"We have not had any conversations" - Jordan Chiles weighs in on her relationship with Ana Barbosu amid bronze medal controversy

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Nov 12, 2024 04:06 GMT

Jordan Chiles recently opened up on her Paris Olympics bronze medal controversy. The 23-year-old American gymnast said that she hasn't had any interactions with Ana Barbosu, who eventually won the medal.

Chiles was initially awarded the bronze medal in the floor exercise event in Paris but the Romanian Gymnastics Association appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, following which, Barbosu was given the medal.

In a recent interview with Today.com, Chiles said that she hasn't had any interactions with her Romanian counterpart.

"We have not had any conversations. I know that she has put stuff out on social media the same way that I was doing, and you know, they’re both amazing athletes and whatever she’s going through, I’m very, very sorry. I’ve been going through the exact same thing, but I haven’t spoken to her directly,” the American gymnast said.

Chiles, however, did not leave the Paris Olympics empty-handed as she was a part of the contingent that won gold in the team event.

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The Jordan Chiles controversy in a nutshell

Jordan Chiles performing during the floor exercise finals at the Paris Olympics in 2024 [Image Source : Getty]

The finals for the women's floor exercise event at the Paris Olympics were held on August 5. After having withdrawn from the individual finals at the Tokyo Olympics, Jordan Chiles decided to give her best shot in this event, and earn an individual Olympic medal for herself.

Simone Biles was all set to add a fourth Olympic gold medal to her collection. However, a wrong move ruined her execution, and Biles ended up with a penalized score of 14.133. The American gymnast was compelled to settle for the silver medal, while Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won the gold medal with a score of 14.166.

Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea ended up with an identical score of 13.700. However, since Barbosu scored better in terms of execution, she was awarded the bronze medal. Chiles ended up fifth overall, with a score of 13.666.

However, coach Cecile Landi wasn't convinced. She filed for an inquiry, and stressed upon the fact that Chiles' difficulty level wasn't properly considered. The jury relented, and awarded an additional score of 0.1, increasing the American gymnast's score to 13.766, and giving her the bronze medal.

The Romanian gymnasts were shocked, and they protested, arguing that the inquiry submitted by the American team was beyond the one minute deadline. The matter soon reached the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced the boycott of the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics if due course wasn't taken.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted the appeal by the Romanian authorities. The jury pronounced in their verdict that the Americans submitted their inquiry late, and thus the original scores were upheld, revoking the bronze medal originally awarded to Jordan Chiles.