The Paris Olympics ended Sunday, but controversy and complexity regarding who should receive one bronze medal continues.
American gymnast Jordan Chiles stepped onto the podium as the third-place finisher in the women’s gymnastics floor exercise on Aug. 5. One week later, the International Olympic Committee has said it will reallocate that medal to Romania’s Ana Bărbosu. The days in between included a web of decisions by various governing bodies. Ultimately, it boils down to a question over four seconds on a frantic evening inside Paris’ Bercy Arena.
Here’s everything we know about the situation so far and what could come next.
What happened during the floor final?
Nine gymnasts competed in the floor exercise final after advancing out of the qualifying. The order of their routines was determined by a random draw.
Bărbosu competed fifth and received a 13.700. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, another Romanian gymnast, competed eighth and also received a 13.700, but Bărbosu stayed in third place, ahead of Maneca-Voinea, because of a higher execution score. Maneca-Voinea’s score reflected a one-tenth deduction for a step out of bounds, but the Romanian gymnast has since asserted she did not go out of bounds. Her coach did not ask for a review on the day of the final.
Chiles,…
