Jordan Chiles Returns Bronze Medal to Ana Barbosu

The Paris Olympics were the first to witness a return of a bronze medal to a United States gymnast Jordan Chiles after the Court of Arbitration for Sport awarded the medal to Romanian Ana Barbosu. The latter’s standings have changed “after appeals by Chiles’ coach “landed” in the doping control room and thus were unable to be considered on time”.

The method of returning the medal to her will be transparent as the International Olympic Committee is aware of the appeal’s results and “will facilitate the return of the silver” to Chiles following the award ceremony. The situation both reflects the strictness and inflexibility of such rules in this high-tension competition and further aggravates the emotional roller-coaster that many athletes may experience in those circumstances.

Due to what Barbosu was declared a bronze medalist was the “question asked outside the window to submit”, even if technically, as Cacciola explains, it was at that time “awarded in the third position” because of the error Barbosu “was overtaken”. Although the situation receives a happy ending as the medal will soon be hers, this only underscores the immense tension and stress under which Olympic athletes are significantly unduly forced to compete.