Romanian Prime Minister Boycotts Olympics Closing Ceremony Over Gymnastics Scoring Controversy

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced he will boycott the Paris Olympics closing ceremony in protest of a scoring decision in the women's gymnastics floor final that resulted in Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu losing a bronze medal.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has announced that he will boycott the Paris Olympics closing ceremony in protest of a scoring decision in the women's gymnastics floor final that resulted in Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu losing a bronze medal.

Barbosu had initially clinched the bronze medal on Monday and began celebrating on the mat. However, U.S. coaches appealed to judges over Jordan Chiles' score, and a review resulted in a 0.1-point increase, which moved Chiles ahead of Barbosu for the bronze medal.

Romanian Prime Minister Boycotts Olympics Closing Ceremony Over Gymnastics Scoring Controversy

Barbosu was then left off the podium and dropped the Romanian flag she was holding when she looked up and saw the scoring change on the board. She covered her face with her hands and walked away in tears.

Ciolacu condemned the scoring decision in a Facebook post, saying that it was "totally unacceptable" to withdraw a medal earned for honest work on the basis of an appeal. He added that Romania would still honor Barbosu and her teammate Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who finished fifth after the review nudged her from fourth, as Olympic medalists.

Romanian Prime Minister Boycotts Olympics Closing Ceremony Over Gymnastics Scoring Controversy

"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," Ciolacu wrote.

Olympic legend Nadia Comaneci also condemned the score change in a social media post on Monday. Comaneci, who won five gold medals during her Olympic career, said that she couldn't believe that the judges were "playing with athletes' mental health and emotions like this."

Romanian Prime Minister Boycotts Olympics Closing Ceremony Over Gymnastics Scoring Controversy

"Let's protect them," she wrote.

Coach Cecile Landi defended the decision to inquire about the score, saying that they had nothing to lose and that they were just trying.

The Paris Olympics marked Romania's return to gymnastics since London in 2012. The country has a proud history in gymnastics with 12 medals, including gold medals in 1984, 2000, and 2004. However, the country has not won a gymnastics medal so far in Paris, while the U.S. has 10 so far, with Chiles receiving the bronze in floor.

Ciolacu's decision to boycott the closing ceremony is a significant sign of protest against the scoring decision. It remains to be seen whether other officials or athletes will join him in boycotting the event.

The controversy over the scoring decision has raised questions about the fairness of the judging system in gymnastics. Some critics have argued that the system is too subjective and that it allows for bias to influence the outcome of competitions.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has defended the judging system, saying that it is fair and objective. However, the FIG has acknowledged that there may be room for improvement and has promised to review the system.

The controversy over the scoring decision is likely to continue in the coming days and weeks. It remains to be seen whether the FIG will make any changes to the judging system in response to the criticism.