Romanian Olympic gymnast Ana Barbosu who was involved in Bronze medal controversy with Jordan Chiles announces major career move for the NCAA season

Romanian Olympic gymnast Ana Barbosu, who was involved in a bronze medal debacle with Jordan Chiles, expressed her feelings after announcing her move to the NCAA circuit.

Barbosu and Chiles competed in the floor event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Romanian athlete settled in third place after following Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade and scoring 13.700 points. Chiles secured fifth place after bagging 13.666 points - 5.800 for difficulty and 7.866 points for execution.

After Chiles' coach Cecile Landi's inquiry over low difficulty score, Chiles was assigned 13.766 points, moving her to third place. However, after the Romanian squad's appeal to CAS, Barbosu was again promoted to third place. The squad cited that Landi submitted the inquiry in 64 seconds, four seconds later than the permitted time.

Currently, as Chiles battles for the bronze medal court, while competing in the collegiate circuit with UCLA, Barbosu will also appear in the NCAA season. The Romanian gymnast took to social media to share the announcement, making a significant career change.

"It feels almost surreal to announce that I’ve been accepted to Stanford University," Barbosu wrote. "None of this would have been possible without the incredible support and encouragement from @crazyrichathletes, who gave me the courage to dream big and stood by me every step of the way."

She added:

"Can’t wait to join this amazing family! Go Card❤️🌲"

Jordan Chiles expresses her discontent with CAS' decision over the Paris Olympics bronze medal fiasco

Jordan Chiles of the UCLA Bruins at the "Meet The Bruins" event in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Getty Images)

Following Romania's appeal, Jordan Chiles was asked to return the medal to Ana Barbosu. Chiles then filed a formal appeal with the Swiss Federal Tribunal to "overturn an earlier ruling” by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

After the IOC asked Chiles to return the medal, she referred to the decision as "unjust" not only for her but for everyone who supported and believed in her.

"This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey," Chiles said. "To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country." (via Fox News)

Barbosu’s freshman season at Stanford is poised to overlap with Jordan Chiles’ senior year at UCLA.