Romania’s Prime Minister to Boycott Olympics Closing Ceremony Over Controversial Gymnastics Score Change

Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci expressed her outrage following a controversial decision at the Paris Olympics, tweeting on X, “I can’t believe we play with athletes’ mental health and emotions like this.”

PARIS, France — Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Tuesday that he will boycott the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony due to what he described as a “scandalous situation” resulting in a Romanian gymnast losing a bronze medal.

Ana Barbosu had started celebrating her bronze medal in the floor event on Monday when American gymnast Jordan Chiles’ coaches appealed her score. This appeal resulted in a 0.1-point increase for Chiles, moving her ahead of Barbosu into third place on the podium.

“I decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner,” Ciolacu stated on Facebook. “To withdraw a medal earned through honest work on the basis of an appeal is totally unacceptable!”

Ciolacu vowed that Romania would honor Barbosu and fifth-place finisher Sabrina Maneca-Voinea as Olympic medalists, “including in terms of the prizes.”

“You have with you an entire nation for which your work and tears are more precious than any medal, no matter what precious metal they are from,” he added.

Barbosu was in the middle of the floor holding a Romanian flag when she saw the scoring change on the video board. In shock, she dropped the flag, brought her hands to her face, and left the stage in tears.

Inquiries are a standard part of gymnastics competitions. Athletes or coaches can request judges to review routines for proper element ratings. Scores can be adjusted up or down following an inquiry.

The revised scoring of Chiles’ performance also pushed Maneca-Voinea down to fifth place.

Romania, once a gymnastics powerhouse, returned to the Olympics after a 12-year hiatus. Nadia Comaneci, another revered figure in Romanian gymnastics, also criticized the decision, echoing sentiments on social media about the impact on athletes’ mental health and emotions.

Ciolacu stated that viewers worldwide were “literally shocked by this terrible scene” and suggested this highlighted systemic issues within the competition’s organization.