Paris Olympics: Upgraded Gymnast Ana Barbosu Receives Bronze Medal In Bucharest
By
OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
Romanian Artistic Gymnastics gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu has received her bronze medal from the women’s artistic gymnastics floor final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, in a ceremony Friday, August 16 in Bucharest.
Barbosu’s bronze marks the first individual medal for a Romanian gymnast at an Olympic Games since London 2012, when Cătălina Ponor won silver on floor and Sandra Izbașa claimed gold on vault.
Jordan Chiles of the USA had originally been presented with the bronze medal immediately following the competition at Paris 2024 last week, after her score for the routine was upgraded few moments after she left the floor, elevating her from fifth to third position, above Barbosu and her Romanian teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Saturday that the inquiry that raised the U.S. gymnast’s score was invalid, due to the American team lodging its appeal after the allowed time window. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) then modified the final floor exercise results to rank Barbosu third, re-allocating the bronze medal to the Romanian.
USA Gymnastics announced on Sunday that they had submitted new evidence to CAS which they believe showed the original inquiry had been submitted within the allotted timeframe, but later released a statement saying that the CAS “rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented.”
The high-profile decision prompted this response from Chiles on her social media on Thursday (15 August): “I have no words,” she wrote. “This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.
“I had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG [USA Gymnastics], who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules,” she added. “This appeal was unsuccessful.”
Barbosu, speaking at the Romanian ceremony in Bucharest, had this to add: “Right now I can’t help but think about Sabrina (Maneca-Voinea) and Jordan as well. It’s a tough situation for us with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I want to believe that the day will come when all three of us will receive a bronze medal.”
Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won the gold medal while USA’s Simone Biles took silver.
