The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee has appealed Sabrina Maneca-Voinea's floor routine score after a controversial inquiry from Team USA coaches during the women's gymnastics floor final this week knocked the Romanian gymnast out of medal contention, a spokeswoman confirmed to NBC Chicago.
The appeal was sent Tuesday to the International Gymnastics Federation and Tribunal Arbitral du Sport, or Court of Arbitration for Sport, the spokeswoman for the Romanian Olympic Committee told NBC Chicago's Alex Maragos, reporting on the 2024 Olympics from Paris.
After competition finished in Monday's women's final, it appeared U.S. star Jordan Chiles would not medal, sitting in fifth place with a score of 13.666. But just as fans expected to see Simone Biles, who scored a silver medal in the event, as the only American on the podium, Chiles was seen jumping in the air.
"I was the first one to see. ... I was like jumping up and down," Chiles, who lost her voice while cheering and screaming, told reporters after the event.
Team USA had submitted an inquiry on Chiles' difficulty score, which was then reviewed by the judges and, in an unexpected move, her score was adjusted. Chiles' score was revised to 13.766, just barely enough to put her at bronze.
That left Maneca-Voinea and teammate Ana Barbosu without medals after each finishing with a score of 13.700.
The challenge involved Chiles' Tour Jete Full, one of the elements of her routine, which Team USA felt was not properly scored. Chiles didn't get credit for the move in both qualifications and the team final, they said. The judges agreed and the decision pushed Chiles past Maneca-Voinea and Barbosu and into third.
In response, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Tuesday he won't attend the Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony in protest.
"I decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous situation in the gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner," Ciolacu wrote on Facebook. "To withdraw a medal earned for honest work on the basis of an appeal ... is totally unacceptable!"
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He said the gymnasts will still be honored as medalists, writing, "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."
Romanian gymnastics great Nadia Comaneci also responded, writing with frustration in a post on X, "I can't believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this."
The International Gymnastics Federation had not yet responded to NBC Chicago about whether it has received the appear or whether they would agree to it.
According to NBC News, a similar situation decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2022 would suggest that if scores were adjusted in Maneca-Voinea's favor, she may be awarded a bronze medal while Chiles would keep her medal.
