Olympic Icon Nadia Comaneci Reacts To Emotional Jordan Chiles Message From Romanian Gymnast
Nine-time Olympic medalist Nadia Comaneci has been one of the biggest proponents behind Romania’s pursuit of justice surrounding the whole Jordan Chiles bronze medal controversy.
It was two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea, who were denied a potential podium finish in the gymnastics individual floor exercise final of the 2024 Olympics when a successful judges appeal from Chiles’ camp suddenly propelled the American to third place.
On Saturday, however, it was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that they had overturned the initial decision on the appeal and that Chiles would now be stripped of her medal.
The biggest benefactor in this scandal is Barbosu, who has now been deemed as the third-place finisher in the floor final. The 17-year-old gymnast took to Instagram shortly after the IOC report came out, sending an emotional message to both Chiles and Voinea.
“Sabrina, Jordan, my thoughts are with you,” she wrote. “I know what you are feeling because I’ve been through the same. But I know you’ll come back stronger. I hope from deep of my heart that at the next Olympics all three of us will share the same podium. This is my true dream.
“This situation would not have existed if the persons in charge had respected the regulation. We athletes are not to be blamed, and the hate directed to us is painful. I wanted to end this edition of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in the spirit of Olympism, the true value of the world.”