Romanian gymnast could replace Jordan Chiles as bronze medalist in floor exercise after court ruling
Bronze medalist Jordan Chiles of the United States poses for photos during the victory ceremony of womens floor exercise of artistic gymnastics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 5, 2024. (Photo by Cao Can/Xinhua via Getty Images)
PARIS - Romania’s Ana Barbosu could replace American Jordan Chiles as the Olympic bronze medalist in gymnastics floor exercise after the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided an appeal from Chiles’ coach that vaulted her onto the podium.
CAS ruled Saturday that the on-floor appeal by U.S. coach Cecile Landi to have .1 added to Chiles’ score that boosted Chiles from fifth to third came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
CAS wrote that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth.
The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking "in accordance with the above decision," but left it to FIG to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.
FIG spokesperson Meike Behrensen said in an email to The Associated Press that a statement from the organization would be made "in due course" but did not offer a timeline.
The Romanian Olympic Committee had asked for three bronze medals to be awarded. Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu reacted to the ruling by saying "justice has been served" and that "in the end, the truth prevailed."
The ruling adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes. Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.
"I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them," Comaneci posted on X earlier in the week.
Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine — the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.
Chiles hinted at the decision in an Instagram story on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is "taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you."
Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in Monday’s floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.
Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score.
"At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,’" Landi said after the awards ceremony. "I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’"
Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea for the last spot on the podium.
USA Gymnastics said in a statement it is "devastated" by the ruling.
"The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring," the organization wrote.
The 23-year-old Chiles became a target on social media in the aftermath of the late switch, with critics asking her to give back the medal or offering racist remarks. Chiles posted on X earlier this week that "it’s funny how people can still never be happy for someone."
Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.
"I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality," Barbosu told reporters. "We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions."
Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was "tired" of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.
"My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched," Gina Chiles posted. "And she’s being called disgusting things."
The uncertainty also tinges what had been a beautiful moment on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.
"It was just the right thing to do," Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the Louvre itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.
That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.
Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath contributed to this report.