Romania’s Ana Barbosu receives bronze medal despite Olympic controversy
Romanian Ana Barbosu received her bronze medal at the Paris Olympics on Friday, the latest chapter in a controversy that has also engulfed American gymnast Jordan Chiles.
Due to a judges’ scoring error, the medal from the floor exercise final earlier this month was hotly contested, but USA Gymnastics believes Chiles is entitled to it.
“Thank you to everyone who gave this medal a little bit of bronze. Right now I also have to think of Sabrina and Jordan,” Barbosu said at Friday’s ceremony, according to an Instagram post from the Romanian Gymnastics Federation available via Google Translate.
“It’s 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 get a bronze medal.”
Barbosu was initially considered the bronze medalist in this event, but after an appeal by the US team, Chiles was awarded a higher score.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) then announced that Team USA had not lodged an appeal within the one-minute time limit, despite USA Gymnastics’ insistence that it do so.
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation had proposed that Barbosu and Chiles should share the medal, along with a third competitor, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, another Romanian whose score was disputed.
According to a report by Christine Brennan of USA Today, Chiles plans to keep her medal, as she addressed the ordeal in a lengthy social media message on Thursday.