Olympic Legend Outraged as Romanian Hopeful Stripped of Bronze in Score Dispute

The inquiry that boosted Jordan Chiles’ score left a Romanian gymnast off the podium and crying on the floor at the Paris Olympics.

PARIS, France — Gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci is outraged after fellow Romanian Ana Barbosu lost her bronze medal to American Jordan Chiles on Monday. U.S. coaches initiated an inquiry that ultimately increased Chiles’ score, pushing Barbosu out of podium contention and leading her to break down in tears at the Paris Olympics.

“I can’t believe we play with athletes’ mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci, a nine-time Olympic medalist, expressed on X.

Barbosu initially believed she had secured a medal in the floor final, celebrating with her country’s flag. Chiles, the last competitor, initially posted a score lower than Barbosu’s, prompting the celebration.

However, U.S. coaches requested a review of Chiles’ difficulty score, resulting in a .1 point increase. This adjustment elevated Chiles’ score to 13.766, surpassing Barbosu’s 13.700 score.

Upon seeing the revised results, the 18-year-old Romanian was visibly stunned and soon left the venue in tears, crushed by the outcome.

Reacting to the situation, Team USA coach Cecile Landi stated, “At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try.’ I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”