The United States is refusing to accept the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision regarding Ana Maria Bărbosu’s bronze medal. The medal, initially awarded to American gymnast Jordan Chiles, was reassigned to the Romanian athlete after a ruling by CAS. Now, the U.S. is considering appealing to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights to challenge the decision.
The Controversy Over the Appeal
The U.S. Gymnastics Federation sent a letter and a video recording to CAS, claiming that they have evidence proving that coach Cecile Landi submitted the controversial appeal 47 seconds after the score was posted. This would fall within the one-minute time frame allowed for such appeals according to the FIG Technical Regulations.
In the verdict published on Saturday, the judges from Lausanne stated: “The appeal filed by Jordan Chiles was submitted after the one-minute time limit stipulated by Article 8.5 of the FIG Technical Regulations and is therefore deemed ineffective.”
The American officials argue that they obtained the recording after the CAS proceedings and did not have enough time to prepare an adequate defense.
Ana Maria Bărbosu initially scored 13.700, briefly holding the bronze medal. However, shortly afterward, the American team filed an appeal, and Jordan Chiles received an additional tenth of a point for difficulty, raising her score to 13.766 and placing her on the podium. The CAS later overturned this decision, reverting to the original standings.
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced that it would challenge the CAS decision, stating that Jordan Chiles deserves to keep the medal she earned in the Olympic final.
“There were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and in the CAS process,” USOPC stated, as reported by USA Today.
“The initial error occurred in the scoring process by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS proceedings, where USOPC was not informed or did not have adequate time to effectively contest the decision.
As a result, we were not properly represented and were not given the opportunity to present our case comprehensively. Given these circumstances, we are determined to continue our appeal to ensure that Jordan Chiles receives the recognition she deserves.
We remain committed to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter quickly and fairly,” the USOPC statement concluded.
The chances of overturning the CAS decision at the European Court of Human Rights are slim, as there is no precedent in the history of world gymnastics for such a case.
In the original CAS ruling, it was determined that the appeal by Jordan Chiles was filed beyond the regulatory time limit. The CAS upheld the Romanian Federation’s argument, stating: “The appeal filed by Jordan Chiles was submitted after the one-minute time limit stipulated by Article 8.5 of the FIG Technical Regulations and is therefore deemed ineffective.”
Final Standings in the Floor Event:
- Rebeca Andrade – 14.166
- Simone Biles – 14.133
- Ana Maria Bărbosu – 13.700
- Sabrina Voinea – 13.700
- Jordan Chiles – 13.666
- Alice D’Amato – 13.600
- Rina Kishi – 13.166
- Ou Yushan – 13.000
- Manila Esposito – 12.133
