2024-08-13 15:00:00
USA and Romania are next battling for a medal in floor exercise. The US gymnastics association now even wants to go to the Swiss Federal Court.
Ana Barbosu had difficult days: first the Romanian won bronze in the floor exercise, then she was stripped of a medal. Now she should get precious metals after all.
The Olympic Games in Paris officially ended on Sunday, but two gymnasts are influencing the medal decision in the floor exercise. Romanian Ana Barbosu and American Jordan Chiles were both confirmed as bronze medal winners in the last few days. And the two third places were removed again.
Barbosu took third place in the competition on August 5 with a score of 13.700 points – tied with her compatriot Sanina Maneca-Voinea. Barbosu prevailed through equal breaks as she showed the more difficult elements. After the competition, the 17-year-old stood in front of the cameras with the national flag and celebrated the bronze medal. Until his joy suddenly turned into bitter disappointment. The monitors suddenly showed Chile in fifth place from the USA as the bronze winner. Barbosu looked at the screens in disbelief, dropped the flag and left the hall crying.
The thing that bothers me the most about Jordan Chiles getting the bronze medal from Ana Bărbosu is that the US team has been talking about the mental health of athletes for three years, but they had no problem interfering with someone who wasn’t was outside your own country. . pic.twitter.com/UnbBz0trpJ
— Anita (@anitayetzi) August 6, 2024
What the Romanians didn’t know at the time: Team USA challenged their athlete’s rating. After reviewing the video, the jury decided to recognize one element – a split jump – of the Chilean exercise and increase its difficulty rating. Chile’s grade improved from 13.666 to 13.766 points. So the American overtook Barbosu in the rankings. She later celebrated with the bronze medal on the podium alongside winner Rebecca Andrade and runner-up Simone Biles.
It’s about four seconds
The jury’s decision led to strong criticism from Romania. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation lodged an appeal with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Romanians complained that the US team requested the correction after one minute and four seconds instead within one minute of the score being announced – four seconds too late.
The TAS approved the protest of the Romanian association. And Chiles upwardly revised grade was declared void. The fast track court established by the TAS at the Summer Games determined that the US gymnast’s elementary class still had 13.666 points.
Five days after the end of the gymnastics competition, Barbosu moved back to third place and was subsequently awarded bronze. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would contact the American delegation to discuss the details of returning the Chilean bronze medal.
It is not yet clear whether the Romanian can finally be happy about bronze. Because the American gymnastics association does not want to abide by the TAS arbitration award.
On Sunday, the United States Gymnastics Federation presented new footage to the TAS, according to which the first protest was entered after 47 seconds and the second after 55 seconds. According to the American Gymnastics Federation, the sports court can no longer deal with the new material. The association was informed that the TAS regulations did not allow the arbitral award to be changed, even if there was more evidence.
The US association is “deeply disappointed” and will pursue all avenues and processes to ensure that Jordan Chiles is declared the bronze medalist in the floor exercise again, it said. The association wrote in the communication about “critical errors” in the first evaluation by the World Gymnastics Association and in the subsequent arbitration award by the TAS. “We want to get a fair rating and a fair placement for Jordan Chiles.”
The association is also considering a lawsuit at the Swiss Federal Court because the World Gymnastics Federation and the IOK have their headquarters in Lausanne.
Jordan Chiles is overcome with emotion as she wins bronze after a jury decision. Co-star Simone Biles hugs her.
Track and field athlete Caster Semenya failed in federal court
The American Gymnastics Association is unlikely to have more success with an appeal to federal court. This is illustrated by the case of track and field athlete Caster Semenya. A South African woman unsuccessfully sued the Federal Court a few years ago. The intersex athlete won gold in the 800 meters at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Two other intersex athletes, Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui, took to the podium.
All three runners had abnormal levels of testosterone and, according to the World Athletics Federation, therefore had a competitive advantage. The association has introduced a testosterone limit of 5 nanomoles per liter for female athletes competing between 400 meters and a mile. Women who exceed the corresponding value would have to lower it with medication and then they are not allowed to exceed it again. Semenya opposed this regulation. The CAS rejected your appeal in April 2019.
Semenya then turned to the Federal Court. But this also rejected the South African lawsuit and decided that the testosterone rule can continue to be implemented.
In the current situation, the two athletes in particular are suffering from the legal dispute: Ana Barbosu, whose dream of a medal evaporated in the stadium. And Jordan Chiles, who announced that she would withdraw from social networks to “protect her mental health.” Since the Romanian association opposed him, the Chilean has been subjected to hostility on the internet.
The IOC could avoid the debate altogether. The Romanian federation suggested in its appeal that the bronze medal should be awarded to both Barbosu, Maneca-Voinea and Chile. A similar decision was made at the 2002 Winter Olympics At that time, two gold medals were awarded in pairs skating due to scoring discrepancies. But neither the IOK nor the World Gymnastics Federation responded to the Romanians’ proposal.
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