One month after Jordan Chiles’s iconic moment on the podium at the 2024 Paris Games, the American gymnast found herself on stage yet again, this time creating a lasting memory that won’t be tainted by Olympic controversy.
Chiles was presenting the award for Best Collaboration at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday night when she received a sweet, unexpected surprise from rap icon Flavor Flav.
“I just want to turn this into a little Olympic moment for a second if y'all don’t mind,” Flavor Flav said. “Jordan, I know they tried to take your medal away from you, you know what I’m saying. But you know what? I got you something that they can’t take away from you.”
The rapper then revealed the custom bronze clock necklace he promised he’d make for her this past summer. Flavor Flav put the necklace around Chiles’s neck as Chiles shook her head in disbelief.
“Wow, I don’t even know what to say here,” Chiles said. “Thank you so much.”
Flavor Flav gives Jordan Chiles a bronze clock medal while presenting at the #VMAs pic.twitter.com/hG6edc3XxX
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 12, 2024
Chiles was stripped of her lone individual bronze medal at the Paris Games following a widely controversial appeal dispute in August. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the appeal to increase Chiles’s score in her Olympic floor routine was submitted too late, thus reversing her score and awarding the bronze medal to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu instead.
Chiles called the decision was “devastating” and “unjust” in a statement posted to her social media.
The 23-year-old gymnast will still take home one gold medal from Team USA's team finals win in Paris—as well as one very special bronze clock necklace.
More of the Latest Sports News
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Flavor Flav Giving Jordan Chiles a Bronze Clock Medal Was Such a Special Moment.
