In an Olympic drama to rival any sporting feat during the Paris Games, the saga surrounding the decision to strip Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal and award it to Ana Barbos of Romania took another bizarre turn on Wednesday.
An email error at the Court of Arbitration for Sport cost USA Gymnastics valuable time preparing for a hearing to challenge Chile’s medal. A new report from The Washington Post provides more details.
The court sent emails to the wrong address, which delayed communication between gymnastics organizations and the CAS, and days passed before USA Gymnastics was informed of Romania’s efforts and the holding of a hearing.
According to reports, the Court of Arbitration for Sport attempted to contact USA Gymnastics on August 6, but was unable to do so until August 9, less than 24 hours before the hearing was scheduled to take place on August 10.
The United States argued that the deadline was unreasonable, and the court extended it by two hours.
A USA Gymnastics spokesperson told The Washington Post the delay was due to “CAS sending legal documents to an incorrect email address.”
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said the hearing was “rushed” and that it was “impossible” to present concerns or evidence to support Chile’s argument that it deserved a bronze medal.
“We were denied a meaningful opportunity to voice our opinion,” a spokesperson for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement to The Washington Post.
The error could provide further grounds for the United States if it decides to take the matter to Swiss federal court.
The turmoil began when the Romanian Gymnastics Federation complained that the U.S. did not ask the judges in the floor exercise final to reconsider their scores within the one minute they were allotted.
The CAS ruled that Chiles’ original score should be reinstated, meaning Barbos was returned to third place and won the bronze medal.
The drama continues to captivate sports fans around the world even days after the Olympics have ended.
The CAS also said it would not reopen the case, despite the United States arguing it had clear video evidence proving the request for score adjustment was made within the stipulated time frame.
The United States has vowed to continue the fight.
A New York Times report on Tuesday revealed that the committee’s chairman, Hamid G. Gharabi, has done legal work for Romania, raising questions about a possible conflict of interest on his part.
of The CAS issued a statement:A response to reports condemning “outrageous statements made in certain U.S. media outlets.”
“As none of the parties in the case raised any objection to any member of the committee during the proceedings, it can be reasonably inferred that all the parties were satisfied that their cases would be heard by this committee. Any subsequent criticisms are without merit or basis,” the court said in a statement.
