You might have thought Romania’s Ana Barbosu would have been happy about the International Olympic Committee stripping Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal in the floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but that wasn’t the case at all. As an athlete herself, Barbosu understood that watching another competitor lose their hard-earned medal wasn’t a great feeling for anyone—especially for fellow athletes, even if she was her competitor. Chiles lost her first individual Olympic medal after the Romanian gymnastics team challenged her revised score with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

However, during this process, Ana Barbosu faced bullying from some critics. A few people even said, “Ana is a bad person,” while others added, “Ana has poor sportsmanship for accepting the medal.” Some went as far as to insist that “she should return the medal and that she’ll never be the ‘real’ winner.” This situation left her in tears, and then the gymnastics legend interrupted!

Nadia Comaneci didn’t hold back in expressing her outrage over how the judges handled the situation, toying with Barbosu and Jordan Chiles’s emotions. Based on her social media activity, Comaneci appeared to be delighted by the turn of events, but she also took the time to call out fans for their harsh treatment of the athletes amid the controversy. In one of her posts, X urged, “To all the fans around the world, please STOP attacking these young ladies… it is unacceptable and cruel🙏🙏 #barbosu #chiles #voinea.” While Comaneci clearly supports her compatriots, she’s also advocating for Chiles and Barbosu to be spared from cruel criticism.

Since then, two months have passed, and recently, Ana Barbosu made an honest take on the bronze medal situation. Ana Barbosu shared on Thursday that this year’s Olympic Games, where she won a bronze medal on the floor exercise, taught her to better control her emotions and to always look ahead. “Now I’m back on track with training and school. Especially with school, because I’m in the twelfth grade and I focus a lot on learning,” she explained.

While she acknowledged that the emotions from the competition haven’t completely faded, they have been somewhat overshadowed by other experiences. “I can’t say that the emotions have passed, but somehow they have been blurred by others. Now I don’t have time to think about what happened,” Barbosu added.

Regarding her medal, Barbosu emphasized her preference for focusing on the future rather than dwelling on the past. “I like to take things for granted; I like to look to the future. It’s a result of the work I’ve done so far, and depending on how much I can give in the gym, I hope others will come,” she stated. The bronze medal was awarded to her following a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), as noted in the memos from the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee.

In the same competition, Sabrina Maneca Voinea finished in fourth place, but her efforts were overshadowed when the memorandum submitted by her and the Romanian Gymnastics Federation was rejected. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just Barbosu who faced bullying; Jordan Chiles experienced a whole new level of harassment as well!

The impact of racial abuse on Jordan Chiles’ journey

Jordan Chiles was awarded bronze in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics after her appeal moved her from fifth to third place. However, her joy turned to heartbreak when the Romanian Olympic Committee claimed the appeal was filed four seconds late. The CAS voided the appeal, prompting the International Olympic Committee to order Chiles to return her medal and promote Ana Barbosu to third place.

After stepping away from social media following the ruling, Chiles returned to express the profound impact the situation has had on her. “I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow not just to me but to everyone who has championed my journey,” she stated. Chiles also highlighted the emotional toll of the experience, particularly noting the “unprompted racially driven attacks on social media” that she deemed wrong and extremely hurtful. “To add to the heartbreak,” she said, “these attacks have targeted me in ways that feel deeply personal and damaging.”

Despite these challenges, Chiles remains determined to fight for her bronze medal, emphasizing her commitment to justice. She also mentioned her gold medal win in the team event with her U.S. teammates, stating, “I will approach this challenge as I have others—and I will make every effort to ensure that justice is done.” As USA Gymnastics considers taking the case to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, the situation continues to weigh heavily on the athletes involved!