Romanian Gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu to Receive Reallocated Olympic Bronze Amid Scoring Controversy
Amidst a controversial scoring dispute that may cost U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles her bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced that gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu will be awarded the bronze medal in a ceremony this Friday in Bucharest.
The announcement was made in a press release on Tuesday, stating that Octavian Morariu, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Romania, and Mihai Covaliu, president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, will present Barbosu with the medal.
Details surrounding the medal’s reallocation remain unclear, including whether Chiles has already returned her bronze medal or if Barbosu will receive a new one. Requests for clarification from the International Olympic Committee were not immediately answered.
The controversy stems from the women’s floor exercise final on August 5, where Chiles initially placed fourth. However, her score was later increased to 13.766 from 13.666 after U.S. coach Cecile Landi successfully appealed a deduction related to a difficult element called a “tour jete full.” This appeal, known as an “inquiry” in gymnastics, removed the deduction, moving Chiles into third place and pushing Barbosu off the podium.
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation subsequently challenged the validity of the inquiry by filing a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking to revert Chiles’ score back to 13.666. When CAS sided with the Romanian appeal, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was forced to re-adjust the event’s final rankings. Consequently, the International Olympic Committee announced its intention to request Chiles return her bronze medal so it could be awarded to Barbosu.
Further complicating the situation, it was revealed that the CAS had not reached out to the correct U.S. officials during its deliberations on the Romanian appeal. This oversight led to the U.S. Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s decision to challenge the CAS ruling by filing an appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court. Despite new evidence brought forward by USA Gymnastics, CAS indicated it could not reconsider its ruling.
As Barbosu prepares to receive her bronze medal in Bucharest, the saga continues, with the U.S. Gymnastics and Olympic authorities seeking further legal avenues to reverse the controversial decision
