Romania’s Ana Barbosu Replaces America’s Jordan Chiles as Olympic Bronze Medalist in Floor Exercise After CAS Ruling

Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu might soon be recognized as the Olympic bronze medalist in the floor exercise after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) nullified an appeal that had initially elevated American Jordan Chiles onto the podium. The CAS decision voided the appeal made by Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, which had boosted Chiles from fifth to third place.

The CAS ruling, announced on Saturday, determined that Landi’s appeal to add 0.1 to Chiles’ score was filed beyond the one-minute window permitted by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). As a result, CAS decided that the original results should be reinstated, placing Barbosu in third, her Romanian teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea in fourth, and Chiles in fifth. However, the CAS left it to the FIG to finalize the rankings according to its decision.

Meike Behrensen, a spokesperson for FIG, confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that a statement would be forthcoming, though no specific timeline was provided. The Romanian Olympic Committee had previously requested that three bronze medals be awarded to avoid controversy.

Chiles hinted at the impending decision on her Instagram story, expressing heartbreak and announcing a temporary break from social media for her mental health. Her teammate, Suni Lee, also voiced her support on Instagram, criticizing the judges and expressing her disappointment for Chiles. “You have all my flowers and you will ALWAYS be an Olympic champion,” Lee wrote.

The controversy began during the floor exercise final on Monday, where Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea both scored 13.700. Barbosu believed she had secured the bronze due to a higher execution score and celebrated with a Romanian flag. Chiles, competing last, was initially awarded a score of 13.666, placing her fifth. However, after the awards ceremony, Landi inquired about Chiles’ score, and judges ultimately revised it, moving her past the Romanian gymnasts and onto the podium.

Romania filed its own appeal to CAS, arguing that 0.1 should be added to Maneca-Voinea’s score, claiming she was wrongly penalized for stepping out of bounds. This appeal was denied by CAS on Saturday.

USA Gymnastics expressed its disappointment with the CAS ruling in a statement, emphasizing that the inquiry into Chiles’ difficulty score was made in good faith and according to FIG rules. The organization added that it aimed to ensure accurate scoring.

Chiles, 23, faced significant backlash on social media following the late decision, with some critics calling on her to return the medal or even resorting to racist remarks. Chiles responded on X (formerly Twitter), noting the irony of how “people can still never be happy for someone.”

Despite the controversy, Barbosu maintained that her issue was not with Chiles but with the judging process. “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.”

Gina Chiles, Jordan’s mother, also took to social media to defend her daughter, expressing frustration over the derogatory comments. “My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” she posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”

The controversy has cast a shadow over what had initially been a celebratory moment on the medal podium. Chiles and her teammate Simone Biles had knelt in tribute to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade after she won her fourth medal in Paris—a moment that quickly went viral and was even suggested by the Louvre as worthy of a place beside the Mona Lisa. Now, that memory carries a complex and emotional undertone as the gymnastics world awaits the final outcome of this contentious situation.