The bronze medal saga of Jordan Chiles and Ana Barbosu has taken yet another twist with the American reportedly reaching the Swiss Supreme Court.
Romanian Ana Barbosu had initially won the bronze medal in floor exercise at the Paris Olympics but Chiles appealed about the incorrect scoring. After the review, her score was upgraded to 13.766 points which led her to finish in third place pushing Barbosu down to fourth. The American also participated in the medal ceremony which was held after the competition.
It was a heartbreaking moment for Barbosu, who believed she had secured bronze with a score of 13.700 and had already begun celebrating with the Romanian flag. The decision sparked outrage in Romania, a country with a rich gymnastics legacy, prompting its gymnastics federation to request a review of the U.S. team’s appeal process.
After a review by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it came to light that Team USA had made the appeal four seconds beyond the one-minute deadline.
“I am very happy to have this medal and hope to represent Romania at the highest level and bring home more medals,” Barbosu said after her bronze medal was confirmed. The Romanian also sent ‘good thoughts’ to Team USA, “I am thinking of them even if today I got the medal,” she added.
Barbosu further described the medal controversy as “disheartening” and expressed disappointment, stating, “We expected the referees and officials at the Olympics to perform their duties correctly.”
Jordan Chiles’ Bronze Medal Controversy Heads to Swiss Supreme Court
Jordan Chiles has now turned to the Swiss Supreme Court in the hope of overturning CAS’s decision to strip her of the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. The American, backed by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Gymnastics, filed an appeal on Monday, a little over one month after CAS’s decision.
Chiles’ appeal asserts that the CAS hearing infringed on her “right to be heard” by rejecting video evidence that she and USA Gymnastics claim would prove’ coach Chiles Landi’s appeal was made within the 1-minute time limit. The appeal marks the next phase in what could become a lengthy legal battle, potentially lasting months or even years, over the gymnastics scores.
In the event, Rebeca Andrade clinched the gold medal with a score of 14.166. America’s Simone Biles won silver with a score of 14.133 with Ana Maria Bărbosu taking home bronze with a score of 13.700.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
