Barbosu said she hopes “from deep of my heart that at the next Olympics” they can compete again and share the podium.
Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu is speaking out after an Olympic medal controversy ended in Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal being stripped from her and awarded instead to Barbosu.
On Sunday, Aug. 11, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics’ closing ceremonies, Barbosu, 18, reacted on her Instagram Stories to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)’s ruling that Team USA’s Chiles, 23, will need to return the bronze medal she earned during the Aug. 5 floor exercise final.
“Sabrina [Maneca-Voinea], Jordan, my thoughts are with you. I know what you are feeling, because I’ve been through the same. But I know you’ll come back stronger,” Barbosu wrote, addressing Chiles and her fellow Team Romania gymnast, who moved to fifth and fourth places.
“I hope from deep of my heart that at the next Olympics, all three of us will share [the] same podium,” she continued. “This is my true dream!”
Ana Barbosu/instagram
“This situation would not have existed if the persons in charge had respected the regulation,” she concluded. “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.”
Chiles briefly spoke out on the controversy, writing on her Instagram Stories that she was going to be taking time off social media after the ruling in her favor was reversed. “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you,” she wrote.
In an interview with Good Morning America held before the ruling was reversed, Chiles also said that she’s “proud” of Barbosu. “Ana Barbosu, she’s an amazing athlete, she’s done amazing things within her gymnastics as well,” Chiles said. “I’m very proud of myself but very proud of her as well.”
PEOPLE previously reported that following the women’s floor final event, Chiles initially finished fifth based on the judges’ scoring, with a score of 13.666, and the two Romanian competitors finishing in third and fourth with scores of 13.700.
Soon after, Chiles’ coach submitted an inquiry into the decision, arguing that her difficulty score had been too low. Judges from the CAS agreed with the coach and updated Chiles’ score, which moved her up to third place overall, ahead of Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.
The Romanian Olympic committee contested the decision, and on Saturday, Aug. 10, the CAS decided to reinstate Chiles’ original score, moving her back to fifth place, and moving both Romanian gymnasts up.
USA Gymnastics previously told PEOPLE in an email that the team was disappointed with the reversal of the ruling, and adding that it will be pushing for the International Olympic Committee to return Chiles’ medal.
Tom Weller/VOIGT/Getty
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise. The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote to PEOPLE.
The team also called for an end to the hateful messages being sent to Chiles in the wake of the appeal and ruling.
“Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media,” the team added to PEOPLE. “No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her.”
Chiles mom, Gina Chiles, called out people of social media who accused her daughter of cheating, writing that many of the criticisms aimed at Jordan were racist and “disgusting.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.”The racist disgusting comments are still happening in 2024. I’m tired of people who say it no longer exists,” Gina wrote in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday, Aug. 9.
“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched…and she’s being called disgusting things,” she added.Many of Chiles’ teammates, including Simone Biles, Suni Lee and Jade Carey, as well as her coach Cecile Landi — who initially filed the inquiry into her score — have also shown their support for the athlete amid the controversy, condemning the attacks against her.
“Jordan won this bronze medal and didn’t steal anything from anyone,” Landi wrote in a comment on social media, after another user accused Chiles of cheating. “I simply did my job and fought for my athlete.”
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