What began as a floor exercise controversy in Paris has slowly evolved into one of the sport’s most unexpected rivalries. Jordan Chiles was originally awarded the Olympic bronze medal after a successful appeal boosted her floor difficulty score, edging out Romania’s Ana Barbosu. But the celebration was short-lived. A ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned the decision, citing a late appeal, and the medal was handed back to Barbosu, sparking confusion and uproar across gymnastics circles.
Barbosu, thrust into the spotlight and subjected to online bullying over the incident, responded not with retreat but reinvention. Her bombshell announcement in January, committing to Stanford as part of the 2029 NCAA recruiting class, sent shockwaves through the community. But just as anticipation was peaking, the European Gymnastics Championships brought a new twist with a deeply concerning update.
Inside Gymnastics took to Instagram, highlighting the absence from the mixed team event that has raised eyebrows. Why was Romania’s top gymnast, Ana Barbosu, suddenly withdrawn from team competition? Just hours before the individual all-around finals at the European Gymnastics Championships, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation broke the silence with a carefully worded statement. Via the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, “The decision for Ana Barbosu and Nicholas Tarca not to compete was made in common agreement with the athletes, coaches and the management of the Federation. The team leader, Ana Barbosu, will compete tomorrow for a European medal in the finals of the individual All-Around…” The update did little to settle the nerves. If anything, it has raised more questions than answers.
Especially as Barbosu had been pegged as Romania’s cornerstone for both team and individual events.
This is a developing story; please stay tuned…
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