Within the gymnastics community, a recent decision made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) involving the women’s floor exercise final has caused uncertainty and controversy. Although the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has accepted the ruling, neither they nor the CAS are prepared to make a firm determination regarding the bronze medal winner.
We contend that Jordan Chiles of the United States and Ana Barbosu of Romania need to share this distinction as two gymnasts. Given the special conditions of this competition, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has the final word over medal distribution, ought to give both athletes bronze medals.
A String of Regrettable Occurrences
At first, Barbosu thought she had won bronze with a score of 13.700, finishing third behind the Brazilian gold medallist Rebeca Andrade and the American silver medallist Simone Biles. Her triumph was short-lived, nonetheless, as Chiles’ coach, Cecile Landi, appealed the decision citing a judging error.
Landi accurately pointed out that Chiles’s difficulty score was lower than she should have received because she was not given credit for a double tuck leap and a full tour jete. After considering the appeal, the judges raised Chiles’ score from 13.666 to 13.766, which allowed her to advance to the podium and win the bronze.
The Appeal from Romania and the FIG Rulebook
Romania challenged this ruling, and the Court of Appeals in Strasbourg found in their favor, noting that Landi’s appeal was submitted outside the allotted one-minute limit for “verbal inquiries.” Barbosu’s initial third-place finish should have stood according to this little-known rule.
The mechanism is in place even though it could be complicated. But this circumstance exposes a basic weakness: Chiles shouldn’t be punished for a mistake in the judges’ decision that cost her the bronze medal in the first place. This uncertainty could have been avoided and an appeal could not have been necessary if the judges had carried out their duty correctly.
Two Meritorious Sportsmen
Barbosu and Chiles are both outstanding gymnasts who did a fantastic job in the floor exercise final. They are dealing with emotional distress and cyberbullying while gymnastics groups try to find a solution to this chaotic scenario that they did not initiate.
Now is the time for the IOC to offer a reasonable and equitable solution. Giving out two bronze medals is the easiest and most fair way to resolve this. It acknowledges Barbosu’s first-place finish as well as Chiles’ legitimate medal claim—especially in light of the judge’s error that affected her score.
An Appeal for Justice
We implore the IOC to make the correct choice and give out two bronze medals in the spirit of good sportsmanship and in recognition of the extraordinary abilities of both individuals. It’s a resolution that pays tribute to Barbosu and Chiles’ commitment and talent, and it makes it very evident that justice and fairness rule the Olympic Games.
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