The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that American gymnast Jordan Chiles should retain her bronze medal from the women's gymnastics floor exercise event at the Paris Olympics on August 5th. However, CAS also expressed disappointment with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for their handling of the situation and their unwillingness to award medals to Romanian gymnasts Ana Bărbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea.

The controversy arose when an inquiry by Chiles' coach, Cecile Landi, regarding her final score was placed after the one-minute window allowed by FIG regulations. Chiles initially scored a 13.666, placing her fifth. However, after raising her score by 0.1 to 13.766, she moved ahead of Bărbosu and Maneca-Voinea, who had both scored a 13.700. This resulted in emotional reactions from both Chiles and Bărbosu, with Chiles celebrating while Bărbosu dropped her Romanian flag out of shock.

The appeal by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation revealed that the inquiry by Chiles' coach was placed four seconds after the one-minute window. Following CAS' decision, FIG revised the final standings, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Chiles' medal would be reallocated to Bărbosu.

USA Gymnastics has stated that they will appeal CAS' decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, presenting video evidence that their inquiry was submitted within the time limit. Meanwhile, Bărbosu is expected to receive her medal in a ceremony this Friday, according to the Romanian federation.

CAS criticized FIG for their lack of a mechanism to alert a late inquiry, stating that such a mechanism could have prevented the heartache experienced by the athletes involved. The panel also expressed hope that FIG will address these issues moving forward to ensure fairness for all athletes.

Requests for comment from FIG regarding their role in the situation have not been immediately returned. The handling of the Jordan Chiles ruling by the IOC has been met with criticism, with many calling it disturbing and shameful.

As the case unfolds, it highlights the importance of clear communication and fair officiating in sports events. The hope remains that all parties involved will learn from this situation and work towards a more transparent process in future competitions.