Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu mentioned Tuesday that he’ll boycott the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony as a result of a “scandalous scenario” that value a Romanian gymnast a bronze medal.
Ana Barbosu had already begun celebrating her bronze for the flooring occasion Monday when coaches for American Jordan Chiles entered an enchantment to judges over Chiles’ rating. The inquiry lead to a 0.1 increase for Chiles, sufficient to overhaul Barbosu for the final spot on the Olympic podium.
“I made a decision to not attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous scenario within the gymnastics, the place our athletes have been handled in a fully dishonorable method,” Ciolacu wrote in a Fb put up. “To withdraw a medal earned for sincere work on the premise of an enchantment … is completely unacceptable!”
Ciolacu promised Romania would honor Barbosu and fifth-place finisher Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, additionally Romanian, as Olympic medalists, “together with by way of the prizes.”
“You will have with you a complete nation for which your work and tears are extra treasured than any medal, it doesn’t matter what treasured metallic they’re from,” Ciolacu mentioned.
Barbosu was standing on the ground holding a Romanian flag when she seemed up and noticed the scoring change on the video board. She dropped the flag in shock, introduced her palms to her face and walked off in tears.
Inquiries are a regular a part of gymnastics competitions, with athletes or coaches asking judges to evaluate a routine to make sure components are rated correctly. Scores could be adjusted up or down based mostly on an inquiry.
The revised scoring of Chiles’ efficiency additionally nudged Maneca-Voinea all the way down to fifth place.
Romania was a longtime superpower in gymnastics, however this was this system’s return to the Olympics after a 12-year break. Romanian gymnastics nice Nadia Comaneci additionally lashed out after the occasion, writing on X, “I can’t consider we play with athletes psychological well being and feelings like this.”
Ciolacu mentioned that viewers worldwide have been “actually shocked by this horrible scene” and mentioned it highlights that “someplace within the system of organizing this competitors, one thing is flawed.”