As students arrive to class, ask them to tell you about the movies they’ve seen most recently.
This summer, the summer Olympic Games happened in Paris.
- Did any of you watch the Olympics this year? What were some of the most interesting events you watched? (Accept all reasonable responses.)
Some of you may have also heard about the dispute between the gymnast Jordan Chiles and the Olympic judges.
- Have any of you heard about this dispute? If so, share about what you know. (Accept all reasonable responses.)
Jordan Chiles was awarded a bronze medal for gymnastics. After a few days, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reviewed the footage again and determined that they had miscalculated the score and timing due to an administrative error. They then stripped Chiles of her medal and gave it to another gymnast. Let’s take a look.
Play the following video for your students [5:52; stop at 1:37]: Jordan Chiles addresses ‘unjust’ decision to take back her medal
Imagine winning an Olympic medal—only to have it later taken away due to an administrative error! Understandably, Jordan Chiles, her team, and USA gymnastics are disappointed. Jordan publicly stated that, “This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
- Jordan Chiles blames the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for this misjudgment in who won. The CAS blames the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for the error. What has been your experience with the blame game, either as the one who was blamed or the one who blamed someone else? (Answers will vary.)
- Why do you think we are so quick to blame others? (Answers will vary but might include: We do not like to be corrected. We may not feel we should take responsibility. We are afraid of correction.)
Giving in to temptation or making big mistakes is common for us humans. Wanting to find somewhere to cast the blame for our problems is just as common. Let’s find out what got us in this mess and what can be done about it.