The Romania vs USA Gymnastics controversy seems to have reached its conclusion after five excruciating days. After the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) demoted Romania’s Anna Maria Bărbosu from her podium finish in favor of Jordan Chiles’ appeal, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation was not one to sit still. Applications were filed on behalf of Bărbosu and her teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea—who got a .100 deduction for “stepping out of bounds” (while video evidence suggested otherwise)—and the results finally seem to be here.

Read on to the final verdict!

Latest update on the women’s floor final row

9:55 am ET: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, has identified discrepancies in the judging of the gymnastics floor final. While CAS will assess the case, it won’t directly award medals. Should Romania prevail, FIG would need to address the issue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

However, the IOC is expected to reject any request for medal changes, as FIG rules prohibit altering results. The hearings are currently in progress, and early indications suggest positive developments for Sabrina Voinea and Ana Barbosu. The session began at 9:30 AM, and the jury had already noted issues with the final’s refereeing system.

The hearing has been ongoing for five hours as of 10:30 AM ET. Present at the session were former Italian gymnast and FIG Executive Committee, FIG Council member Donatella Sacchi, Sabrina Voinea, and Jordan Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has identified several errors in the judging of the floor final. Romania has asked for two bronze medals to be given to Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea. They have also agreed for Jordan Chiles to keep her bronze medal.

Notably, Chiles had initially missed out on a medal, finishing fifth with a score of 13.666. However, her coach, Cecile Landi, submitted an inquiry questioning the judges’ evaluation. The appeal was granted, and Chiles’ difficulty score was adjusted from 5.8 to 5.9, boosting her total score to 13.766 and securing the bronze medal. This unexpected turnaround prompted jubilation from Chiles and her supporters, while relegating Romanian athlete Ana Maria Bărbosu out of podium contention.

To add insult to injury, Bărbosu’s teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea also got her points deducted by 0.100 for seemingly “stepping out of bounds”, resulting in a final score of 13.700. In response to this, the Romanian Olympic Committee has contested Voinea’s final score, especially after video evidence showed otherwise. Romanian Olympic Committee President Mihai Covaliu also called for a review of the scoring, criticizing the International Gymnastics Federation for not providing full reasoning for the initial appeal’s rejection. He voiced concerns about the impact on the athletes’ mental health and the integrity of international gymnastics.

This sudden shift reverberated globally, with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announcing a boycott of the Olympic closing Ceremony. Legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci also expressed dismay, highlighting the emotional toll on athletes.

Update at 10:59 AM ET: The Romanian Gymnastics Federation mentioned that Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea might potentially receive bronze medals. The legal process finally concluded.

Update, 11:20 AM ET: At last, Sabin Gherdan, a lawyer, from Romania representing CAS, suggested the possibility of reaching a settlement with the USA. This could lead to Jordan Chiles, Ana Barbosu, and Sabrina Voinea each receiving bronze medals. Such a development would completely change the scenario. This could result in a satisfying outcome, for everyone concerned.

As of the latest update at 12:35 PM ET: CAS has dismissed the USA team’s inquiry, citing that the appeal was filed beyond the one-minute deadline specified by the FIG 2024 Technical Regulations. Voinea’s claim was also rejected as she did not challenge the out-of-bounds line. Consequently, Ana Barbosu has been reinstated as the Olympic bronze medalist. Given these decisions, it’s evident that FIG needs to undergo substantial reform.

As of 12:38 PM ET: Jordan Chiles’ score has been reverted to 13.666, placing her at fifth. Ana Bărbosu will be awarded the bronze medal.

Following these events, Jordan Chiles’ heartache was undeniable. She took to Instagram with a heartfelt message, saying, “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thankyou”

Interestingly, CAS clarified that while its ruling affects Chiles’ score, it does not alter the final rankings. “The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique shall determine the ranking of the Final of the women’s Floor exercise and assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision,” a press release by the ruling body read.

New update as of 1:13 PM ET: USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee expressed their profound disappointment in a joint statement following Saturday’s ruling. They emphasized that the inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor routine was filed in good faith and in line with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.

As they put it, “Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her.”

It seems that UCLA, where Jordan Chiles recently announced her return to compete for the Bruin Gymnastics team in the 2025 NCAA season, is standing firmly by her side. In response to the developments, UCLA showed their support by tweeting, “We stand by Jordan Chiles always!” It’s clear that the emotional rollercoaster of celebrating a bronze medal only to have it taken away is a bitter pill for any athlete to swallow, and Chiles’ heartbreak is undoubtedly profound.

On August 11, 2024, the official FIG website confirmed the update following the CAS decision OG 24/15. The FIG announced that there have been changes to the results of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final held on August 5 2024 in compliance with the court’s ruling. Jordan Chiles’s original score of 13.666 has been reinstated, leading to adjustments, in the rankings. Consequently, Ana Barbosa is now officially recognized as the bronze medalist with a score of 13.766.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed the medal reallocation less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned an appeal from Chiles’ coach. This appeal, filed during Monday’s competition, had originally bumped Chiles ahead of Ana Barbosu onto the podium.

Now new step has been taken by USOPC on the 11th of AUGUST

According to a recent statement, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) will appeal the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision regarding Jordan Chiles. The USOPC asserts that Jordan rightfully earned her bronze medal and that critical errors were made in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the CAS appeal process. The statement highlights that the FIG’s scoring mistake and the lack of adequate time and notice given to the USOPC to challenge the decision hindered their ability to present a comprehensive case. The USOPC remains committed to securing the recognition Jordan deserves and will continue to advocate for a swift and fair resolution.

NEW MAJOR UPDATE as of 3:58 PM EST – USA Gymnastics has dramatically reignited the CAS tribunal case with newly uncovered evidence, proving that their inquiry was filed within 47 seconds. This compelling video footage, previously unavailable, couldn’t be submitted before the tribunal’s initial decision. This revelation adds a significant twist to the ongoing saga, potentially altering the course of the dispute and shining a new light on the proceedings.