Jordan Chiles was stripped of her 2024 Olympic bronze medal at the Paris games this summer.
In this case, believe the hype.
Rapper Flavor Flav and US Olympian Jordan Chiles had a sweet moment together at the 2024 VMAs in New York on Wednesday.
The duo opened the MTV Video Music Awards as the show’s first presenters of the evening. While on stage, Flav took a moment to acknowledge the stripping of Chiles’ 2024 Olympic bronze medal.
The “Can’t Truss It” artist, 65, surprised the gymnast, 23, with a bronze clock necklace to replace it.
“I know they’re trying to take your medal away from you but you know what — I got you something that they can’t take away from you,” Flav, who sponsored the US Women’s water polo team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, said before handing her the rose gold bling.
“That’s why I wanted to turn this into an Olympic moment, Jordan,” he continued. “And guess what else, too? I got your prize money, too. I got that for you. I just wanted to surprise you with that.” (All Olympic athletes take home a monetary prize.)
Flav added, “Jordan, you did your thing. Congratulations. You deserve everything.”
“Wow, I don’t know what to say,” Chiles responded. “Thank you so much.”
Flav’s sweet gesture comes as the Olympian continues to fight for her bronze medal. Last month, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced that they would appeal the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that resulted in her being stripped of her bronze medal in the floor exercise.
At the Games, CAS retroactively knocked Chiles from third in the event down to fifth, saying that the inquiry that improved her score by one-tenth of a point came four seconds after the time limit to make such inquiries.
