The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu will be receiving the bronze medal after it was awarded to Jordan Chiles after her coach’s inquiry of her score. After the CAS denied the USA Gymnastic’s appeal after handing in evidence that their inquiry was given to judges on time despite their previous judgment that it was four seconds over the one-minute allotted time for a score reversal. Chiles was originally awarded a 13.666, landing her fifth place behind two Romanian athletes — Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea — who were tied for third and fourth with 13.700.
After judges accepted Landi’s appeal of Chiles’ score, the American gymnast was awarded a 13.766, which put her in third place and earned her the bronze medal.
“Inquiries are a standard part of gymnastics competitions” and “scores can be adjusted up or down based on an inquiry,” according to the Associated Press.
In a special ceremony Friday (Aug. 16), Barbosu spoke of the controversy between the judgments after the 11-day back and forth between their respective teams.
“I can’t help but think about Sabrina and Jordan right now,” Barbosu said per NBC. “It’s a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have not done anything wrong at the Olympics. And that the Olympic spirit is more important than any misunderstanding between authorities.
“I want to believe that the day will come when all three of us will receive a bronze medal each.”
Jordan Chiles Speaks Out After Bronze Medal Controversy
After days of silence, Chiles spoke up about how she felt about the new ruling, calling the decision “unjust.”
“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days,” the 23-year-old wrote on social media. “I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
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