The Paris Olympics bronze medal controversy just got a whole lot more interesting! With the NCAA gymnastics season already underway, Jordan Chiles and Ana Barbosu could soon reignite their rivalry. But this time in college gymnastics. Chiles made her return to UCLA at the season opener during the American Gold Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Classic in Oceanside, California. While UCLA didn’t take the top spot in the meet, finishing behind No. 4 Cal and No. 19 Oregon State, it’s still early in the season.

The Bruins will be back in action on January 11 against some tough teams, and it looks like Chiles will be training harder than ever. Why? That’s because Ana Barbosu, fresh off her Olympic bronze medal (after that wild appeal that shifted the medal from Chiles to her), is about to make her NCAA debut. That’s right, this Romanian gymnast is officially heading to America to take on the college scene. So could we expect a Jordan Chiles v/s Ana Barbosu shortly?

Ana Barbosu makes her NCAA debut

Barbosu is at it again and this time it’s in the NCAA! There is official confirmation that this 18-year-old gymnast will be joining the Stanford University gymnastics team. Yes, you have read it correctly, she’s shifting to the U.S. to compete for one the best college teams in the country. She shared her excitement on Instagram, saying, “It feels almost surreal to announce that I’ve been accepted to Stanford University! Huge thanks to @stanfordgymnastics, @tabithayim, @vsmoove13, @caleb_rickard & @brenden_koo for organizing an official visit that left me deeply inspired in such a warm and welcoming environment, one that felt just like family.”

Six-time European junior champion went on to express her gratitude, adding, “I’m also so grateful to my wonderful host, @levijungruivivar, for welcoming me into the coziest room ever. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support and encouragement from @crazyrichathletes, who gave me the courage to dream big and stood by me every step of the way. Can’t wait to join this amazing family! Go Card❤️🌲.” But can she change up the things for Chiles in the upcoming meet?

UCLA had a tough start at the American Gold Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Classic. They finished third with 195.250, behind California, who took the win with 196.275, and Oregon State in second. But even with the challenges, Jordan Chiles earned a 9.900 on the floor, UCLA’s highest score of the day. Meanwhile, Stanford is also getting ready for its 2025 season opener on January 10 in Seattle. They’ll face off against the Huskies, Boise State, and No. 29 UC Davis. It’s clear we’re going to see these two, Barbosu and Jordan Chiles face off in future meets, but the real question is: after the bitter controversy of Chiles losing her bronze medal, will the pain from Paris still haunt them?

A 4-second mistake cost Jordan Chiles her Olympic bronze

The bronze medal controversy started when Jordan Chiles finished fifth in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics. But here’s where things got tricky. Her coach, Cecile Landi, noticed a mistake in how one of Chiles’ moves was scored. So, Landi quickly filed a protest, arguing that the difficulty of one of Chiles’ elements hadn’t been properly judged. The judges took a second look, agreed with Landi, and suddenly Chiles was bumped up to third place. Thus, she secured a bronze medal. Everything seemed good until it wasn’t.

On the very last day of the Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dropped a bombshell: they ruled that Landi had filed the protest four seconds after the official deadline. Even though there was video proof showing the protest was within the 60-second window, the court stuck to its decision, and Chiles lost the bronze. It was awarded instead to Ana Barbosu, the Romanian gymnast who had initially finished fourth. Imagine how Jordan must’ve felt, “It’s hard to tell yourself everything is going to be fine when we literally didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, speaking about the whole ordeal.

Meanwhile, Ana, who ended up with the bronze, had her thoughts. “I did not expect the medal to be so heavy, but I would wear it day and night if this is what it takes to have it,” she said after the decision. The whole situation left both gymnasts in a complicated place, with Chiles still fighting to get the medal back, and Barbosu trying to take in the reality of what happened. Now, with the medal controversy still fresh, the big question is: will these two ever be able to leave the past behind when they face off in the future, or will the sting of that ruling linger?