Sports Court publishes verdict on medal-closing
The medal spat between the USA and Romania is over: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has now published the reasoning behind its decision to defend against criticism from the USA. The decision was "crystal clear," concerning a few seconds.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has published the reasoning in the dispute over the Olympic bronze medal in gymnastics, defending against criticism from the USA. Jordan Chiles no longer has a chance for the podium spot in the floor exercise, which she celebrated with her teammate Simone Biles in Paris. The CAS decided that the protest by the US Gymnastics Federation came too late, and thus, the bronze goes to Romania's Ana Barbosu. "The panel wishes to emphasize that its role is to judge based on the laws and evidence, both of which are crystal clear in this case," it stated.
At the floor exercise decision on August 5, the US team filed a protest against Chiles' score. After reviewing video footage, the jury decided to recognize an element and correct the difficulty score upwards, moving Chiles to third place. The decision came after the placements were announced, with Romania's Ana Barbosu already celebrating her third place with her national flag in the hall.
US Gymnastics Federation submits video material
The Romanian federation then filed a protest with the CAS, arguing that the US team requested the correction after one minute and four seconds, not within one minute after the announcement of the score. The CAS agreed and declared the upward correction invalid.
Recently, the US Gymnastics Federation submitted new video material, showing that the first protest was communicated after 47 seconds, and the second after 55 seconds. However, the CAS is not allowed to consider evidence submitted after the fact, according to the federation's statements. The US federation has reserved the right to bring the case to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
Despite the newly submitted video material by the US Gymnastics Federation, proving that their initial protest was filed within the allowed time frame, the CAS remains firm in its decision. The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris will see Romania's Ana Barbosu keeping her bronze medal in the floor exercise event, as the CAS adheres to its policy of not considering evidence submitted after the conclusion of the case.
