Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu received her bronze medal on Friday. She is now officially the third finalist in the women's floor exercise at the Paris Olympics after much debate.
She received the medal almost two weeks after crying when it was taken away from her on the competition floor.
When the Paris Olympics gymnastics competition ended 11 days ago, Jordan Chiles held a medal in her hands. She and her teammates returned home thinking she had just won bronze, her first Olympic medal in an individual event.
However, she won the medal in part thanks to a successful appeal by the American coaches after her final score in the floor final.
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Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu receives an Olympic bronze medal from Mihai Covaliu, president of the Romanian Olympic Committee, on August 16, 2024, in Bucharest, Romania. (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP)
Barbosu believed she had won the medal after Chile's initial score was announced. She was holding a Romanian flag when she looked up and saw the score change on the board. Just then, she dropped the flag, covered her face with her hands and walked away crying.
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Barbosu now sympathises with Chiles and her Romanian teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who moved from fifth to fourth after the score change was reversed.
“I can't help but think of Sabrina and Jordan right now,” Bărbosu said in a statement. “It's a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have done nothing wrong at the Olympic Games and that the Olympic spirit is more important than any misunderstandings between the authorities.”
“I want to believe that the day will come when all three of us will receive a bronze medal.”
Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu poses with the Olympic bronze medal she received on August 16, 2024 in Bucharest, Romania. (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP)
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the event's judging panel had improperly granted an investigation that Chiles' score increased August 10. Decided that the appeal had been submitted after the one-minute deadline for consultations and should not have been granted.
The next day, the International Olympic Committee ruled that Chiles must return the bronze medal he won in the Paris Olympics floor exercise after her score was judged incorrectly.
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Chiles posted a lengthy statement on social media on Thursday, confirming that the medal had been returned and that his appeal of the revocation had been unsuccessful.
“I am speechless,” Chiles said. “I find this decision unfair and a huge blow, not only to me, but to all those who have supported my journey. To make matters worse, the spontaneous racial attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and I am very proud to represent my culture and my country.”
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