CAS Upholds Decision On Olympic Gymnastics Dispute

Ana Barbosu, of Romania, competes during the women's artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld its decision regarding the floor exercise event at the Paris Olympics, confirming Romania’s Ana Barbosu as the rightful third-place finisher. This ruling has prompted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to request that American gymnast Jordan Chiles return the bronze medal she was initially awarded.

In a recent media release, CAS stated that there was no dispute during the hearing between Romanian and US officials regarding USA Gymnastics (USAG) missing the one-minute deadline to challenge Chiles’ floor exercise score. Initially, Olympic judges had revised Chiles’ score, placing her in the bronze medal position and displacing Barbosu from the podium.

CAS emphasized that all parties involved accepted the report from Omega, the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, which indicated that Chiles’ inquiry was submitted 1 minute and 4 seconds after her score was officially displayed. USAG claimed that it only obtained video evidence supporting its case after CAS had already made its ruling, thus not having the opportunity to present it earlier.

IOC requests Jordan Chiles to return bronze medal following CAS ruling.

CAS confirms Ana Barbosu as rightful third-place finisher in floor exercise event.

No dispute between Romanian and US officials regarding missed challenge deadline.

Furthermore, the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and USAG alleged that CAS had initially sent crucial communications to incorrect email addresses, hindering their ability to adequately prepare for the hearing. USOPC expressed strong opposition to the CAS decision, citing significant procedural errors that impacted their ability to respond effectively.

Both USOPC and USAG have stated their intent to continue appealing the decision, emphasizing their commitment to seeking the truth in this matter. USA Gymnastics announced its determination to explore all available avenues and appeal processes, including potentially involving the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure fair scoring, placement, and medal allocation for Jordan Chiles.

In response to the ongoing developments, Chiles shared on her Instagram story that she would be taking a break from social media for her mental well-being, expressing her emotions through four breaking hearts emojis.