Romanian Gymnastics Legend: Scoring Inquiry “Played With Athletes’ Mental Health”

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 expressed outrage after fellow Romanian Ana Barbosu lost her bronze medal spot to American Jordan Chiles. This change occurred on Monday when U.S. coaches requested an inquiry that elevated Chiles’ score, displacing Barbosu from the podium at the Paris Olympics.

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

Barbosu initially celebrated what she believed was a bronze-winning performance in the floor final. Chiles was the last performer, and her preliminary score was lower than Barbosu’s, leading the Romanian to wave her country’s flag in celebration.

However, U.S. coaches requested judges to review the difficulty component of Chiles’ score. This resulted in a .1 point boost, bringing Chiles to 13.766, just surpassing Barbosu’s 13.700.

When the updated scores were displayed, Barbosu, 18, stared at the screen in disbelief before leaving the venue in tears, visibly heartbroken.

#anabarbosu https://t.co/BX2hipxmM5

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