As someone who has spent many years competing in sports, I can empathize with both Sabrina Vega and Ana Barbosu. Winning a medal at the Olympics is a dream come true, but losing it due to a technicality can be heart-wrenching.
When it comes to shocking moments from the 2024 Olympics, this one is sure to be on the podium.
Absolutely, let’s discuss the dispute over the bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise final that arose between Jordan Chiles and Ana Barbosu after the competition.
On the 5th of August, Chile’s gymnast was the final participant in the event held at Paris’ Bercy Arena. Following her performance inspired by Beyoncé, the 23-year-old placed fifth with a score of 13.666. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade (14.166) took first place, followed closely by Simone Biles of the United States (14.133). Romania’s Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who both scored 13.700, ended up in third and fourth place respectively due to a tiebreaker.
Shortly following the event, controversy arose over the exact duration, but there’s been debate – Cecile Canqueteau-Landi, Chiles’ coach, contested Chiles’ score, claiming she was not fully credited for a split leap. The judges agreed, leading to an adjustment in Chiles’ score to 13.766. This minor increase of one tenth placed Chiles third, causing Barbosu to lose the bronze medal position.
Chiles expressed her delight about winning to NBC, saying, “This victory is the fulfillment of a long-held dream for me. This is my debut in an event final, and as we had planned, it was a journey of redemption. My aim was to give my best performance. So, this medal holds immense significance – it’s my first time reaching the event final and winning an event medal. Words can hardly express how I feel, but I am incredibly proud of myself.”
Unfortunately for Chile, what began as a cherished dream quickly transformed into a harrowing ordeal. Shortly after, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), claiming that Chile’s challenge of the score had been submitted past the one-minute deadline stipulated to contest the ruling. The CAS validated this claim, thus reinstating the initial score and placing Barbosu back in third position. As a consequence, the International Olympic Committee decided to award the medal to Barbosu instead of Chile.
Team members Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera expressed their backing for Chiles, while Marcel Ciolacu, Romania’s prime minister, applauded Barbosu’s podium achievement.
USA Gymnastics provided evidence to CAS, which included a letter and video. In this material, they claimed that Canqueteau-Landi, Chiles’ coach, made two statements concerning an inquiry request. The first statement was allegedly made 47 seconds after the score was initially posted, followed by another statement 55 seconds later.
As a devoted admirer, let me share my perspective: “Prior to the tribunal’s verdict, the crucial video evidence was not at our disposal, USA Gymnastics. Consequently, we, USAG, missed the chance to present it earlier.” Now, we are appealing for Chiles’ bronze medal and 13.766 score to be reinstated, hoping justice will prevail in this matter.
I’m disheartened to share that we’ve been informed by CAS that their rules don’t permit a reevaluation of an arbitral award, even when compelling new evidence comes to light. Nevertheless, I remain committed to exploring every available path and procedure, such as appealing to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to secure a fair judgment and recognition for Jordan.
For a full breakdown of events, keep reading.
A week following Team USA’s gold victory in the women’s team final gymnastics at the 2024 Olympics, Jordan Chiles aimed to secure her inaugural individual Olympic medal during the women’s floor exercise final.
Subsequently, her coaches contested a scoring dispute on her behalf. As explained by NBC Olympics, this action is known as a “scoring inquiry” which is a challenge of a routine’s score, followed by a written submission before the end of the rotation. The contest can only be raised after the gymnast’s final score is posted and prior to the next gymnast’s performance.
Overwhelmed with joy, I couldn’t help but shed tears of happiness as Chiles clinched the bronze medal. On the other hand, Barbosu, who was already waving her nation’s flag in exuberance for her outstanding performance, unfortunately missed out on a spot on the podium.
Following her departure from Bercy Arena, where tears flowed, Barbosu responded to the news via social media. On Instagram, she expressed gratitude for the supportive messages: “Thank you all!” She then announced her intention to step away from social media for a while.
“Chiles additionally described the awe-inspiring experience for her when she learned about winning the bronze medal. On ‘Good Morning America’, she reminisced, ‘There were numerous emotions and thoughts swirling in my mind at that moment. I couldn’t be prouder of myself. Ana Barbosu is an exceptional athlete who has achieved great things in gymnastics. So, I am proud of myself, but also immensely proud of her.'”
In response to accusations of cheating on social media, coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi defended herself, stating: “I don’t usually feel the need to explain, but I will this one time. Jordan Chiles’ highest possible start value (SV) on floor is a 5.9. However, she received a 5.8 at qualifications and team finals because not all elements were completed. During the floor finals, I believed she performed better, so I took the risk to inquire about the score since she had nothing to lose. To my surprise, the inquiry was accepted, and Jordan won the bronze medal. I did not steal anything from anyone; I merely did my job and fought for my athlete. While I feel sympathy for the Romanian athlete, it is part of the sport. You may not like the outcome, but you must respect it. Jordan truly earned that bronze medal, her first individual Olympic medal, and I am incredibly proud and excited!”
Yet, not all individuals echoed her enthusiasm, as the Romanian Gymnastics Federation lodged protests for Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who finished fourth. The Federation argued that the investigation into Chiles was conducted past the one-minute deadline and contested a 0.1 deduction in execution score given to Maneca-Voinea. Moreover, Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, stated on August 6th that he would not be present at the Olympics Closing Ceremony due to his claims of unfair treatment towards these two athletes.
“A few days ago, I found myself compelled to address the hurtful, racist remarks directed at my daughter, Simone Biles – an Olympic heroine adored for her sportsmanship and heart. It saddens me to see such comments persist in our society, with people claiming that such bigotry no longer exists. My daughter, a highly decorated Olympian, is being called vile things despite her unparalleled level of sportsmanship.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport supported Barbosu’s appeal, ruling that an investigation submitted on Chiles’ behalf was filed after the one-minute deadline had expired. Consequently, Chiles’ initial score of 13.666 was restored, while the court declined Maneca-Voinea’s application regarding her penalty for execution. In light of this decision, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) updated the results to reflect Chiles’ original score. However, USA Gymnastics expressed disappointment with the court’s ruling on women’s floor exercise, stating that the inquiry into Jordan Chiles’ routine was made in good faith and according to FIG rules for accurate scoring. They also expressed concern over the negative comments directed at Chiles on social media, which they deemed unjustified and hurtful. USA Gymnastics stood by Chiles, commending her for maintaining integrity both during and outside of competition, and reiterated their support for her.
USA gymnasts Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera publicly stand by Jo (Chiles) during the ongoing controversy. On Instagram Stories, Jade Carey stated, “It’s unfair to penalize the athlete for another’s mistake.” She added, “You are still an Olympic champion with much to be proud of.” Meanwhile, Romanian Prime Minister Ciolacu applauded Barbosu being reinstated as third-place finisher, commenting on Facebook, “Justice has been upheld.”
According to a statement made by the International Olympic Committee, Romania’s Ana Barbosu will be receiving Chile’s previously won bronze medal from the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final. The IOC is currently communicating with both the Romanian National Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee about the reallocation ceremony and the return of the bronze medal by Chile, respectively.
“Just a few moments later, I found myself reflecting on this situation. To Sabrina and Jordan, I send my heartfelt thoughts. I understand your feelings because we’ve walked the same path. But remember, you’re stronger than you think. My sincere hope is that at the next Olympics, we three will stand together on the podium. This dream of mine burns brightly.
Despite the allegations, USA Gymnastics maintains that they submitted their inquiry for Simone Biles within the stipulated timeframe and possess evidence to back this up. Specifically, they claim they delivered a letter and video proof to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on August 11, which clearly demonstrates Head Coach Cecile Landi’s request was made just 47 seconds after the score was published, meeting the FIG rule’s 1-minute deadline. USA Gymnastics is asking the CAS to reconsider its ruling and reinstate Biles’ bronze medal score of 13.766.
After delivering the letter and video, USA Gymnastics announced that they had been informed by CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) that it’s not possible to reconsider an arbitral award, even when there is compelling new evidence. This decision has left us greatly disheartened. Nevertheless, we are determined to explore every available option and appeal process, such as the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to fight for a fair judgment in Jordan’s scoring, placement, and medal allocation.
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2024-08-13 02:21