Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu received her bronze medal Friday. She is now officially the newly-crowned third-place finisher in the Paris Olympics women’s floor exercise final after a lot of deliberation.
She received the medal nearly two weeks after being reduced to tears when it was stripped from her on the competition floor.
When the Paris Olympics gymnastics competition ended 11 days ago, Jordan Chiles held the medal. She and her teammates returned home thinking she had just won the bronze, her first Olympic medal in an individual event.
However, she had the medal in part because of a successful appeal by U.S. coaches after her final score in the floor final.
Bărbosu believed she had won the medal after Chiles’ initial score was announced. She was holding a Romanian flag when she looked up and saw the scoring change on the board. Just then, she dropped the flag, covered her face with her hands and walked away in tears.
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Bărbosu is now sympathizing with Chiles and Romanian teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who was bumped to fourth place from fifth place after the scoring change was reversed.
“I can’t help but think about 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 not done anything wrong at the Olympics. And that the Olympic spirit is more important than any misunderstanding between the authorities.
“I want to believe that the day will come when all three of us will receive a bronze medal.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the judging panel at the event had improperly granted an inquiry that increased Chiles’ score Aug. 10. It ruled that the appeal had been submitted past the one-minute deadline for inquiries and should not have been granted.
The next day, the International Olympic Committee determined Chiles had to return the bronze medal she won in the Paris Olympics floor exercise after her score was improperly judged.
Chiles posted a lengthy statement on social media Thursday, confirming the medal had been returned and her appeal of the reversal had been unsuccessful.
“I have no words,” Chiles said. “This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey. To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
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