In a shocking turn of events at the Paris Olympics, the Romanian Olympic Committee has lodged an appeal against the score awarded to gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea during the floor exercise final. This decision comes after American competitor Jordan Chiles requested an inquiry, leaving the former gymnastics powerhouse reeling with heartbreak and anger.

The floor final on Monday witnessed both Maneca-Voinea and her Romanian teammate Ana Barbosu finishing with identical scores of 13.700. Barbosu, initially believing she had secured the bronze medal via a tiebreaker based on execution scores, jubilantly celebrated with a Romanian flag. However, Chiles, who performed last, saw her score subjected to a review following an inquiry made by her coaches.

After the review, judges chose to augment Chiles' total by 0.1, propelling her to the final podium position ahead of both Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea. Replays of Maneca-Voinea's routine showed that her supposed step out of bounds was a narrowly avoided misstep, casting doubt on the validity of the score deduction attributed to her.

In response to this contentious outcome, the Romanian Olympic Committee's president, Mihai Covaliu, penned a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), urgently requesting a reconsideration of Maneca-Voinea's score. Covaliu criticized the assessment of the score and the lack of transparency in the appeal process, which, he argues, not only tarnishes the image of international gymnastics but also puts the athlete's mental well-being at risk.

At present, it remains unclear whether the FIG will acknowledge Romania's appeal and grant a hearing. Additionally, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation has revealed its submission of requests to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, one of which pertains to the inquiry made by Chiles' coaches.

Expressing concern over the distress caused to Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation is committed to rectifying the perceived errors committed by the judges and restoring the rights of their athletes. The controversy surrounding the floor exercise results has sparked an uproar within Romania, with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announcing on Tuesday his decision to boycott the closing ceremony in light of this "scandalous situation." Ciolacu has assured that Romania will honor both Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea as Olympic medalists, encompassing all aspects, including prize entitlement.

Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci has also echoed the sentiments of outrage after the event, taking to social media to express her disbelief at the apparent disregard for athletes' mental health and emotions.

The outcome of the appeal and the subsequent actions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport will be eagerly anticipated by the gymnastics community and fans alike. As the controversy continues to dominate discussions, the integrity of the Paris Olympics' gymnastics competition hangs in the balance.