Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu was officially awarded her Olympic bronze medal during a ceremony in Bucharest on Friday, following a dispute that saw the medal initially given to U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles before being rescinded.
"I did not expect the medal to be so heavy, but I would wear it day and night if this is what it takes to have it," Barbosu said after the ceremony.
The reallocation of the medal to Barbosu followed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week. The CAS voided an appeal by Team USA coach Cecile Landi, which had shifted Chiles to third place and Barbosu to fourth during the August 5 floor exercise final in Paris.
The CAS found that the U.S. team’s appeal was submitted four seconds past the one-minute deadline.
Chiles had initially been awarded the bronze and participated in the medal ceremony, sparking an uproar in Romania. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation requested a review of the appeal process, leading to the CAS decision in favor of Barbosu.
"The resolution of the controversy was possible with the help of the federation and the law firm who did not give up on us athletes and fought for us," Barbosu told reporters.
Romania, once a dominant force in gymnastics, has faced challenges in recent years. Barbosu's bronze is the country’s first women’s Olympic gymnastics medal since the 2012 London Games.
"I am very happy to have this medal and hope to represent Romania at the highest level and bring home more medals," she added.
USA Gymnastics has announced plans to continue efforts to allow Chiles to keep her medal. The controversy has been painful for all involved, exacerbated by online abuse. Chiles, who has faced racially charged comments, called the decision “unjust.”
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