Romanian Ana Maria Barbosu receives Olympic bronze in floor swimming
After the scoring controversy with American Jordan Chiles, Romanian gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu has now received her Olympic bronze medal after finishing third in the individual floor exercise in Paris. The Romanian Olympic Committee awarded Barbosu her medal on Friday.
Her teammate Sabrina Voinea was also present at the event in Barbosu’s hometown of Foscani. During her appearance with the media, the Romanian bronze medalist said that she hoped that both Sabrina and Jordan Chiles could win medals. All three gymnasts had problems with the judges’ scores.
“I’m constantly thinking about Sabrina and Jordan right now,” Barbosu said, via NBCSports. “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 will receive a bronze medal each.”
As expected, Barbosu received criticism on the Internet through no fault of her own for accepting a medal that some people believed should have gone to the American.
Jordan Chiles breaks his silence on the bronze medal controversy
Chiles also had to endure hate on the internet, which is why the Olympic gymnast avoided social media after the events in Paris. It was not until Thursday that she finally commented on the CAS decision.
“This decision feels unfair and is a huge blow, not only to me but to everyone who has supported my journey,” Chiles wrote. “To add to the heartbreak, the unsolicited racially motivated attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I have put my heart and soul into this sport and am so proud to represent my culture and my country.”
Last week, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Chiles’ coach was four seconds late in requesting an investigation to review her score in the floor exercise final. However, the investigation was initially accepted in time and concluded that Chiles should have received a higher score. This resulted in her finishing third in the event instead of fifth and receiving a bronze medal, making her one of the first Olympic athletes to have her medal stripped for a reason other than cheating or doping.
USA Gymnastics is appealing the ruling because it has video evidence showing that Chiles’ coach made the request in a timely manner.
