The Team USA gymnast had ranked fifth on the scoreboard after her routine, the last of the competition, received a 13.666.
However, after submitting a score inquiry, her result was increased to 13.766, boosting her into third place behind teammate Simone Biles, who took silver, and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who won. Romania’s Ana Bărbosu had been the presumed bronze medalist before the development.
The eleventh-hour twist resulted in a positively iconic reaction from Chiles, who screamed and leapt into coach Cecile Landi’s arms. She started running away, apparently to do a victory lap, but then changed her mind and squatted down on the ground to cry. She was swiftly picked up by her coach as Biles ran over to embrace her, and the three jumped up and down.
In the stands, teammates Suni Lee and Jade Carey could be seen watching with mouths agape.
Chiles later revealed she wasn’t even aware that her coaches had submitted the inquiry. One of the skills in her routine was not originally credited by the judges, but she was given full credit after a review, according to NBC News.
It was Chiles’ first individual medal. She won gold with the team last week and silver in the team event at the Tokyo Olympics.
