BUCHAREST, Romania—Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu was awarded her Olympic bronze medal in a ceremony in Bucharest on Friday, putting an end to the controversy surrounding the initial awarding of the medal to U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles, which was later revoked.
Barbosu expressed her surprise at the weight of the medal, stating that she would wear it day and night if necessary to keep it. She received the medal after a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned an appeal by Team USA coach Cecile Landi during the floor exercise final in Paris on Aug. 5, which had pushed Barbosu from third to fourth place.
Chiles had initially been awarded the bronze medal following the appeal and participated in the medal ceremony after the competition. However, this decision sparked outrage in Romania, a historic gymnastics powerhouse, leading the Romanian gymnastics federation to request a review of the U.S. team’s appeal process. The CAS ruled in favor of Barbosu, citing that the U.S. team had exceeded the one-minute deadline for their appeal.
Barbosu, speaking to reporters after receiving her medal, credited the federation and their legal team for not giving up on the athletes and fighting for justice. She expressed her happiness at receiving the medal and pledged to represent Romania at the highest level to bring home more medals.
Romania, once a dominant force in gymnastics, has struggled in recent years. Barbosu’s achievement marks Romania’s first women’s Olympic gymnastics medal since the 2012 London Games. USA Gymnastics has stated that they will continue their efforts to allow Chiles to keep her medal.
The controversy at the Paris games highlighted the standard practice of inquiries in gymnastics competitions, where athletes or coaches request judges to review routines for proper scoring. Scores can be adjusted based on these inquiries.
Despite the ordeal, both Chiles and Barbosu have faced online abuse, with Chiles describing the decision to strip her of the bronze as unjust. Barbosu expressed sadness over the medal controversy and emphasized the importance of referees and Olympic staff performing their duties correctly.
However, Barbosu extended her support to the U.S. gymnasts, sending them positive thoughts even as she celebrated her own medal victory.
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