Romanian Gymnast Ana Barbosu Receives Olympic Bronze Medal After Controversy

 In a ceremony held in Bucharest on Friday, Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu was officially awarded her Olympic bronze medal, bringing a close to the controversy that erupted after the medal was initially given to U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles and then later rescinded.

Barbosu, visibly emotional, commented, "I didn’t expect the medal to be so heavy, but I would wear it day and night if that’s what it takes to keep it."

The medal’s reallocation to Barbosu followed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week. The court overturned an appeal by Team USA coach Cecile Landi, which had initially awarded Chiles the bronze medal and pushed Barbosu to fourth place during the August 5 floor exercise final in Paris. CAS ruled that the U.S. team's appeal had been submitted four seconds past the one-minute deadline, which was crucial in their decision.

The initial decision to award the bronze to Chiles led to a significant outcry in Romania, a country with a storied history in gymnastics. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation subsequently requested a review of the appeal process. CAS's decision to reinstate Barbosu as the rightful bronze medalist was a relief to many in Romania.

After receiving her medal, Barbosu expressed gratitude and hope for the future. "The resolution of this controversy was made possible with the support of my federation and the law firm that fought tirelessly for us athletes," she said. "I am very happy to have this medal and hope to represent Romania at the highest level and bring home more medals."

Romania, once a dominant force in gymnastics, has struggled in recent years. Barbosu’s achievement marks Romania’s first women’s Olympic gymnastics medal since the 2012 London Games. Meanwhile, USA Gymnastics has stated that they will continue their efforts to allow Chiles to keep her medal.

Gymnastics competitions often involve inquiries where athletes or coaches request judges to review routines for accuracy. Adjustments to scores can be made based on these inquiries. However, the situation at the Paris Games has been particularly painful, with online abuse directed at the gymnasts involved. Chiles, who has faced racially charged comments on social media, described the decision to strip her of the bronze as "unjust."

Despite the turmoil, Barbosu extended her support to the U.S. gymnasts. "I am thinking of them even though I received the medal today," she said. "It’s a saddening situation, and we hoped the referees and staff at the Olympics would do their job properly."