Cultural changes in women's gymnastics

Take a break from the downfall of democracy and instead get outraged at the deep injustice of a year-long feud over a bronze medal in women’s gymnastics. This story’s got everything: bravery, racism, the best and the worst of sportsmanship, bad blood that’s been brewing since the Cold War, and, somehow, the Swiss Federal Court. Come for the weird gymnastics scoring rules, stay for the legal analysis of international arbitration rules.

• Rory Carroll (August 5, 2024). Gymnastics - Biles bows to Andrade in floor final at Paris games. Reuters.

• International Gymnastics Federation, Code of Points

  • 2022-2024: https://www.gymnastics.sport/publicdir/rules/files/en_2022-2024%20WAG%20COP.pdf

  • 2025-2028: https://www.gymnastics.sport/publicdir/rules/files/en_1.1%20-%20WAG%20COP%202025-2028.pdf

• International Gymnastics Federation, Technical Regulations

  • 2024: https://www.gymnastics.sport/publicdir/rules/files/en_1.1%20-%20Technical%20Regulations%202024.pdf

  • 2025: https://www.gymnastics.sport/publicdir/rules/files/en_1.1%20-%20Technical%20Regulations%202025.pdf

• English press release from Swiss Federal Court.

Further reading:

• Richard McLaren, The CAS Ad Hoc Division at the Athens Olympic Games, 15 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 175 (2004).

• Video of the relevant floor routines, plus a time stamp for when they all attempt the infamous Gogean leap:

  • Rebeca Andrade: 0:55; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXKM8ThtYOE

  • Simone Biles: 0:53; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2m2UL5bljw

  • Jordan Chiles: 1:29; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU0769SvbWE

  • Ana Bărbosu: 1:06; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik01tvmwV9c

  • Sabrina Maneca-Voinea: 1:49; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuF-smKa4Vo

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