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Romania says gymnast will get disputed bronze medal Friday despite ongoing US challenge

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Romania says gymnast will get disputed bronze medal Friday despite ongoing US challenge

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Against the backdrop of the scoring saga that may cost U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles a bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced that gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu will take possession of the bronze medal Friday in a ceremony in Bucharest.

According to Tuesday’s press release, Octavian Morariu, a member of the International Olympic Committee for Romania, and Mihai Covaliu, president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, will hand Barbosu the medal.

It is unclear if Chiles has already returned her bronze medal or if the medal Barbosu is set to receive is the same one; messages left Tuesday for the International Olympic Committee inquiring about the matter were not immediately returned.

At the women’s floor exercise final on August 5, Chiles’ score was increased to 13.766 from 13.666 after U.S. coach, Cecile Landi, appealed a deduction that she had received on one element, known as a tour jete full. The appeal, known as an “inquiry” in gymnastics, wiped away the deduction, moved Chiles into third and knocked Barbosu off the podium.

When the Romanian Gymnastics Federation filed its case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it was basically appealing the validity of Landi’s appeal, hoping that Chiles’ score would be reverted back to 13.666.

When CAS agreed, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) re-adjusted its order of finish for the event and the International Olympic Committee said it would be asking Chiles to return her medal so it could be reallocated to Barbosu.

Complicating this further, the CAS did not reach out to the right U.S. officials as it prepared for last week’s Romanian appeal of Chiles’ bronze medal, a person with knowledge of the situation who did not want to be identified told USA TODAY Sports’ Christine Brennan Monday. 

According to USA Gymnastics, CAS said it cannot reconsider its ruling, even with the existence of the new evidence. Instead, USAG and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee have said they plan to challenge that CAS decision by filing an appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal, which is the highest court in Switzerland.

The Swiss Federal Tribunal usually only intervenes in CAS decisions in cases where there has been a blatant procedural issue, so it is unclear what the Americans will argue, specifically, or whether their efforts will succeed.

Contributing: Christine Brennan

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