Flavor Flav offers bronze clock to Olympian stripped of medal
Flavor Flav knows what time it is, as usual The Olympic-caliber rap icon says,“I know that a clock would never, ever be able to replace a bronze medal. But this is where my heart is.”
Flav has awarded his own bedazzled bronze timepiece to U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles, who has been stripped of a bronze medal from the Paris Olympics.
The 23-year-old gymnast from Team USA was initially awarded the bronze in floor exercise in the Paris Olympics, only to have it taken away after ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“It was a very devastating feeling to her, and also a very disappointing feeling to me, just seeing that happen,” Flav said in a phone chat Tuesday. “I just thought, that girl did a very fantastic job and deserved the medal. I want her to somehow be recognized.”
In a complex series of events at the Aug. 5 event, Chiles’ original score was not high enough earn a spot on the medal podium. But judges adjusted her score after an appeal from her coach, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, after determining that Chiles’s difficulty score had not been accurately entered.
But later the CAS ruled Landi made the appeal just four seconds after the allotted time of 1 minute to review an athlete’s score (Team USA later produced video claiming Landi spoke up just 13 seconds after Chiles’ routine). Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu, whose country’s Olympic committee appealed the decision to award Chiles, moved into to third place and claimed the bronze.
USA Gymnastics officials say an arbitration panel has declined to reconsider the decision directing Chiles to return the medal.
Flav, of course internationally famous for wearing clocks as necklaces, assigned the company who makes his timepieces, Rock ‘N Stone, to make the bronze piece for Chiles. “They did a fantastic job,” he said.
Flav shared the video of the item Monday on social media. The bronze hands are set at midnight (or, noon, if you like) with several rhinestones covering the clock’s face circular case. The Public Enemy song “He Got Game” plays in the clip, the lyric’s adjusted to “She Got Game.”
Chiles has been off social media since the controversy unfolded. But her mother, Gina Chiles posted a message to X on Monday, “Thank you. Means the world,” and shared Flav’s video of the clock. “She’s not on socials right now, as you can imagine,” Gina said in her response Flav’s post. “I’ll share it with her,” she added along with a hand-heart emoji.
Flav said he’s optimistic he’ll present Chiles with the clock.
“I feel like she’s gonna accept it, being that I just got it made and it’s a brand-new piece right now,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said. “I’m gonna try to get it to her in some kind of way. I would really want her to get it straight from me, but even if I can’t give it straight to her, I will just send it to her. I’m going to make sure that she gets it, no matter what.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
