Jordan Chiles to hand over bronze medal to Ana Barbosu amid controversy at August 16 ceremony

USA Gymnastics has expressed their support for Jordan Chiles amid the bronze medal controversy.


Pop Culture & Art August 14, 2024
Courtesy: Reuters, AFP

Gymnast Jordan Chiles will be giving her bronze medal to Romania's Ana Bărbosu later this week.

The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced on Tuesday, August 13, that Bărbosu will receive the medal in a ceremony in Bucharest on Friday, August 16.

The presentation will be made by Octavian Morariu, a member of the International Olympic Committee for Romania, and Mihai Covaliu, president of the national committee, according to the press release.

USA Gymnastics has expressed their support for Chiles, 23, amid the bronze medal controversy.

They stated on Tuesday via X, “As we continue to celebrate the successes of Team USA Gymnasts on social media, know that we are still working full-time to pursue justice for Jordan.”

The controversy started during the women's floor exercise final on August 5. Initially, Bărbosu, 18, was announced as the bronze medalist until Team USA raised a concern about the difficulty rating of one of Chiles’ routines.

The judges later agreed with Team USA’s request, increasing Chiles’ score from 13.666 to 13.766. This adjustment moved Chiles into third place, pushing Bărbosu out.

Romania’s team subsequently challenged the change, pointing out that it was submitted after the deadline. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) supported the challenge, reverting Chiles’ score to 13.666 and reinstating Bărbosu in third place.

On Sunday, August 11, USA Gymnastics responded by stating they have "video evidence" proving Chiles deserved to keep her bronze medal.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ