PARIS — There’s been another major twist in the Olympic gymnastics drama involving Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal.

USA Gymnastics said Sunday that it has obtained new video evidence showing that Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, submitted the inquiry into her score in the women’s floor exercise final before the one-minute deadline − 47 seconds after her score was announced, to be exact.

The governing body said in a statement that it has submitted the video, as well as a formal letter, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as part of a request to reinstate Chiles’ score of 13.766 and allow her to keep her bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

‘The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted,’ USA Gymnastics said in its statement.

‘The video footage provided was not available to USA Gymnastics prior to the tribunal’s decision and thus USAG did not have the opportunity to previously submit it.’

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

A spokesperson for USA Gymnastics said that, due to confidentiality rules regarding CAS appeals, it could not provide additional information about the video, including its source.

A CAS spokesperson did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment. And the International Olympic Committee did not immediately reply to an email asking if the existence of such video would alter its decision to strip Chiles’ medal, regardless of whether CAS reconsiders its ruling.

The new video marks the latest twist in the saga stemming from the women’s floor exercise final at Bercy Arena earlier this week, where Chiles leapfrogged Ana Barbosu of Romania at the very end of the competition following an appeal over her score.

Chiles originally received a score of 13.666 before her coaches submitted an inquiry with the judging panel, arguing that she should not have received a one-tenth deduction to her difficulty score for her tour jete full, which is a split leap. The judges agreed and elevated Chiles’ score to 13.766, which gave her Olympic bronze and left Barbosu − whose score was 13.700 − in shock.

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation later filed an appeal with CAS, claiming that Landi submitted the inquiry into Chiles score precisely four seconds past the one minute that is allotted for such inquiries. CAS agreed and cited that fact as the basis for its ruling Saturday, which knocked her score back down to 13.666.

The CAS decision triggered a series of procedural dominoes that eventually prompted the IOC to announce that it was stripping Chiles’ bronze and giving it to Barbosu.

The issue, then, simply comes down to the timeline − a difference of 17 seconds that could decide whether Chiles will get to keep her first individual Olympic medal.

The CAS ruling did not specify how the Romanian Gymnastics Federation determined that the inquiry had been four seconds late, and the federation itself did not immediately reply to a request for comment Sunday.

According to the technical regulations for competition that are enforced by the International Gymnastics Federation, a gymnast’s coach can submit an inquiry about a score at any point until the next gymnast starts their routine. But with the last athlete of a group or rotation, as Chiles was in Monday’s floor final, the rule is different and the coach only has one minute ‘after the score is shown on the scoreboard.’

‘The person designated to receive the verbal inquiry has to record the time of receiving it, either in writing or electronically, and this starts the procedure,’ the FIG’s technical regulations state.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.

PARIS – Algerian gold-medal boxer Imane Khelif has filed a complaint with the Paris public prosecutor’s office for “acts of aggravated cyber harassment’ committed against her, according to an attorney who says he’s working with the Olympic champion.

Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who both won gold medals in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics, were targeted in a “gender eligibility’ controversy during the Games.

Nabil Boudi, the attorney who says he’s representing Khelif, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY Sports. But he addressed the matter in a statement issued on his verified account on X, formerly Twitter.

“The criminal investigation will determine who initiated this misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign but will also have to focus on those who fueled this digital lynching,’ Boudi’s statement read. “The unfair harassment suffered by the boxing champion will remain the biggest stain of these Olympic Games.’

Le Monde, the French paper based in Paris, reported that it has viewed the complaint. Reuters also reported it and spoke directly to Boudi, who said the complaint was filed Friday.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

Khelif, 25, and Lin, 28, were subjected to abuse on social media and inaccurate online speculation about their gender, even though the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said they both have met all criteria and that there’s no question they are women.

‘All that is being said about me on social media is immoral,’ Khelif said Saturday, according to Reuters. “I want to change the minds of people around the world.’

PARIS — Now that they’ve won their eighth consecutive gold, an unprecedented achievement in Olympic team sports, talk about the U.S. women’s basketball team will almost surely shift immediately to the future and if they can do it again in 2028. 

That’s the wrong question. 

The right one to ask is: If they win gold at home in 2028, will Americans finally appreciate the most dominant dynasty in global basketball history? 

And will they show up to see if they can indeed make it nine in a row?

Sunday in Bercy Arena, in the very last event of the 2024 Paris Games, the U.S. women hung on in a wild ride against host country France, squeaking out a 67-66 win to continue their unbeaten streak at the Olympics (61 games and counting). It was a back-and-forth thriller that delighted the crowd of 12,126 and took a career-defining defensive performance from A’ja Wilson, who led Team USA with 21 points, 13 rebounds and crucially, four blocks. 

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

“I think everyone thinks these games are gonna be easy because we always win gold medals,” said Diana Taurasi, who became USA Basketball’s only six-time gold medalist in the victory. “A game in France against a French team — we know what kind of pedigree they play with. We’ve all played overseas and playing in France, they were always the toughest games. They’re physical, they play hard, they play for their country.

“That was a tough win.”

A chaotic one, too. 

Tied 25-25 at halftime, France opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run, putting the Americans in a double-digit hole, their largest deficit of the entire tournament. Back home, officials in the White House situation room surely moved the U.S. to Defcon 1. Wasn’t this supposed to be a cakewalk? 

“It felt like we were back and forth the whole time,” said Breanna Stewart, who finished with 8 points and 2 timely blocks. “No matter what, whether it’s a good win, ugly win — we just wanna win. And we got the gold.” 

The U.S. battled back, then the teams traded baskets and leads before Wilson helped them put the game away in the final 20 seconds, corralling a crucial defensive board after Stewart tipped a French 3-point attempt and hitting one of two free throws. 

And yet, it easily could have gone to overtime: Gabby Williams’ shot went in at the buzzer, before the French forward crushingly realized she was in front of the 3-point line when the ball left her hand. 

That the gold medal game was this good — 11 ties and six leads — and in question until the final buzzer is a testament to the fact that women’s basketball is growing all over the world, not just in the U.S. After the final, Taurasi called it proof that “the women’s side is catching up, it’s all going in the right direction.” 

U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve talked all Olympics about how Team USA’s basketball dynasty has been “defined by depth.” When one WNBA All-Star isn’t playing well, there are numerous other options on the bench. 

That was the case again Sunday, when Reeve turned to Kahleah Copper (12 points, five rebounds), Kelsey Plum (12 points, four assists) Sabrina Ionescu (three perfect and perfectly-timed assists) when the Americans were floundering. 

At one point it was an 8-0 run for the Las Vegas Aces as Plum hit a 3 and fed Wilson for a transition bucket and then Plum hit another 3 after a Wilson block (and on the defensive possession before that, Wilson had grabbed a steal). 

“I wasn’t necessarily thinking I need to score, but I was thinking, ‘I need to come in and make a play,’ especially because I don’t think we had momentum,” Plum said. “The game was so choppy, we couldn’t really get anything going in terms of running offense. But that’s my type of game, because I break a lot of plays.” 

The crazy reality about the USA’s depth is sometimes, it can lead to an unfamiliar lineup. That was the case late when Wilson, Stewart, Plum Copper and Ionescu were on the floor together. Plum noticed immediately it was a different five than usual and joked to Ionescu when she came in, “Hey, let’s finally play together instead of being each other’s subs.” 

Team USA, Olympians like to say, is the hardest roster in the world to make, no matter the sport. And as Reeve pointed out this week, in women’s basketball it’s getting even harder to earn a spot on the 12-person roster given the talent sprouting up across the country and the career longevity of some of the top veterans.

Should the U.S. win again in Los Angeles — and they will again be the favorite — it will likely be because of that depth. 

Is this the best, most impressive Olympic dynasty of all time? That’s hard to quantify when you consider the the way the Soviet Union used to own gymnastics, how Americans have crushed competition for years in the pool and the fact that China has long ruled niche sports like table tennis and badminton. 

But USA women’s basketball is certainly in the conversation at least. And that’s of no surprise its participants.

‘The fact that women have dominated these Olympics, we know,’ Stewart said, motioning up to right, where Wilson and Reeve were sitting. ‘You got all women up here, we know. And we’re going to continue to fight for equality and continue to raise the bar and the standard for our sport and outside of our sport.’

“When it comes to getting the work done, getting the job done, a woman’s going to always step up to the plate,” Wilson added. “When it’s time to shine bright on these big stages … when it comes to showing up and showing out, I’m always putting my money on women.” 

With the 2024 Paris Olympics nearly over, focus now shifts to when the next Olympic Games take place.

The next Olympics will be the Winter edition, taking place in 2026. Of course, the Winter Games include an entirely different set of sports and events than the Summer Games. The next Summer Olympics will next be hosted in Los Angeles in 2028.

The last Winter Olympics took place in Beijing, making it the lone city to host both the Winter and Summer Olympics (it also hosted the 2008 Summer Games).

The 2026 Olympics will be co-hosted by two cities in the same country. Here’s where the 2026 Winter Olympics will be located:

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

2026 Winter Olympics location

Location: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be hosted in two cities: Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

The site was selected in 2019, when the bidding results ended with the two Italian cities earning the Olympics over Stockholm and Are in Sweden. It will mark the fourth time the Olympics have been held in Italy, following the 1956 Winter Olympics (Cortina d’Ampezzo), 1960 Summer Olympics (Rome) and 2006 Winter Olympics (Turin).

Cortina d’Ampezzo was also selected to host the 1944 Winter Olympics, which were canceled due to World War II.

When are the next Winter Olympics?

Dates: Feb. 6-22, 2026

The 2026 Winter Olympics is actually only 18 months away, as the next Games will be held from Feb. 6-22 in 2026.

San Siro, home of soccer club AC Milan, will host the opening ceremony while Verona Arena, a Roman amphitheater, will hold the closing ceremony.

Olympic host sites

Below is the list of Olympic host sites through the 2034 Winter Olympics, held in Salt Lake City:

2026 Winter Olympics (Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo)
2028 Summer Olympics (Los Angeles)
2030 Winter Olympics (French Alps)
2032 Summer Olympics (Brisbane)
2034 Winter Olympics (Salt Lake City)

The final day of the 2024 Paris Olympics was highlighted by the U.S. women’s basketball team beating France for its eighth consecutive gold medal. Check out all the highlights from USA vs. France.

Elsewhere, the U.S. women’s volleyball team lost to Italy in the gold medal match, the Americans won bronze in men’s water polo and wrestling held nine medal events.

And then, of course, the closing ceremony served as the nightcap to these extraordinary Games.

USA TODAY Sports brought live results, coverage, highlights, medal wins and more throughout the day. Here’s everything that happened at the extraordinary closing ceremony.

When is the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics?

Wouldn’t you know it, they’ll be happening in 2028. More specifically though, the 2028 Los Angeles Games’ opening ceremony is set for July 14, 2028, with the closing ceremony happening just over two weeks later on July 30, 2028. — Jon Hoefling

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

One more look from Stade de France

After the transition to Los Angeles, we were treated to one more trip back to Paris where French singer Yseult was waiting to perform a classic made famous stateside by Frank Sinatra, ‘My Way.’ Her rendition of the tune was remarkable, and was capped off with a multitude of fireworks, a very fitting and extravagant end to an unforgettable Olympics. — Jon Hoefling

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre rock Long Beach

To cap off the closing ceremony, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, alongside Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre offered a mini concert on the beach.

Tom Cruise performs his ‘epic stunt’

It had been rumored for a few days that Cruise would be performing a stunt of epic proportions to symbolize the transition from Paris to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics. Cruise did not disappoint.

Cruise rappelled down Stade de France into a crowd of athletes, who all met him with high-fives. Cruise then made his way to the stage to take the Olympic flag from Simone Biles and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. In classic Tom Cruise fashion, he then hopped on a motorcycle and rode out of the stadium and onto a plane.

The plane went straight to Los Angeles, and viewers were treated to the 62-year-old movie star skydiving onto the Hollywood sign, altering the two O’s in Hollywood into the Olympic rings. The flag was then carried throughout LA, through iconic venues such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Long Beach, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre were waiting to offer a mini-concert. — Jon Hoefling

Simone Biles shows at closing ceremony

SAINT-DENIS, France — Simone Biles made a surprise appearance at the closing ceremony, playing a part in the passing of the Olympic flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Biles stood with Bass while H.E.R. played the national anthem. She is still wearing a walking boot on her left leg after competing with a strained calf during the Paris Games. — Thomas Schad

H.E.R. performs Star-Spangled Banner

After the passing of the flag, Stade de France was treated to a beautiful rendition of the American national anthem from five-time Grammy Award-winning artist H.E.R. — Jon Hoefling

Mayor Anne Hidalgo passes Olympic flag to Mayor Karen Bass from Los Angeles

Following several earnest goodbyes from several French representatives, the flag was officially handed over to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who wasted no time waving it for the world to see. — Jon Hoefling

Paris 2024 president with a heartfelt farewell to the Games

The city of Paris had been preparing for these Olympics for near a decade, and tonight, it says goodbye. The president of Paris 2024 offered a very emotional goodbye to the Olympics.

What to know about Stade de France?

Stade de France (Stadium of France) was built to host the 1998 soccer World Cup. It is located just north of Paris in Saint-Denis. It’s where the athletics events took place, as well as rugby sevens. It has a seating capacity of about 80,000, making it the largest stadium in France. Tonight every single one appears to be taken. — Kim Hjelmgaard

Los Angeles 2028 update

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA28 Olympic Games chair Casey Wasserman, who are both here tonight, told reporters on Saturday that while the Paris Games have been ‘authentically French,’ the 2028 Games will be ‘authentically Los Angeles.’ The jury’s out on that for another four years but Wasserman said this meant tapping into LA’s music, fashion, culture and of course movies pedigree. 

‘We don’t have an Eiffel Tower. We do have a Hollywood sign,’ said Wasserman. — Kim Hjelmgaard

Phoenix, Kavinsky bring the party to closing ceremony

The first of many musicians to come onto stage for these closing ceremonies was Phoenix, a French indie band from Versailles. The group played their 2009 hit song ‘Lisztomania’ from their fourth album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

Phoenix was followed by French musician Kavinsky, who played his 2010 single Nightcall. Phoenix and Nightcall combined for a three-song set to entertain the crowd, and it was quite a show for such a short set. — Jon Hoefling

Athletes rush the stage

SAINT-DENIS, France — Athletes from several nations, including Team USA athletes, rushed the stage, albeit in a somewhat orderly fashion. They seemed to be joining performers who ran out of tunnels onto the stage. 

But then broadcast across the stadium was this message in English: ‘Please don’t stand on the stage. Please get down from the stage, dear athletes.  … Dear athletes, please leave the stage.’ — Michelle Martinelli

What was the final medal count at 2024 Olympics?

The United States finished this year’s games with the most medals (126) of any competing country. They also finished the Olympics tied for the most gold medals (40) alongside China.

Find the full final medal count here.

Olympic rings come together in Paris

SAINT-DENIS, France — Leading up to the giant, golden Olympic rings coming into place above the stage, the Hymn to Apollo — the oldest hymn from ancient Greece — was performed by Alain Roche. But perhaps you noticed he, amazingly, was seated and playing a piano while suspended vertically in the air. Because the stadium was dark, it was challenging to notice this in person. 

The hymn was discovered in the ruins of Delphi and was first performed in modern times to celebrate the 1894 revival of the Olympics two years later. The ancient score is in the Louvre. — Michelle Martinelli

‘The Golden Voyager’ hits the stage at closing ceremony

SAINT-DENIS, France — The stadium went dark, save for people’s phone flashlights and dramatic periodic flashing lights on the stage. The idea was to transport viewers to another world that is dark, deserted and mysterious, opening the door for the arrival of The Golden Voyager. 

Covered in golden sparkles and lowered down into the stadium, The Golden Voyager was inspired by elements of French history, including the Spirit of the Bastille, the Génie de la Liberté — a 1836 bronze-gilded statue signifying liberty by Auguste Dumont — and video games and science fiction. 

The Golden Voyager character is also a nod to the Voyager Golden Record, which the Voyager spacecraft launched into the void in 1977 ‘containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth’, should other spacefarers find it, according to NASA. — Michelle Martinelli

Women’s marathon medal ceremony

SAINT-DENIS, France — The women’s marathon was one of the last events at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday morning, and the three medalists received their hardware at the closing ceremony: Netherlands’ gold medalist Sifan Hassan, Ethiopia’s silver medalist Tigst Assefa and Kenya’s bronze medalist Hellen Obiri. The crowd roared when Hassan was introduced.

The ceremony also paid video tribute to the Marathon Pour Tous, or the Marathon For All — a public event where people ran parts or the whole course on Saturday night. There were 20,024 participants registered. 

The marathon route was inspired by the legendary Women’s March of 1789, where Parisians revolted over King Louis XVI’s apathy toward a flour shortage. They marched from through Paris to Versailles to bring the king back to the city in a moment the French remember for its defense of human rights and freedom. — Michelle Martinelli

What’s in the boxes Olympic medalists receive?

Each Olympic medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics also receives a box while they’re standing on the podium, but what’s inside?

According to the International Olympic Committee, it’s the official poster for this year’s Games. French artist Ugo Gattoni designed this year’s posters over several months of work.

Read more on what medalists have received this Olympics from Jordan Mendoza.

Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead represent the U.S. as flag bearers

SAINT-DENIS, France — Katie Ledecky doesn’t usually get to attend the Olympics opening ceremony because of her swimming schedule, but Sunday night, she was one of Team USA’s flag bearers at the closing ceremony, joined by rower Nick Mead. 

When she found out she was chosen as the flag bearer, Ledecky teared up when fellow 1,500 freestyle Olympic champion Bobby Finke delivered the news. 

At the closing ceremony, Ledecky and Mead entered with all the nations’ flag bearers, donning their vintage NASCAR-esque Ralph Lauren outfits. They both looked excited walking around the stage at the booming stadium.

Mead, a 29-year-old first-time Olympian, was part of the men’s four team that won gold for the U.S. for the first time since the 1960 Olympics. 

With 14 total medals, Ledecky, a 27-year-old four-time Olympian, is the most decorated American woman at the Olympics in any sport and the most decorated woman in swimming of all time. — Michelle Martinelli

Flag bearers’ procession into the Stade de France begins

Following tradition, Greece leads the procession of all nations that participated in this year’s Olympics into the arena. Delegations from the territories of all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team march into the stadium and onto the stage in the center of the Stade de France. — Jack McKessy

Léon Marchand takes charge of the Olympic flame

Following the choral performance to start the closing ceremony, the French swimmer lifted a lantern containing the Olympic flame next to the grand Olympic torch. He carried the lantern out of the Jardin des Tuileries and began his procession to bring the flame to the Stade de France. — Jack McKessy

Closing ceremony begins with musical performance

The closing ceremony festivities began in front of the 2024 Paris Olympics’ Olympic torch in the Jardin des Tuileries. French singer Zaho de Sagazan and the Choir of the Haendel-Hendrix Academy treated spectators to a rendition of ‘Sous le ciel de Paris.’ — Jack McKessy

Casey Wasserman on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

The chairman of the LA28 Organizing Committee sat down with NBC’s Mike Tirico to discuss what to expect in four years’ time, when the Olympics return to the U.S. for the first time since 1996. — Jack McKessy

What is Team USA’s closing ceremony outfit?

As in the opening ceremony, Ralph Lauren is the designer of Team USA’s closing ceremony outfits. Here’s what the Americans will be wearing on Sunday evening in Paris:

Closing ceremony flag bearers

Swimmer Katie Ledecky will bear the U.S. flag with rower Nick Mead at Sunday’s closing ceremony. — Jack McKessy

What time does the closing ceremony start?

The closing ceremony begins at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. NBC will broadcast the ceremony, which is expected to conclude a little after 5 p.m.

There will also be an encore broadcast of the closing ceremony starting at 7 p.m. ET. — Jack McKessy

Why did Gabby Williams play for France?

Gabby Williams, the No. 4 overall pick out of UConn in 2018, was one of France’s best players at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was drafted by the Chicago Sky but started playing overseas full time after the 2022 season.

Williams is from the United States but is eligible to play for France in the Olympics due to her mother, Therese, being from the host country of this year’s Olympic Games. Williams also competed in the Tokyo Olympics, winning the bronze medal in the last competition. — Austin Curtright

A’ja Wilson had NSFW answer to describe Kahleah Copper’s performance

Kahleah Copper played a huge role for Team USA, coming off the bench to score 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter. Copper sank two crucial free throws with 3.9 seconds left that enabled the Americans to withstand Williams’ buzzer beater.

When asked for one word to describe the performance of Copper, Wilson gave a two-word term of endearment to describe the Phoenix Mercury All-Star guard.

‘That (expletive)!’ Wilson said before giving a look into the camera that let the rest of the world know they were sleeping on Copper’s skills. — Scooby Axson

USA women’s hoops hang on for eighth consecutive gold

With the U.S. clinging to a 62-59 lead, Breanna Stewart got a fingertip on France’s 3 attempt, a huge defensive play with 20 seconds to go. At the other end, A’Ja Wilson hit one of two free throws to make it a two possession game. 

France’s Gabby Williams hit a shot at the buzzer but the forward wasn’t behind the 3-point line when it left her hand, leaving France short of tying the game and leaving the U.S. with a one-point victory, 67-66. — Lindsay Schnell, Nancy Armour

US women hold 3-point lead with less than a minute left

After Gabby Williams hit a long 2 for France with about 1:30 left, Kahleah Cooper answered with a layup out of the timeout to give the Americans a 62-59 lead with 54 seconds left. — Lindsay Schnell, Nancy Armour

US women’s hoops reclaims lead at end of 3Q

The national emergency appears to be over — for now. A’ja Wilson is getting ticked off, and that’s usually when the Americans start rolling. Wilson is up to four blocks (it feels like more) and dominated the third quarter defensively when the U.S. really needed it. She’s got 14 points and 12 rebounds. Two nice Sabrina Ionescu-to-Napheesa Collier baskets also helped the Americans get back into it after trailing by 10. — Lindsay Schnell, Nancy Armour

France starts second half with surge

A lot of people thought the U.S. would have a cakewalk to its eighth consecutive gold. France has other ideas. After an 8-0 run that gave the French a 33-25 lead to open the second half, the U.S. needed a timeout to talk things over. This crowd is only going to get louder. — Lindsay Schnell, Nancy Armour

Evacuation takes place near Eiffel Tower

French police briefly evacuated the area around the Eiffel Tower on Sunday after there were reports a man attempted to climb the 1,083-foot structure. The incident, reported by the Associated Press and in unverified eyewitness posts on social media, took place just hours before the Olympic closing ceremony was due to get underway. The shirtless man was spotted just above the Olympic rings that decorate the second section of Paris’ famous landmark, the city’s tallest building. The Eiffel Tower was a centerpiece of the opening ceremony. A purpose-built stadium directly in front of it hosted beach volleyball events. Blind football events will be played there during the Paralympics. The tower is not part of the closing ceremony. — Kim Hjelmgaard

US women’s hoops tied with France at halftime

The women’s basketball gold medal game is all tied up at the half after a crucial tip-in from Team USA’s Napheesa Collier just before the buzzer.

Real talk: That half was ugly. The U.S. shot 29%, France shot 28% and the teams combined for 19 total turnovers. A’ja Wilson has six points but is just 2-of-9 from the field, while Stewart is 1-of-6 with five points. Wilson and Collier have nine rebounds each. Gabby Williams leads France with eight points.

The U.S. looks sloppy and disjointed and if it wants to keep the streak of seven-gold-medals-in-a-row-and-counting going, the Americans going to need to clean up a lot in the second half. — Lindsay Schnell, Nancy Armour

Sifan Hassan’s Olympic feat arguably greatest in Summer Games history

Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa tangled. They jostled. They were one false move away from taking each other out. Then, in the blink of an eye, Hassan was gone; a blur of Netherlands orange leaving Assefa behind and streaking to the gold medal. And when she crossed the wire in an Olympic record 2 hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds, there was just one question left.

How is it possible for a human to do this?

USA men’s water polo wins bronze in shootout

NANTERRE, France — Team USA men’s water polo were victorious in a thrilling 11-8 bronze-medal match that ended in a shootout against historical powerhouse Hungary on Sunday to win its first Olympic medal since 2008. 

The American’s not only won the match and bronze medal, but they also shut out Hungary in the shootout, 3-0, at París La Défense Arena.

USA goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg – who stood on his head, especially in the final minutes and was spectacular in the shootout – made 16 saves on 24 shots, while American captain Ben Hallock led the team in scoring with two goals. 

American cyclist takes gold in women’s Omnium

American Jennifer Valente won her second consecutive gold medal in women’s Omnium cycling at the National Velodrome on Sunday.

Valente totaled 144 points, edging Poland’s Daria Pikulik (silver) and New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston (bronze). Omnium consists of four races (scratch race, tempo race, elimination and points), and points are awarded for each race. Valente won the 2022 and 2023 world championship in Omnium.

‘It’s been a really long week of racing. I raced (team pursuit) qualifying over a week ago, and we had some really good performances, so to pull it off on the last day, I’m really excited,’ Valante said. 

Valente, who won the event three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, was also part of the squad that won gold in team pursuit in Paris. — Jeff Zillgitt

USA women’s hoops goes for eighth consecutive gold

The U.S. women’s basketball team gets to bring down the curtain on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the final event of these Games, the United States plays France with an eighth consecutive gold medal on the line. The Americans have mostly cruised through this Olympics tournaments, with each of their five wins coming by double digits, and three coming by 19 or more points. A’ja Wilson (18.2 points per game) and Breanna Stewart (18.0) have been leading the way, with Wilson also leading the team in rebounds (9.6), blocks (2.4) and steals (1.6).

IOC has precedent to give two bronzes for gymnastics floor routine

In stripping Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal, the International Olympic Committee is not following the precedent it set for itself in the most publicized double-medal controversy in Olympic history.

At the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, in what became known as the French judge scandal, the IOC gave out two gold medals – to Canada and Russia – rather than take the gold medal from the Russian pairs skaters nearly a week after they received it, as it should have. 

Italy beats USA for gold medal in women’s volleyball

PARIS — The repeat dream is over for the U.S. women’s volleyball. Italy swept the Americans (25-18, 25-20, 25-17) in a match that lasted 81 minutes to deny the USA a second consecutive gold medal. 

Italy’s opposite hitter Paola Egonu supplied the bulk of her team’s attack, as she went off for 22 kills and was by far the best player on the court. 

Jordan Thompson led the Americans with eight attack points. Italy finished with seven aces – five coming in the third set. — Chris Bumbaca

Italy takes two-set lead over USA in women’s volleyball

PARIS — The teams traded points through the first part of the second set, but Italy pulled away during the middle portions and took the frame, 25-20. Now the Americans are on the ropes and will have to win three straight sets to claim their second consecutive Olympic gold medal. 

The U.S. looks out of system defensively and Italy is keeping the Americans off balance with a variety of attacks. 

Paolo Egonu has 15 kills for Italy. 

Avery Skinner leads the way for the U.S. with six kills, and Jordan Thompson has five. Jordan Larson and Andrea Drews both have four. — Chris Bumbaca

China’s 40th gold comes in women’s weightlifting

Wenwen Li of China secured her country’s 40th gold medal Sunday in the women’s +81kg weightlifting competition, extending China’s gold medal lead over the United States to 40-38 with several medal events remaining on the final day of competition at the Paris Games.

Li lifted a total of 309 kilograms (136 snatch, 173 clean & jerk) to take gold with relative ease over the Republic of Korea’s Hyejeong Park (299 kg) and Great Britain’s Emily Campbell (288 kg).

Team USA’s Mary Theisen Lappen finished fifth with a total of 274 kg (119 snatch, 155 clean & jerk). — Chase Goodbread

US women’s volleyball falls behind in gold medal match

PARIS — In a gold-medal match, that was not the first set the U.S. women’s volleyball team was looking for.

Italy, behind a crowd decidedly in favor of the Italians, rolled to a first-set victory, 25-18. 

A 6-1 start for Italy set the tone. The Americans could not navigate Italy’s block, and Italy finished with four block points in the frame. 

U.S. coach Karch Kiraly burned both timeouts by the time his team trailed 12-6. That deficit turned into 14-7. The Americans battled to 18-15 but were unable to overcome the rest of the margin. 

Meanwhile, the fans got loud for Italy.

‘It-a-lia! It-a-lia!’ they chanted. — Chris Bumbaca

Kyle Snyder comes up short for wrestling bronze

American wrestler Kyle Snyder failed to win his third Olympic medal on Sunday afternoon, losing 4-1 to Iran’s Amirali Azarpira in a men’s 97kg freestyle bronze medal match.

Azarpira gained an early 2-0 advantage, and it held up in stop-and-start match that featured multiple medical stoppages. Snyder needed a series of bandages applied to a cut on his head, while Azarpira received attention twice in the match’s final 31 seconds.

Snyder, 28, was a gold medalist in Rio in 2016 and a silver medalist in Tokyo. — Gentry Estes

Women’s marathon result stands after protest rejected

A protest from the second-place finisher in the women’s marathon was rejected and the results stand with Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands winning gold and Tigst Assefa of Ethopia winning silver.

Just a couple hundred yards from the finish line, the two competitors appeared to bump as Hassan tried to break through an opening inside of Assefa near the fence. After a little bit of a shove between them, Hassan took the lead and pulled away for a three-second margin of victory.  — Dan Wolken

Women’s marathon result under review after protest

PARIS — The result of the women’s marathon is still under review after a protest from second-place finisher Tigst Assefa of Ethopia against the winner Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.

Just a couple hundred yards from the finish line, the two competitors appeared to bump as Hassan tried to break through an opening inside of Assefa near the fence. 

After a little bit of a shove between them, Hassan took the lead and pulled away for a three-second margin of victory. 

Race officials informed the media that the medal ceremony and press conferences would be delayed until a decision is made whether to change the finish. — Dan Wolken

Jordan Chiles must return Olympic bronze, IOC says

PARIS — U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles will be required to return the individual bronze medal she received at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced Sunday morning.

The news comes less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the judging panel for the women’s floor exercise final made a mistake in granting an inquiry filed by Chiles’ coaches, which moved the American gymnast into medal position. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation had challenged the validity of that move, saying it was filed four seconds beyond the deadline by which any inquiries had to be submitted.

The IOC said in a statement that it will reallocate the bronze medal to Romania’s Ana Barbosu. — Nancy Armour and Tom Schad

Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan wins women’s marathon

Sifan Hassan — who won the bronze medal in both the 5,000- and 10,000-meter race — completed an incredible 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the women’s marathon on Sunday, finishing in an Olympic record time of 2:22:55.

It required a late sprint to the finish for the track star, who out-paced Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa to the finish line of the 26.2-mile race. Assefa finished three seconds behind Hassan to win silver. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri won the bronze.

American Dakotah Lindwurm finishes 12th in women’s marathon

PARIS — Near the halfway point of the women’s marathon on Sunday, American Dakotah Lindwurm found herself in the lead. It was a scenario the former hockey player from Minnesota, ranked No. 138 in the world, could have never imagined.

“I looked up and said, ‘God, you’re crazy – I can’t believe I’m at the front of the Olympic marathon right now,’” she said. “But you’ve got to put yourself in that position if you want to run well, and I’m not afraid to take the lead. I never have been, and it was fun.”

Though it was a temporary thrill, Lindwurm surpassed all expectations by finishing 12th on the difficult, hilly course in a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 44 seconds. The only disappointment was that she couldn’t stay in the top 10, finishing 34 seconds behind that milestone. 

Still, being at the head of the pack was something she’ll always remember.  She even choked up a bit talking about the fact that she wasn’t the most likely Olympian and how happy she was just to be a part of this event. 

“I swear I could hear all of Minnesota cheering for me in the moment when I took the lead,” she said.

Lindwurm led the American contingent, as Emily Sisson finished 23rd and Fiona O’Keefe dropped off the pace and stopped just a few kilometers into the race due to injury.

Sisson, who qualified for the Olympic team in Tokyo for the 10k, said her run did not meet expectations.

“I’m pretty disappointed,” she said. “Pretty sad. I think there were signs. Three marathons in a year is too much for me. I had some good workouts and no major injuries or anything. I like challenging myself and wanted to do a fall marathon for learning experience and it did help me in the trials. Btu this marathon didn’t feel like the last two, like I needed to freshen up my legs. Lesson learned, unfortunately.”

Both Americans were amazed to learn that Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands had won the race, barely outfinishing Tigst Assefa of Ethiopa. The marathon was Hassan’s third event of these Olympics, having already won bronze medals in both the 5k and 10k.

“Oh my God,” Lindwurm said. ‘My legs are trashed and I don’t know how she’s running on tired legs. She’s amazing.”

Said Sisson: “I’m not surprised. She’s a generational talent. I think she is solidified as the GOAT now, if she wasn’t already.” — Dan Wolken

American Dakotah Lindwurm drops off lead pace in marathon

Dakotah Lindwurm managed to stick with the lead runners through the 13.1-kilometer halfway point, but has since dropped off the pace set by the lead pack.

Through 30k, Lindwurm — the lead American runner — was 46 seconds behind the leaders. Another America, Emily Sisson, was more than two minutes behind the leaders.

Still attached to the lead group of Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, winner of the bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000 at Stade de France. The lead group also included three Kenyan runners (Sharon Lokedi, Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri), two Ethiopians (Tigst Assefa and Amane Beriso Shankule), Romania’s Delvine Relin Meringor, Japan’s Yuka Suzuki and Bahrain’s Eunice Chebichii Chumba. Lokedi clocked in with the top time through 30k at 1:43:59.

American Dakotah Lindwurm pacing with lead group in marathon

The women’s marathon is underway in Paris, and 29-year-old American Dakotah Lindwurm was right in the mix with the lead group through the halfway point of the race.

Lindwurm was in third place with a time of 1:13:25 at the 13.1-kilometer mark, with Australia’s Jessica Stenson just ahead in first place at 1:13:22. Lindwurm was among 20 runners that comprise the lead group.

The Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan, who also won bronze medals in the women’s 5,000- and 10,000-meter races at the 2024 Paris Olympics, also is among those runners in the lead group.

Fellow American Emily Sisson was 27 seconds off the lead. A third American in the race, Fiona O’Keeffe, dropped out of the race during the opening miles.

Olympics schedule today

Here are some Olympic schedule highlights. Peacock is streaming every sport and event live as it unfolds in Paris.

(All times Eastern)

Closing ceremony begins at 3 p.m. and runs through 6 p.m. (NBC)
Women’s basketball wraps up with the USA vs. France gold medal game (9:30 a.m., NBC) and the Australia vs. Belgium bronze medal game (5:30 a.m., USA Network).
Men’s water polo has the bronze medal match between the USA and Hungary at 4:35 a.m. with the gold medal match between Croatia and Serbia at 9:35 a.m. (NBC). 
Women’s volleyball holds the gold medal match between the USA and Italy at 7 a.m. (NBC).
The women’s marathon opens the day with a 2 a.m. start. USA Network is airing.
Men’s handball features the gold medal match between Denmark and Germany (7:30 a.m., USA Network) and the bronze medal match between Slovenia and Spain (3 a.m.).
Men’s water polo holds the gold medal match between Croatia and Serbia (8 a.m., USA Network) and the bronze medal match between the USA and Hungary (4:35 a.m., USA Network).
Wrestling holds nine different medal events, starting at 6 a.m. and running through 7:45 a.m.
Cycling holds four medal events, starting 6:45 a.m. and running through 7:56 a.m.
The women’s modern pentathlon wraps with one last event at 5 a.m.

How to watch Olympics today

NBC is airing and streaming the Paris Olympics from all angles: Peacock is streaming every sport and event live as it unfolds; NBC, USA Network, CNBC and E! are carrying various live events and replays throughout the day. Here are 6 tips and tricks for getting the most out of Peacock during the Olympics.

Medal count today

Our 2024 Paris Olympics medal count tracker updates after every single medal event.

Tallying up gold, silver, bronze for each country in Paris
How many medals has Team USA won?
Which country has won the most golds?
How many gold medals does Team USA have so far?

Which U.S. teams are playing at the Olympics today?

(All times Eastern)

The U.S. men’s water polo team plays Hungary in the bronze medal match at 4:35 a.m. USA Network is airing.
The U.S. women’s volleyball team plays in the gold medal match against Italy at 7 a.m. NBC is airing.
The U.S. women’s basketball team plays France in the gold medal game at 9:30 a.m. NBC is airing.

What Olympic medals can be won today?

(All times Eastern)

Women’s hoops: Bronze medal game (5:30 a.m., USA Network), gold medal game (9:30 a.m., NBC)
Marathon: women (2 a.m., USA Network)
Modern pentathlon: women’s final laser run (6:40 a.m.)
Wrestling: Nine medal matches (6 a.m.)
Water polo: men’s bronze match (4:35 a.m., USA Network), men’s gold match (8 a.m., USA Network)
Volleyball: women’s gold match (7 a.m., NBC)
Handball: men’s bronze (3 a.m.), men’s gold (7:30 a.m., USA Network)
Cycling track: women’s sprint (7:15 a.m.), men’s keirin (7:32 a.m.), women’s sprint (7:44 a.m.), women’s omnium points race 4/4 (7:56 a.m.)

Olympic basketball today: What to watch

The U.S. women have won a medal at every Olympics since women’s basketball was added to the program in 1976. If they make the final, they could send 42-year-old Diana Taurasi home with an unprecedented sixth Olympic gold.

Olympic volleyball today: What to watch

In Tokyo the U.S. women won their first Olympic gold in the sport of indoor volleyball, beating traditional power Brazil. Indoor volleyball has been on the Olympic program since 1964 and the U.S. has one gold, three silver and two bronze. Jordan Larson returns as captain of the team after being named MVP of the Tokyo Games.

Olympic marathon today: What to watch

It’s the women’s marathon day, which will take runners on a scenic route that includes Hotel de Ville de Paris, past the Eiffel Tower and Chateau de Versailles. For many years, the men’s marathon was held on the final day, bringing the Olympics to a close. In Paris, the women will be showcased on the final day of the Games, ending just a few hours before the closing ceremony.

Olympic closing ceremony today: What to watch

Unlike the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony will be held at the national stadium with NBC and Peacock offering live coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Jimmy Fallon and Mike Tirico are slotted in as NBC’s hosts. The parade of athletes brings a party atmosphere with music and dancing. At the end, Paris will hand off to the organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Team USA track and field has best medal haul since 1984 Olympics

Team USA has showed off its speed and strength at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Americans fared well in the pool, but dominated athletics.

The U.S. won by far the most medals in track and field with 34 overall, the most for the U.S. since winning 40 the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. — Jordan Mendoza

If US women were a nation, they’d be near top of medal count

PARIS — If U.S. women were a nation unto themselves, their results at the 2024 Paris Olympics would make them one of the most dominant athletic countries on earth.

The exhilarating U.S. soccer victory over Brazil Saturday evening added an exclamation point to what already have been a fabulous Olympic Games for the American women. 

They are winning medals at such a terrific rate that if they jettisoned the guys, they would be third in the overall medal standings, behind only the full U.S. team and China. 

That means half of the U.S. team is performing better at the Paris Olympics than the full teams of about 200 other nations, including 85 countries that have won at least one medal. — Christine Brennan

Breaking made history in Paris. It probably won’t be in Olympics again

PARIS — Victor Montalvo became the first Olympic bronze medalist in the history of men’s breaking Saturday night.

Organizers for the next Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028 had the ability to propose new sports they wanted to include and opted for flag football, cricket and lacrosse over breaking − despite the dance’s deep history in the United States, including the fact its birthplace is the Bronx. — Tom Schad

What to expect from LA 2028 Games

PARIS − After the Paris Olympics conclude Sunday, the Paralympics will run Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, then the squash racket, lacrosse stick and cricket ball − all sporting additions to the 2028 Games − will be in Los Angeles’ court.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and and LA28 Olympic Games chair Casey Wasserman, who are in Paris as part of a U.S. presidential delegation to the Olympics that was led by First Lady Jill Biden, provided a few details Saturday to reporters about what sports fans − and Angelenos − can expect to see four years from now. — Kim Hjelmgaard

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The U.S. men’s basketball and women’s national soccer teams captivated audiences on Saturday at the  2024 Paris Olympics with gold-medal-worthy performances.

Led by NBA superstar Stephen Curry, the USA played a back-and-forth matchup against host France, pulling away late to win 98-87 and its fifth straight gold medal. According to a press release from NBC, the matchup averaged 19.5 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, based on fast national data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. The game peaked at 22.7 million viewers from 5-5:15 p.m. ET.

Those numbers make it the most-watched gold medal game since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Led by NBA stars such as Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O’Neal, the U.S. defeated FR Yugoslavia 95-69 that year, with an average of 25.8 million fans.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. women’s soccer team defeated Germany in its gold match game, winning its first Olympic gold since 2012. That game averaged approximately 9.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched gold medal soccer game since the 2004 Athens Games.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

Mallory Swanson connected on a goal in the 57th minute off a well-placed ball from Korbin Albert, while goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made a great save on a tremendous one-on-one opportunity for Brazil in extra time.

Austin Dillon turned Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in a chaotic short-track overtime Sunday night, claiming the Cook Out 400 in the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to action in Richmond, Virginia.

After losing the lead to Logano to start the two-lap shootout, Dillon hit Logano in Turn 4 at Richmond Raceway coming to the checkered flag, spinning the No. 22 Ford. As Hamlin appeared poised to then pass Dillon and grab the win, Dillon clipped the rear of Hamlin’s No. 11 and sent the Toyota into the wall.

The Richard Childress Racing driver then used the No. 3 to hold off Tyler Reddick by 0.117 seconds for his first victory since Aug. 28, 2022 – a 68-race winless stretch – and fifth overall of his career.

By becoming the 13th different winner in 2024, Dillon earned a berth in the championship postseason that begins at Atlanta on Sept. 8.

Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Hamlin rounded out the top five in the wild finish.

The 70-lap Stage 1 to open the race was a Joe Gibbs Racing affair right away. Polesitter Hamlin paced the first 46 laps until Christopher Bell motored past him on the frontstretch’s high side. They stayed that way until the greenflag, with Martin Truex Jr. completing the stable’s 1-2-3 finish.

Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell chose to put on the softer option tires, and the decision was beneficial. Suarez’s No. 99 Chevrolet roared to the lead on Lap 93, while McDowell sped from 28th to seventh in a major move.

By the halfway point, Suarez held a lead of over one second over Bell’s No. 20 and managed to maintain it until he won his first stage since 2022 and fourth of his career at Lap 230 over the Toyota driver.

Almost the entire field took the grippier, shorter-life tire, but Truex, who claimed eight stage points in the event, experienced engine failure on his No. 19 Toyota on Lap 250 and soon retired in last.

After leading 115 laps, Bell’s hopes to win were damaged when he was tagged for speeding on pit road with less than 120 circuits remaining. He finished the race in sixth.

Kyle Larson, Carson Hocevar, Chase Elliott and Suarez rounded out the top 10.

PARIS — If the International Olympic Committee wants Jordan Chiles’ Olympic bronze medal back so badly, it can send its president Thomas Bach to get it himself.

In its quest for “fairness,” the IOC announced Sunday morning that not only was it giving Romania’s Ana Barbosu a bronze medal in the floor exercise, but it also was stripping Chiles of hers. Chiles did nothing wrong. She didn’t dope. She didn’t cheat. She didn’t break any laws. She wasn’t even the one who submitted an appeal that we know now was done four seconds too late.

None of that matters. She’s losing her bronze medal because of a procedural error. The supposed adults in charge screwed up, but it’s Chiles who is paying the price.

What’s worse, these folks who should be held responsible have spent the last six days swanning around while Chiles has been left to twist in the wind. She’s been subjected to the most vile and vicious attacks on social media, much of it racist trash.

Chiles is as much a victim in this wretchedly avoidable scenario as Barbosu. But these “fans” have made it open season on her, and the IOC and International Gymnastics Federation don’t give a damn.

“Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. No athlete should be subject to such treatment,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Gymnastics said in a joint statement Saturday, after a ruling that didn’t just fly in the face of fair play, it spit on it.

“We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them,” the statement continued. “We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her.”

The USOPC said Sunday it will appeal, citing ‘critical errors’ by both the FIG and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

‘Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves,’ the USOPC said.

Good. Somebody needs to have her back because the IOC and FIG won’t.

Let’s unpack exactly what happened. Chiles was the last competitor in the floor exercise final last Monday. When her score of 13.666 flashed, it put her in fifth place, behind Barbosu and her teammate, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. (The Romanians had both scored 13.7, but Barbosu won the tiebreak because of a higher execution score.)

And this is where things went wrong. Because Chiles was the final competitor in the event, coach Cecile Landi had one minute to lodge an appeal. That’s 60 seconds, and not one more. If Landi didn’t submit it in time, it should have been rejected out of hand.

It wasn’t.

Instead, Chiles’ score was reviewed and it was agreed she’d been underscored. Her score was changed to 13.766, which put her ahead of both Romanians and gave her the bronze medal. Barbosu, who’d begun celebrating before the results were official, dropped the Romanian flag she’d been waving and began sobbing.

The Romanians were incensed — not so incensed to immediately go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, mind you. In a matter in which four seconds were in question, they waited a full day before filing a complaint, which was then amended Thursday.

Yes, rules are rules, and if you give one person four seconds, another person will want 14 and on it goes. But therein lies the problem. It is FIG officials who were in the wrong, not Chiles and not even Landi. It was incumbent upon them to determine whether the appeal was filed in time and, since it wasn’t, to reject it in the moment.

You want to punish someone? Punish them. You want to make an example of someone? Make an example of them. You want to send a message that rules must be followed? Hold the people who didn’t accountable.

But they’re getting off scot-free while Chiles’ entire Olympic experience, what should be the proudest moment of her life, is forever tainted.

That part is also the IOC’s fault.

Olympic medals are reallocated on a regular basis. There was a ceremony Friday to do just that, in fact. But it’s almost always the result of doping. Of an athlete trying to game the system and getting caught. That wasn’t what happened here. The athlete didn’t do anything wrong. The people running the system did.

There was an easy fix to this debacle that would have been acceptable to everyone: Give Barbosu a bronze medal and let Chiles keep hers. It would have been a gesture of magnitude and Olympic spirit — not unlike the one Chiles initiated during the medals ceremony, when she and Simone Biles bowed to Rebeca Andrade as the Brazilian stepped onto the podium to receive her gold medal.

“Why don’t we just give her her flowers? Not only has she given Simone her flowers, but a lot of us in the United States, our flowers as well,” Chiles said at the time. “So giving it back is what makes it so beautiful. So I felt like it was needed.’

The IOC was only too happy to celebrate Chiles then, posting a photo of the moment with the caption, ‘This is everything.’

Now it has stabbed her in the back. With help from the FIG.

The FIG, perhaps trying to deflect from its stunning incompetence, decreed that the floor results would be “modified” following the CAS decision. The high and mighty IOC then said Chiles had to give back her medal. It didn’t explain its thinking, apologize to Chiles for the emotional trauma all this has caused or take Romanian fans to task for their abuse.

The IOC had the chance to do the right thing. To, for once, be on the side of athletes. But the IOC and all its Olympic movement minions never miss an opportunity to give those athletes the middle finger.

The wrongs done in this case are infuriating. Taking Chiles’ medal away does nothing to make them right.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.