Paris Olympics Spark Outrage in Romania as Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu Refuses to Attend Closing Ceremony Over Scoring Controversy That Cost Gymnast Ana Barbosu a Bronze Medal

Romania’s Prime Minister has announced he will be boycotting the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics on August 11, in response to what he describes as a “scandalous situation” affecting Romanian athletes.

The controversy began when Ana Barbosu, who had already celebrated her bronze medal in the floor event, was left devastated after an appeal by USA coaches led to a scoring change.

The adjustment, which gave American gymnast Jordan Chiles a 0.1 point increase, bumped Chiles up to third place, pushing both Barbosu and her teammate Sabrina Voinea out of medal contention.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu expressed his outrage on Facebook, stating, “I decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner.”

He emphasized that withdrawing a medal based on an appeal is “totally unacceptable.”

Ciolacu assured that Romania would continue to honor Barbosu and Voinea as Olympic medalists, acknowledging their hard work and dedication despite the disappointing outcome.

“You have with you an entire nation for which your work and tears are more precious than any medal, no matter what precious metal they are from,” he added.

The Impact on Athletes

The impact on Barbosu was profound. She was holding the Romanian flag when she saw the scoring change and, in shock, dropped the flag and walked off in tears. In gymnastics, it’s standard for athletes or coaches to request a review of scores, but this particular case has highlighted issues in the judging process.

The scoring revision also affected Voinea, who fell to fifth place as a result. Romania, once a dominant force in gymnastics, had returned to the Olympics after a 12-year absence.

The event has sparked criticism from gymnastics legends like Nadia Comaneci, who expressed disbelief over the handling of the situation on social media.

Romanian Olympic Committee’s Response

In response, Mihai Covaliu, president of the Romanian Olympic Committee, sent a formal letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation. The letter requests a re-evaluation of Voinea’s score and highlights concerns about the fairness of the judging process. Covaliu’s letter emphasizes the importance of protecting athletes’ mental health and calls for a transparent explanation of the decision-making process.

The letter states, “The way of assessing the score awarded and the refusal to fully present the reasons for the rejection of the appeal brings serious damage both to the image of international gymnastics and to the athlete, endangering her mental health.

” It further urges the International Gymnastics Federation to review the case thoroughly and communicate their final decision clearly.