Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu receives Olympic bronze medal
Ana Barbosu was pushed back to fourth place after Jordan Chiles’ score was corrected, but Romania appealed.
Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu gave a speech to Jordan Chiles on Friday as she accepted her Olympic bronze medal for the floor exercise, amid an ongoing scoring dispute that could result in Chiles losing the bronze medal she was originally awarded.
The official medal ceremony in Bucharest, Romania, took place just one day after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the green light to Romanian officials. Bărbosu delivered words of encouragement to Chiles and his Romanian teammate Sabrina Voinea at the event.
“I have to think of Sabrina and Jordan at the moment,” Bărbosu said in Romanian. “It is a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we did nothing wrong at the Olympic Games. 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,” she added.
Bărbosu and Voinea received the same score for their exercises, but Bărbosu won the tiebreaker due to the higher execution score.
Chiles was originally awarded the bronze medal in Paris ahead of the Romanians after her coach, Cecile Landi, launched an investigation that raised her difficulty rating. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned that investigation due to an alleged time violation, which dropped Chiles’ score to fifth place – behind the Romanians. U.S. officials deny the alleged time violation.
Bărbosu received her medal – a different one from the one Chiles reportedly still has – from IOC member Octavian Morariu and Mihai Covaliu, president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was also present.
“I didn’t realize how heavy it was,” Bărbosu told the audience at the ceremony. “I am happy to have this medal and hope to continue representing Romania at the highest level.”
Chiles broke her silence on the controversy on Thursday, releasing a statement on social media saying the decision “feels unfair” and that she had been subjected to “racially motivated attacks” online.
“I will approach this challenge like others – and do everything I can to ensure justice prevails,” Chiles wrote. “I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”
Contributors: Reuters
