Disgrace, insult and scandal dominated the covering of the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics: the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu decided not to attend it as the Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu lost a bronze medal due to foul play. This episode of sexual abuse led to mass outrage and focused the public’s attention to the issues with gymnastics scoring.
On Monday, Ana Barbosu rejoiced over the bronze medal in the floor event as the decision on the amended score of Jordan Chiles’ performance resulted from the American team’s appeal. Such policy inquiry led to zero growth as established by the cross sectional analysis and synthesis of the scores attained. One-point improvement for Chiles, which pushed her ahead of Barbosu and into the third, Olympic, position. This change left Barbosu shocked and in tears which made the show an international sensation.
There were scandals and prejudice: that is how the gymnasts of our team were treated, that is why I did not come to the closing ceremony of the Paris olympics 2024, Ciolacu wrote on Facebook. They specifically heard about the situation of one ex-employee who, “To withdraw a medal earned for honest work on the basis of an appeal is totally unacceptable!”
Ciolacu promised that Romania would treat Barbosu and fifth-place finisher Sabrina Maneca-Voinea as Olympic medalists although the ruling was colorful. “You have with you an entire nation for which your work and your sweat is more valuable than any medal no matter what it is from,” he added.
The case has once again sparked debates regarding the objectives and effects on mental health of gymnastics scoring questions. Other individuals who also expressed their disapproval for the decision include, Romanian gymnastics legend, Nadia Comaneci, who said that she could not believe that people toy with athletes’ mental health and emotions like this.
Romania the onetime king of Gymnastics in the maps of the Olympics was putting up a very spirited display after a break of 12 years. The reaction of Ciolacu can be considered as more global as it also concerns the purity of the competition and the psychological conditions of the athletes in the context of the quarantine. As the world watches, this episode pointed out the direness of the situation and the lack of fairness in the sports’ adjudication.