Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Iris Goldsztajn

Romanian Gymnast Ana Barbosu Officially Receives Bronze Medal Originally Awarded to Jordan Chiles

Ana Barbosu receives her bronze medal.

The Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu has officially received the bronze medal that was originally awarded to Jordan Chiles, after a weeks-long saga.

On Aug. 16, Barbosu received the medal and posed for photos in a ceremony in Bucharest, Romania, but she acknowledged that the moment wasn't all positive.

"I can’t help but think about Sabrina [Maneca-Voinea] and Jordan right now," the 18-year-old athlete said (via E! News). "It’s a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have not done anything wrong at the Olympics."

Ana Barbosu of Romania receives the bronze medal originally awarded to Jordan Chiles. (Image credit: Getty Images)

It's been a long journey of heartbreak for the American gymnast Chiles, who received the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics floor final at the Paris Olympics.

Though Chiles' score of 13.666 originally placed her fifth in the event, behind Barbosu in third and her fellow Romanian gymnast Maneca-Voinea in fourth, the Team USA coach Cecile Landi filed an inquiry related to Chiles' difficulty score. Landi felt that the gymnast had not deserved a particular point deduction, with the judges ultimately agreeing and bringing her final score up to 13.766. She then received the bronze medal for that event and participated in the medal ceremony with her teammate Simone Biles and the Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade.

Simone Biles, Rebeca Andrade and Jordan Chiles celebrate on the podium after receiving their medals for the women's gymnastics floor final. (Image credit: Elsa/Getty Images)

However, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation subsequently filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) claiming that Coach Landi's inquiry had not been filed within the requisite one-minute time frame. CAS ended up ruling in favor of Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea, which brought Chiles back down to fifth place. On Aug. 10, it was officially revealed that the American would lose her medal.

USA Gymnastics later submitted "video evidence" to CAS which they said proved Landi had in fact filed her inquiry within the one-minute window, but the organization did not consider the appeal.

Many USA Gym fans felt the decision was unfair to Chiles, and even Flavor Flav got involved—commissioning a bronze clock necklace for the athlete to show his support.

Last week, Chiles spoke out about losing the medal, telling her Instagram followers, "This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey."

She added, "I am now confronted with one of the most challenging moments of my career," but also expressed her gratitude to her collaborators and supporters.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.