Romanian Olympic Committee Makes Big Announcement Amid Jordan Chiles Drama

Despite USA Gymnastics still fighting for an appeal, Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu is the official bronze medalist in the floor exercise for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

And the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee isn’t wasting any time bestowing her with her medal.

The organization announced in a press release that Barbosu will receive her medal in a special ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16 at the Olympic House in Bucharest. International Olympic Committee member Octavian Morariu and Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee president Mihai Covaliu will be on hand for the event.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport released an official ruling saying it would award Barbosu, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea and American Jordan Chiles a bronze medal if circumstances allowed — a sentiment the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee supported but was ultimately denied by the International Gymnastics Federation.

“If the Panel had been in a position to apply equitable principles, it would surely have attributed a bronze medal to all three gymnasts in view of their performance, good faith and the injustice and pain to which they have been subjected,” the ruling read.

“The Panel expresses the hope that the FIG will draw the consequences of this case, in relation to these three extraordinary Athletes and also for other Athletes and their supporting personnel, in the future, so that this never happens again.”

USA Gymnastics is planning to appeal the case with the Swiss Federal Tribunal, the only governing body that can appeal a CAS decision. It was also discovered that the chair of the CAS panel that stripped Chiles of her medal is a lawyer who represents Romanian interests, so there’s hope USAG can win its appeal because of a conflict of interest.

Related: Controversy Erupts as Jordan Chiles’ Medal Stripped by Chairman with Romanian Ties