No end in sight for Jordan Chiles‘ plight. While the rhyme might result in a few chuckles, a new step by the Romanian gymnastics apex body would definitely irk Chiles some more, adding to her present misfortune. The ongoing saga involving Chiles and Romania’s Ana Barbosu on who is the rightful recipient of the Olympic bronze in the women’s floor exercise has taken a new twist as the FRG looks reluctant to put the controversy to bed so soon.

Ever since the Court of Arbitration for Sports asked the UCLA star to return her Olympic medal, things have become tumultuous for Chiles, for understandable reasons. Citing the fact that Jordan’s inquiry in Paris was late by seconds, the CAS stripped her of the hardware and bestowed the same on Barbosu. However, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation seems to be still confused about which of their athletes they want to get behind on the matter.

The FRG took to Instagram on September 26 to announce that it has filed a fresh appeal against CAS’s ruling in Switzerland. “…the Swiss Supreme Court (TSE) confirmed the reception of the appeal formulated by FRG and Sabrina Maneca Voinea against the decision of the Sports Arbitration Court in Lausanne,” reads the caption of the post. Thanking the team that has helped the FRG in its latest pursuit, the post makes it evident that Maneca Voinea’s case is being followed up rigorously. However, this creates more confusion.

Barbosu and Maneca Voinea both tied at 13.700 before the scores were adjusted and opted to go for a tiebreaker at the 2024 Paris Olympics. And now, with the FRG looking to backtrack and file for an appeal on behalf of Maneca Voinea, it would definitely make the fans go haywire with speculations of whether the Romanians are in a clear headspace where they know what they want.

The CAS had previously ruled that Maneca Voinea stepped out of bounds during the individual floor exercise and was deducted 0.10 points for the same. However, the FRG noted they have video evidence that shows the 17-year-old gymnasts did, in fact, stay within the specified boundaries. However, while the air around the entire matter still awaits a final conclusion, it seems like Jordan is handling the issue rather well.

An emotional tug-of-war surrounding Jordan Chiles

Soon after the CAS and FIG’s ruling, Chiles went into social media hiding to escape the online flak she was being subjected to. The gymnast’s family members entered the arena to defend Chiles amidst the alleged racial attacks coming her way and noted the Bruins star doesn’t deserve such criticism for something she didn’t do. The USAG also remained firm on its position, claiming that Chiles’ coach Cecile Landi raised the inquiry within 47 seconds. On top of that, things got even more debatable days ago when Donatella Sacchi, the FIG president, admitted that they couldn’t identify the person who took Chiles’ inquiry and put it in the electronic system. The discrepancies kept rearing their ugly heads with no answer in sight to satiate all stakeholders involved.

However, amidst all the fiasco, American fans rallied behind Jordan and extended their support in every possible way. From rapper Flavor Flav to Democrat Representative for Memphis Stephan Cohen, everyone with any audible voice stepped up to ensure Chiles didn’t have to let go of her hard-earned Olympic bronze. While that didn’t happen, the FRG’s latest action only makes things more volatile under the given circumstances. How do you see the thing playing out ultimately? Do you think Maneca Voinea’s appeal will be paid heed by the CAS? Or maybe Chiles may be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel? Share your take on the drama with a comment below!