Gymnast Ana Bărbosu received her bronze medal in a ceremony in Romania on Friday following a controversial ruling that stripped America’s Jordan Chiles of the medal.
The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee hosted the ceremony in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, for Bărbosu, who received her medal, an Olympic poster and a mascot like other medal recipients in Paris. Romania’s prime minister Marcel Ciolacu presented her with a floral bouquet before Bărbosu spoke.
She said the Olympic spirit is more important than misunderstandings and, “I want to believe that the day will come when all three of us (Bărbosu, Chiles and follow Romanian gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea) will receive a bronze medal.”
The controversy stems from the women’s gymnastics floor final inside Paris’ Bercy Arena on Aug. 5. Chiles, the last of the nine gymnasts to perform, received an initial score of 13.666, placing her fifth behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade (gold medalist), America’s Simone Biles (silver medalist) and Romania’s Bărbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who each scored a 13.700. (Bărbosu was ahead of Maneca-Voinea for having a higher execution score, meaning the judges thought she hit a cleaner routine.)
Following Chiles’ routine, her coach Cecile Landi submitted an inquiry,…
