The head of a panel, that stripped American gymnast Jordan Chiles of her Olympic bronze and awarded the medal to a Romanian athlete instead, has represented Romania for years in international legal disputes, prompting questions over a potential conflict of interest in the controversial decision.
After Chiles’ routine at the women’s floor exercise final on August 5, Team USA’s head coach submitted an inquiry suggesting the gymnast had been scored incorrectly. After a review, the judges raised her score and placed Chiles in third place.
But the decision was then reviewed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – an independent body that resolves international sports disputes – which ruled that the coach filed her appeal after the deadline. The decision bumped Chiles down to fifth place and moved Romanian gymnast, Ana Barbosu, up to third. The International Olympic Committee…
