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Custom-made Olympic watch for Jordan and Chile “a gift of love”

tabnews August 17, 2024
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Some heroines wear capes. Others wear unique watch chains and use their superpowers to celebrate outstanding achievements in women's sports.

When Flavor Flav, a prominent advocate for athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics, heard that gymnast Jordan of Chile had been stripped of her bronze medal, the Public Enemy rap icon immediately wanted to show his support.

“One of the best feelings an athlete can have is when they win or when they've won something. You get me,” Flavor Flav, 65, told USA TODAY on Wednesday. “I'm pretty sure for Jordan Chiles and any other athlete that's ever gone through that, that feeling can be devastating.”

All eyes were on Chiles when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that judges had wrongly authorized an investigation that boosted her score and put her in third place ahead of Romania's Ana Barbosu, USA TODAY's Tom Schad reported. The CAS decision sparked huge disappointment among fans like Flav, who were thrilled with Chiles' performances.

Flav quickly worked with his watchmaker Kellz to create a bespoke, bronze-encrusted version of his signature accessory. The intention, he explained, was not to replace the medal, but rather a gesture to show that she is highly valued for her talent.

“The bronze watch I made for Jordan Chiles is a gift of love. It's a gift of appreciation. It's a gift of 'We know who you are, we appreciate who you are,'” Flav said. “The girl went out there and worked her butt off for that medal. She deserved to win the medal.”

Controversy over Jordan Chile’s medal: The Paris gymnastics scoring saga and the fate of Jordan Chiles' bronze medal: What we know

Hype-Man for women's sports

Flavor Flav, real name William Jonathan Drayton Jr., has consistently supported women during his Olympic era. In addition to showing love for Chiles, he and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian paid Team USA discus thrower Veronica Fraley's rent. The rapper also shared several online fundraisers from other Olympians asking for donations to give them the opportunity to pursue their goals and dreams without financial hardship.

This is especially true of his financial support for the U.S. women's polo team. Although the team finished fourth at the Olympics, Flav credits captain Maggie Steffens and goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson for making it that far, and he will continue to support them even after his five-year sponsorship deal with the men's and women's national teams.

“Even though these people aren't in the water, I want water polo to be noticed and talked about. It's a very difficult sport,” Flav said. “Water polo isn't a big sport like basketball, baseball, rugby or soccer, so I wanted to use my voice to bring more attention to the sport.”

Dressed in red, white and blue, Flav's charisma was clearly evident as he cheered her on in the stands alongside other supporters like Guy Fieri and First Lady Jill Biden.

“When I was at those Games, you had to hear my voice, man, loud like crazy,” Flav said. “I was there to be more than just the hype, because those girls won gold medals three years in a row, back to back. That's not an easy feat. You know what I mean, so I was still trying to push them to that fourth gold medal.”

Footage from Public Enemy's performances in the 1980s and '90s shows Flav, one of hip-hop's most famous hypemen, and his band members dominating the stage, with the crowd cheering as the rappers spouted their lyrics.

Years later, this fan feeling came over him when he watched the brilliant performances of the athletes in the Parisian sports arenas.

“It was my first ever performance at the Olympics and I was so excited to be there. I know a lot of my fans feel the same way when they come to my shows and I perform,” Flav said.

Flav hopes that his move will inspire other celebrities to get involved in the Olympics: “I think my voice has opened the hearts of many celebrities and inspired them to do what I do, which is sponsor an Olympic team,” he said.

Flavor Flav, women’s water polo: Gold medalist Ashleigh Johnson and Flavor Flav want to bring water polo to a new audience

The trip to Paris was “personal” for Flav

Despite online speculation, Flav said he funded his trip to Paris, which he described as “amazing,” “exciting” and “personal,” out of his own pocket.

“I always wanted to experience what it was like to be at the Olympics because I had only ever seen the Olympics on TV,” he explained. “For the first time in my life I was able to go there, see everything and be there in real time.”

He is looking forward to what the women's water polo team will face when the 2028 Olympic Games are held in Los Angeles.

“I feel good about them because I know they're going to come back and give it their all. These girls don't actually lose games. They don't. These girls are tough, man. These girls rock. These girls win.”

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].

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