Romanian gymnast Barbosu got Olympic bronze during a ceremony in Bucharest on Friday, after the International Gymnastics Federation gave it to her rather than US gymnast Jordan Chiles following a heated argument. A score revision for degree of difficulty propelled Chiles to third place in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics on August 5, bringing heartbreak for Barbosu, who had expected to win bronze.
Romania contested the verdict, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concluded that the US petition for a score modification was too late. Chiles, 23, said Thursday that being deprived of a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics was sad and heartbreaking, and that it was an unjust result.
Barbosu, 18, said she felt “very happy and grateful” on Friday, but was disappointed that “there have been such problems at a high level”. “We as athletes have done absolutely nothing wrong,” she said, adding that she hoped Chiles and fellow Romanian gymnast Sabrina Voinea, who also protested her own score in the floor final, would come to “happy conclusions.
” Barbosu told reporters after the medal, which was different from the one handed to Chile, was placed around her neck in a brief ceremony staged by the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee: “I didn’t realise it was that heavy.”
She said that she intends to bring more medals to the eastern European country, which used to have a strong gymnastics program but had not competed in the Olympics in the previous 12 years.
“I tell the girls who want to do gymnastics to have faith that if they want something, it will come true if they stick with it and put in the hard work,” Barbosu told CNN. Despite the scorching weather, she patiently posed with the medal for photographers, kissed it, and then took photos with some youngsters.
USA Gymnastics has pledged to continue fighting for Chile’s medal. One of the most iconic photographs from the Paris Games has Chiles and silver medallist Simone Biles, as well as Chiles bowing to gold medallist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil.
Chiles also stated Thursday that a slew of social media assaults had been particularly hurtful as she works to recover from the issue surrounding the floor exercise final.
Chiles, Barbosu, and Romania’s Voinea have all been targeted online. Romania’s gymnastics association has appealed for an end to the insults, as did Barbosu’s mother, Pompilia Barbosu, on Friday, “begging as a mother to stop all the defamations”.
