Olympic gymnast left in tears after having medal ripped away as Team USA snatch bronze in last-gasp challenge

OLYMPIC gymnast Ana Barbosu broke down in tears after an inquiry led to her losing the individual bronze medal.

Team USA’s Jordan Chiles snatched the gong after inquiring about her own score in the women’s floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday.

NBC

Reuters

23-year-old Chiles originally placed fifth but submitted a challenge to judges and received a tenth back on her final score as a skill in her Gogean routine, a split leap with a 1.5-turn, was originally not credited.

Chiles jumped up and down and was in tears as she hugged her US gymnast teammate, Simone Biles , following the bronze medal announcement.

Barbosu, meanwhile, was left without words after her third-place finish was changed to placing fourth – meaning she wouldn’t receive a medal.

The 18-year-old was then seen sobbing on live television .

Chiles had finished with a 13.666 score, but an inquiry was opened into her score.

Barbosu began celebrating her bronze medal before officials announced a change in Chiles’ score.

In the end, Chiles’s score was 13.766, and she went from finishing sixth to making her way to the podium.

It was the first individual medal for Chiles in her Olympic career.

Barbosu was seen holding the Romanian flag and in disbelief at her fourth-place finish.

She has never received a medal in the Olympics.

The decorated Biles, meanwhile, won silver in the event .

Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won the gold, her first in this year’s games.

It’s the first time that Biles has not won gold in a floor exercise final.

Still, she has four medals, including three gold medals, in Paris.

AFP

EPA

During Biles’ floor routine, she stepped out of bounds twice but stuck the landing on the Biles I.

The 27-year-old spoke about her day as well as her overall Olympic performance.

“Today has been absolutely wild,” Biles said.

“I’ve accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at these Olympics but in gymnastics … competing and then walking way with four medals, I’m not mad about it.

“I’m pretty proud of myself.”

USA’s Suni Lee finished sixth.

This was the first time the USA had failed to finish on top of the podium at a women’s beam final in an Olympic Games since 2000.