Jordan Chiles snatches bronze from Ana Barbosu after USA appeal score – leaving Romanian gymnast in TEARS in heartbreaking scenes

In stunning scenes moments after the final artistic gymnastics event of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, American gymnast Jordan Chiles jumped two places to finish with a bronze medal in the floor exercise.

After being given a 13.666 for her score, the United States appealed the judge’s score – believing that her difficulty score was incorrect.

Following a review, the judges bumped up her difficulty from a 5.8 to the correct 5.9 – moving Chiles from 0.34 points behind Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea, to above them in a bronze medal place.

Her final score of 13.766 was 0.066 points better than the Romanians, but was 0.367 points behind fellow American Simone Biles in a silver medal place.

After taking deductions, Biles finished 0.033 points behind the winner of the gold medal – Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.

Jordan Chiles will leave Paris with another medal after taking bronze in the floor exercise

But that meant that Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu’s celebrations were cut short as she dropped down to fourth place after the Americans challenged the judges’ initial ruling

Cameras captured Barbosu’s reaction in real time, showing her holding her country’s flag up high before the Romanian looked at the scoreboard in shock.

She was then seen walking away from the floor in tears as she was being consoled by one of her coaches.

The internet was a mix of those happy for Chiles, but feeling heartbroken for Barbosu – with others believing that she was ‘robbed’.

‘Jordan Chiles coaches put in an inquiry to the judges because they incorrectly calculated her start value. They corrected the error, and she wins the bronze. Stoked for Jordan and simultaneously sad for Romania’s Ana Barbosu,’ wrote one user.

‘Ana Barbosu is the classiest gymnast who has supported other gymnasts every time she finishes 4th with positivity. She sees a 3rd on the scoreboard and it is later dropped to 4th. Such devastated crying is something that NEVER happens with this gymnast. Just awful,’ wrote gymnastics blog The Medal Count.

In a quote tweet of the moment that Chiles saw she won bronze, one user said, ‘Wow. The background shot of Ana Bărbosu, holding the Romanian flag, in pure disbelief… that’s heartbreaking.’

‘I am happy for Jordan Chiles but at the sam (sic) time sad for Ana Barbosu of Romania. She thought she got the bronze medal. But because of the score change for Jordan Chiles, Ana was bumped down to 4th,’ wrote another user.

Social media was filled with people feeling happy for Chiles but sad for Barbosu

Others believe that the judges got things wrong and that Chiles should not have won the medal.

‘Romania got robbed in the gymnastics floor final, how did they reject Sabrina’s inquiry but accepted Jordan chiles, when Sabrina [Voinea]’s routine definitely deserved a higher score and I feel bad for Ana barbosu thinking she won the bronze and celebrated,’ wrote one user.

Another wrote, ‘so mad for ana barbosu – chiles’ gogean was not creditable and that routine should not have gone ahead of barb’.

‘Boy imagine if Ana Barbosu were from USA. She would’ve secured that Bronze. Romania’s team getting robbed idec,’ another user said.