medals after the artistic gymnastics women’s floor exercise final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
According to court documents filed in the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland Monday, Chiles’ attorney has submitted footage from the company producing Biles’ Netflix series that they allege shows visual evidence in favor of Chiles. They claim the footage proves that the request for the review that bumped Chiles’ score up was not submitted past the deadline, according to multiple reports.
Barbosu had initially clinched the bronze medal for floor and began celebrating on the mat. But then U.S. coaches appealed to judges over Chiles’ score, and a review resulted in a 0.1-point increase, which moved Chiles ahead of Barbosu for the bronze medal.
The initial ruling resulted in a wave of backlash. Gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci criticized the scoring change on social media, and Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said he would boycott the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony over the scoring decision.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later ruled the judging panel at the event had improperly granted an inquiry that increased Chiles’ score. The next day, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) ruled Chiles would have to return the medal. However, multiple reports indicate she hasn’t and won’t return it.
Simone Biles of the United States competes during the artistic gymnastics women’s team final of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena in Paris July 30, 2024. (Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Chiles’ lawyers have argued that the CAS, which made the final ruling, “violated Chiles’s fundamental ‘right to be heard’ by refusing to consider the video evidence that showed her inquiry was submitted on time — in direct contradiction to the findings in CAS’s decision.”
Her lawyers also claimed that CAS President Hamid G. Gharavi had a conflict of interest. Gharavi acted as counsel for Romania for nearly a decade and had been an active representative of the nation at the time of the CAS decision to strip Chiles of her medal.
Chiles gave her first sit-down interview about the incident during a panel at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit 2024 Wednesday. The gymnast noticeably choked up when she was asked about the topic.
“To me, everything that has gone on is not about the medal, it’s about, you know, my skin color,” Chiles said, tearing up.
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Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.
It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.
Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.
After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.
The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.
Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?
Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.
When was the last time you were in Long Beach?
Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.
You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?
Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.
You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?
Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.
You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?
Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.
Why do you love volleyball?
Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.
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CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
World Cup tourists are coming to L.A. for the soccer, but they’re staying for the $21 smoothies and Double-Doubles.
As the last Los Angeles FIFA World Cup event ended Friday, soccer fans were eating like locals and famous chains from the region were cashing in.
In the weeks that L.A. has hosted the World Cup, international soccer enthusiasts have flocked to big brands from the area, often in large groups wearing their countries’ jerseys.
It is a phenomenon seen at many of the host cities. In Dallas, giant gas station Buc-ee’s is the main attraction. For people visiting New Jersey, deli shops have been a hot ticket. In L.A., the place to be between matches was Erewhon.
Thirsty international sports fans gathered for pictures outside different Erewhons, wandered their aisles smiling, and, of course, picked up pricey smoothies.
While Erewhon would not comment on its business, mobility data company Arity, which uses phone data to track consumers, said Erewhon visits at the outlets around SoFi Stadium were quadruple what they were a week earlier on June 12, the day of the U.S. national soccer team’s opening match there.
Arity looked at what stores people visited within a 10-mile radius of SoFi that day and also found surges in visitors to nearby El Pollo Loco and Trader Joe’s.
Locals have spotted groups of people in Korea jerseys huddled together, trying to decide what to order at In-N-Out.
Some complained on social media that international tourists at Trader Joe’s were buying up all the mini canvas tote bags.
Soon after the Belgium vs. Spain quarterfinal ended Friday, the In-N-Out near SoFi had a long line of soccer fans stretching out the door in bright red and yellow and black jerseys and matching striped hats and scarves.
One of the workers said he had to explain “spread” and “animal style” to foreign football fans.
“I didn’t know this place existed,” a fan from Romania said while waiting in line.
Los Angeles and other cities and states that have hosted the event need the soccer fans to spend money to make the event worth all the time, effort and money it requires.
A rosy 2024 report projected the World Cup could bring more than $800 million to the L.A. region as 180,000 people converge on the area to sleep, eat and spend.
There were early concerns people weren’t turning up for the event because of the high ticket prices and the difficulty of obtaining visas for citizens of some countries.
However, at least for some L.A. hotels, there was a surge of last-minute visitors which pushed up occupancy and room rates.
While sports fans are not in the region to shop, they do make time for it.
World Cup customer spending is also apparent in beer sales. Andrew Heritage, the chief economist at the Beer Institute said beer purchases at entertainment and attractions in L.A. – outside of World Cup spaces – were up around 10% from normal.
“That tells me that fans in the L.A. area have decided to extend their stay and take in all the other things that the area has to offer, rather than just the match itself,” he said.
On social media, the purpose of these shoppers is clear: grab a quick souvenir or local specialty and take a selfie.
The data from Arity suggests that fans are very efficient when they spend at local spots, diving in, getting what they want and getting out as soon as possible, said Jeff Schlitt, a director at the company.
“Normally you’re there for an hour. They’re going to be there for 15, 18 minutes,” he said. “Why is that? Because they were purpose-driven shoppers.”
For some travelers, the more popular American chains aren’t unfamiliar. But some of the native L.A. fare still comes as a surprise.
As one Belgium-Spain matchgoer from the Netherlands stood taking a picture of the In-N-Out sign after the game, he said he’d never had a burger like the one he’d just tried.
“We only have McDonald’s and Burger King,” he said. “It’s way better.”
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