Olympic Bronze Medalist Ana Barbosu Makes Opinion of Simone Biles Perfectly Clear

Though she may not have shared the podium with Simone Biles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Romania’s Ana Barbosu is the official bronze-medal winner in the floor exercise from the event.

Barbosu watched from the floor as Biles and teammate Jordan Chiles, who was awarded bronze after a score inquiry bumped her up from fifth to third place, just ahead of Barbosu, celebrated their triumph on the podium with gold-medal winner Rebeca Andrade.

However, Barbosu was awarded the medal that Chiles was stripped of 11 days later. And while she didn’t get to stand with Biles on the medal podium in Paris, Barbosu is an admirer of Biles, and she recently sung her praises during an appearance on Romania’s “Un Podcast.”

“Simone Biles is a legend,” Barbosu said. “There [is no] comparison and I'm not even in a place to give my opinion [on] her. What can I say? I admire her and I'm honored that I had an occasion to compete with her at the same competition. She's 27 years old and I'm 18, so of course I felt like, ‘Wow, I can't believe I'm competing with her. She's a legend.’”

While Biles may be nearing the end of her Olympic career, Barbosu is just getting started in hers.

The bronze medal in the floor exercise was her first Olympic medal, and she’s got a long way to go to catch up to Nadia Comaneci (nine) and Simona Amanar (seven), who have the most Olympic medals in gymnastics in Romania’s history.

Barbosu’s bronze medal in 2024 was Romania’s first Olympic medal in gymnastics since Catalina Ponor and Sandra Izbasa both medaled at the 2012 Games in London.

Related: Ana Barbosu Sends Message to Jordan Chiles After Receiving Her Bronze Medal

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