騒動の体操銅メダル、ルーマニア選手に授与　パリ五輪

【ブカレストＡＦＰ＝時事】体操女子ルーマニア代表のアナ・バルボスは１６日、騒動の末にパリ五輪の種目別ゆかの３位が確定したことを受け、銅メダルを授与された。（写真は、パリ五輪、体操女子種目別ゆかの銅メダルを授与され、ポーズをとるルーマニアのアナ・バルボス）
　５日に行われた決勝では、米国のジョーダン・チャイルズが技の難易度に関する採点の見直しが認められて３位となり、当初銅メダルを勝ち取ったと思われたバルボスは失意で大会を後にした。
　その後、ルーマニア側の異議申し立てを受けたスポーツ仲裁裁判所が米国側の抗議のタイミングが規定の時間を過ぎていたとの裁定を下すと、国際体操連盟はチャイルズの銅メダルを取り消し、バルボスに授与することを決めた。
　バルボスは、母国の首都ブカレストで行われたセレモニーで、「とてもうれしいし、感謝している」と喜んだ一方で、「このような問題が高いレベルで起きている」ことは残念だとも話し、「自分たちアスリートには全く何の落ち度もない」として、チャイルズと、同じく採点に異議を唱えていた同胞のサブリナ・マネカボイネアが「幸せな結末」を迎えられることを望んでいると付け加えた。
　米国体操連盟は、引き続きチャイルズのメダル獲得を模索し、スイス連邦裁に上訴する可能性を示している。
　今回の騒動ではチャイルズとバルボス、マネカボイネアの全員がネット上で攻撃にさらされており、ルーマニアの体操連盟がやめるよう求めている。バルボスの母親もこの日、「母親として、あらゆる誹謗（ひぼう）中傷をやめるようお願いする」と訴えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/19-16:55）

Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu received Olympic bronze at a ceremony in Bucharest on Friday after the International Gymnastics Federation awarded it to her instead of US gymnast Jordan Chiles following a bitter row.
A score revision over degree of difficulty lifted Chiles to third in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics on August 5, causing heartbreak for Barbosu who thought she had won bronze.
Romania appealed the decision, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled the US appeal for the score revision came too late.
Chiles, 23, said Thursday that being stripped of a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics has been devastating and heartbreaking and delivered her an unjust blow.
On Friday, Barbosu, 18, said she felt very happy and grateful, though saddened that there have been such problems at a high level.
We as athletes have done absolutely nothing wrong, she said, adding she hoped for Chiles and fellow Romanian gymnast Sabrina Voinea, who also contested her own score in the floor final, to get happy conclusions.
After the medal -- a different one than was given to Chiles -- was placed around her neck in a short ceremony held by the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Barbosu told reporters: I didn't realise it was that heavy.
She added she hopes to bring more medals to the eastern European country, which used to have a powerful gymnastics programme but had not taken part in the Olympics for the past 12 years.
I tell the girls who want to do gymnastics to have faith that if they want something, it will come true if they stick with it and put in the hard work, Barbosu said.
In spite of the hot afternoon, she patiently posed with the medal for photographers, kissed it and then took photos with some children.
USA Gymnastics has vowed to continue to fight for Chiles' medal.
One of the defining images of the Paris Games shows Chiles and silver winner US superstar Simone Biles and Chiles bowing to gold winner Brazil's Rebeca Andrade on the podium.
In her remarks Thursday, Chiles also said a swirl of social media attacks have been extremely hurtful as she tries to recover from the controversy over the floor exercise final.
Chiles, Barbosu and Romania's Voinea have all been attacked online.
Romania's gymnastics federation has asked for the attacks to stop, as did Barbosu's mother, Pompilia Barbosu, on Friday, begging as a mother to stop all the defamations.