Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu addressed Jordan Chiles as she received her Olympic bronze medal for the floor exercise on Friday amid an ongoing scoring controversy that could see Chiles lose the bronze medal she was initially awarded.
The official medal ceremony in Bucharest, Romania, came just one day after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the go-ahead to Romanian officials. Bărbosu offered words of encouragement to Chiles and Romanian teammate Sabrina Voinea at the event.
“I can’t help but think about Sabrina and Jordan right now,” Bărbosu said in Romanian. “It’s a difficult situation for us, with so many uncertainties and overwhelming emotions. I hope everyone understands that we have not done anything wrong at the Olympics. And that the Olympic spirit is more important than any misunderstanding between the authorities.”
“I want to believe that the day will come when all three of us will receive a bronze medal,” she added.
Bărbosu and Voinea received the same score for their routines, but Bărbosu won the tiebreaker with a higher execution score.
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Chiles was originally awarded the bronze medal in Paris ahead of the two Romanians after her coach, Cecile Landi, submitted an inquiry that increased her difficulty score. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned this inquiry due to an alleged time violation, which dropped Chiles’ score to fifth place — behind the Romanians. U.S. officials dispute the alleged time violation.
Bărbosu received her medal — different from the one Chiles is reportedly still in possession of — from IOC member Octavian Morariu and Mihai Covaliu, president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was also in attendance.
‘I did not realize how heavy it is,’ Bărbosu told the audience at the ceremony. ‘I am glad to be in possession of this medal and I hope to continue to represent Romania at the highest level.’
Chiles broke her silence on the controversy Thursday, posting a statement to social media saying the decision ‘feels unjust’ and that she has been subject to ‘racially driven attacks’ online.
“I will approach this challenge as I have others — and will make every effort to ensure that justice is done,” Chiles wrote. “I believe that at the end of this journey, the people in control will do the right thing.”