The International Olympic Committee and an appeals court have ruled in Romania’s favour, but the battle for Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal is not over yet.
While USA Gymnastics vows to take the fight to Switzerland’s highest court, Romania announced Tuesday that it will go ahead with a medal ceremony for gymnast Ana Bărbosu. This comes after the IOC appears to have rejected a Romanian proposal that all three athletes involved in the dispute receive a bronze medal.
Below you will find the latest news and most important information about the bronze medals in gymnastics.
Romania says it will go ahead with medal ceremony
The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee said the disputed bronze medal awarded to Chiles in Paris will be presented to Bărbosu at a ceremony in Bucharest on Friday.
The ROSC made the announcement in a statement released Tuesday. The IOC had previously said the medal would be awarded to Bărbosu in a “redistribution ceremony.” Neither the IOC nor the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) have addressed or verified Tuesday’s claim by the ROSC.
“Gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu takes home the bronze medal she won in the floor final at the 2024 Paris Olympics,” the ROSC statement said.
“The medal will be presented to him by Octavian Morariu, member of the International Olympic Committee for Romania, and by Mihai Covaliu, President of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, at an event that will take place on the esplanade of the Olympic House in Bucharest, Friday, August 16, from 9:30 am.”
What happens to Chiles’ medal?
If the Romanian ceremony does indeed go ahead, it appears that this will not be the case with the medal awarded to Chiles.
There is no indication from USA Gymnastics that it has returned the medal or plans to do so. On Monday, USAG vowed to continue fighting to keep the medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an appeal that the medal was lawfully awarded to Chiles in the first place. USAG vowed to take the fight to the highest court in Switzerland.
“We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue all available avenues and appeals, including through the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure Jordan receives a fair score, placement and medal,” the USAG statement said.
How we got here
Chiles initially finished fifth in the floor exercise final of the final rotation of the gymnastics competition at the Paris Olympics, behind Bărbosu and her Romanian teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who initially tied for third place in the event with scores of 13.700. Bărbosu was initially declared the bronze medal winner via a tiebreaker over Maneca-Voinea.
Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, appealed the score of her routine after the event, and the judges ruled that Chiles did not receive full credit for a skill after the event was reviewed. Her score was adjusted from 13.666 to 13.766, allowing her to surpass the Romanian gymnasts and win bronze.
Chiles’ score adjustment overturned due to formality
The ROSC appealed the decision and CAS granted the appeal. CAS did not determine that Chiles’ score adjustment was made in error, but that Landi filed her appeal of Chiles’ score four seconds after the one-minute deadline to do so at the end of Chiles’ routine. Chiles’ score was reset to 13.666.
USAG, meanwhile, appealed the CAS decision, citing video evidence showing that Landi filed her appeal within the allotted time. Whatever evidence USAG presented did not compel CAS to change its decision.
The IOC responded to the CAS decision with a own statement on sunday that the medal would be awarded to Bărbosu through a ‘redistribution ceremony’.
“The IOC will re-allocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania),” the IOC statement said. “We are in contact with the NOC of Romania to discuss the re-allocation ceremony and with the USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
The IOC has not verified whether the ceremony announced by the ROSC on Tuesday is the “redistribution ceremony.”
Should Maneca-Voinea actually get the medal?
In a separate appeal against Chiles’ bronze award, the ROSC argued that Maneca-Voinea was given a 0.1-point penalty for stepping outside the boundaries of her routine when she did not. Video shows she did not.
An additional 0.1 point would bring Maneca-Voinea’s score to 14.8000, passing Bărbosu’s score and Chiles’ adjusted score to bronze. The CAS dismissed the appeal against Maneca-Voinea’s score without explanation, and the ROSC has moved forward with a focus on re-awarding the medal to Bărbosu.
The Romanian Gymnastics Federation has proposed to award three bronze medals, with Chiles keeping her medal. This does not seem to be an option in the eyes of the IOC.
