President of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR) Mihai Covaliu remains optimistic about Ana Maria Barbosu's chance to keep the floor bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, after the Swiss Federal Tribunal sent the case back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for retrial, following the appeal filed by American gymnast Jordan Chiles.

Covaliu said the Romanian side would continue to act exactly as it has so far: 'We will support the Romanian athletes, we will support the Romanian Gymnastics Federation. We have no way and we are not allowed to act otherwise but to defend the Romanian athletes, to defend their rights'. He stressed that the legal battle is not easy, but Romania had already won 'the first stage' at the Olympic Games and was prepared for the latest development, knowing the steps taken by the American side.

The COSR president expressed his confidence that the medal will remain with Barbosu: 'I believe that things will remain as they were after the Olympic Games, with the medal entrusted to Ana Barbosu and to Romania'.

Covaliu criticised the way some media outlets framed the situation, saying headlines suggesting Barbosu had already lost her medal were harmful. 'It was not a good thing, first and foremost for the athlete. I would have expected more solidarity and more support from our people. It is very important in such moments to support the cause of Romanian athletes and not the other way around'.

He added that he has not spoken directly with Barbosu because 'it is a delicate moment', and that communication is being handled through lawyers. 'Our duty is to support our athletes and defend Romania's position,' the COSR official added.

Covaliu also reiterated his belief that all three gymnasts involved - Barbosu, Chiles and Sabrina Voinea - would have deserved a bronze medal. 'I campaigned at the Olympic Games to resolve this situation by awarding a bronze medal to all three athletes. I think it would have been the wisest approach.'

He noted that Romania even accepted the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) proposal to award two bronze medals, one to Chiles and one to Barbosu, but 'lawyers do not always agree', and he insisted that disputes should remain 'within the limits of the regulations of the FIG'.

The dispute ensued after the floor final on August 5, 2024. Barbosu initially finished third, but was pushed to fourth when the U.S. delegation filed an appeal and Jordan Chiles's score was raised from 13.666 to 13.766. Romania then appealed to CAS, which ruled that the U.S. protest had been submitted after the one-minute deadline and therefore should not have been accepted. CAS reinstated Barbosu as the bronze medallist, placing Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth.

The U.S. Gymnastics Federation later said it had new video evidence showing its first protest was lodged 47 seconds after the score was posted, and a second protest eight seconds later. CAS did not admit this evidence, prompting both USA Gymnastics and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea to appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

On January 29, the Swiss court announced it was remitting the case to CAS 'based on the audio-video recording discovered after the CAS decision'. The court said the new material could potentially alter the ruling if CAS determines that the verbal protest was indeed made within the one-minute deadline.

The case now returns to CAS for a new evaluation, prolonging a dispute that has drawn international attention. For Romania, the medal is particularly significant, as the country had not won an Olympic artistic gymnastics medal since 2012, when Sandra Izbasa, Catalina Ponor and the women's team reached the podium in London. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Adrian Tone; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)