In a dramatic turn of events at the Paris Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) has awarded Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu the bronze medal in the floor exercise competition.
Admittet after Deadline
This decision comes after a controversial series of protests and adjustments following the August 5th final, which saw shifts in standings and medal positions.
Initially, Bărbosu was briefly awarded the bronze medal during the final. However, the American gymnast Jordan Chiles challenged the scoring, which resulted in an increased score for her, moving her from fourth to third place.
Chiles’ protest was submitted just seconds after the deadline, leading to a recalibration of scores and a reshuffling of the final standings. As a result, Chiles’ score was adjusted from 13.666 to 13.766, positioning her in third place, while Bărbosu was pushed to fourth.
Biles Offers Support
Romanian gymnast Sabrina Maneca Voinea also filed a protest regarding her score, which was 13.700, but this challenge was rejected.
With the TAS ruling, Bărbosu’s final score of 13.700 secured her the bronze, and Voinea maintained her fourth-place position with the same score. Chiles was demoted to fifth place with her adjusted score of 13.666.
The gold medal was claimed by Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade with a score of 14.166, while the silver went to American Simone Biles, who scored 14.133.
The ruling has stirred reactions from fellow athletes. Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee, Chiles’ teammates, expressed their support and discontent via social media.
Biles offered words of encouragement to Chiles, stating, "Sending you so much love, Jordan. Olympic champion, keep your head up! We love you." Lee criticized the judging process, highlighting the perceived unfairness and expressing her regret over the situation.
