We might be counting down the days until the Paris Paralympics 2024 in just over a fortnight, but it seems the drama is far from over. While viewers might have been treated to the Paris Olympics 2024 closing ceremony on TV on Sunday night, it seems the ongoing debacle regarding Team USA’s Jordan Chiles and Romania’s Ana Barbosu’s battle for the former’s bronze medal continues. For those who need a recap, last week the International Olympics Committee said that the medal Chiles received for her individual floor exercise routine at the Games needed to be reallocated to Barbosu after USA Gymnastics announced they had submitted new evidence to challenge a court ruling that had led to the shocking decision.
In response to an appeal from Barbosu and the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport invalidated an inquiry that Chiles' coach had made during the pair’s gymnastics event earlier this month, which resulted in Chiles having her score increased, resulting in her bronze podium position ahead of Barbosu. The revision came just before Barbosu was getting read to celebrate making the podium and winning bronze, with many TV viewers noting her reaction change on learning that she had been pipped to the post. However, the Romanian team argued that Team USA’s coach had requested the inquiry exactly four seconds past a one-minute time limit.
In a statement shared on Sunday, August 11, the Court announced: ‘USA Gymnastics formally submitted a lette.