Gymnastics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's floor

Main article: Gymnastics at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Women's floor at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
Olympic artistic gymnastics
Venue	Accor Arena
Dates	28 July 2024 (qualifying) 5 August 2024 (final)
Competitors	9 from 6 nations
Winning score	14.166
Medalists
Rebeca Andrade   Brazil Simone Biles   United States Ana Bărbosu   Romania
←  2020 2028  →

The women's floor event at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held on 28 July and 5 August 2024 at the Accor Arena (referred to as the Bercy Arena due to IOC sponsorship rules). ^[1] 76 gymnasts from 33 nations (of the 95 total gymnasts) competed on floor in the qualifying round. ^[2]

Background

This was the 20th appearance of the event, after making its debut at the 1952 Summer Olympics. 2016 champion Simone Biles qualified for the final for a third consecutive Olympics. However, she only competed in the event final for a second time after pulling out of the 2020 final due to the twisties. ^[3] The defending gold medalist Jade Carey also competed in the qualifying round but did not advance after falling on one of her tumbling passes. She later revealed she had not been feeling well in the days leading up to qualification. ^[4]

Qualification

Main article: Gymnastics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 5 qualified gymnasts. A total of 95 quota places are allocated to women's artistic gymnastics. ^[5]

The 12 teams that qualified were able to send 5 gymnasts in the team competition, for a total of 60 of the 95 quota places. The top three teams at the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (the United States, Great Britain, and Canada) and the top nine teams (excluding those already qualified) at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships (China, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Australia, Romania, and South Korea) earned team qualification places.

The remaining 35 quota places are awarded individually. Each gymnast can only earn one place, except that gymnasts that competed with a team that qualified are eligible to earn a second place through the 2024 All Around World Cup Series. Some of the individual events are open to gymnasts from NOCs with qualified teams, while others are not. These places are filled through various criteria based on the 2023 World Championships, the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series, continental championships, a reallocation guarantee and a Tripartite Commission invitation.

Each of the 95 qualified gymnasts are eligible for the floor competition, but many gymnasts do not compete in each of the apparatus events.

Competition format

The top 8 qualifiers in the qualification phase (limit two per NOC) advanced to the apparatus final. The finalists performed on the floor again. Qualification scores were then ignored, with only final round scores counting. Due to a tie in qualifying scores between Rina Kishi and Ana Bărbosu, 9 gymnasts advanced to the final round.

Schedule

Date	Time	Round	Subdivision
28 July	09:30	Qualification	Subdivision 1
	11:40		Subdivision 2
	14:50		Subdivision 3
	18:00		Subdivision 4
	21:10		Subdivision 5
5 August	14:25	Final	–
All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00)

Results

Qualifying

Main article: Gymnastics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's artistic qualification

The gymnasts who ranked in the top eight qualified for the final round. In a case where more than two gymnasts from the same NOC were in the top eight, the last ranked among them would not qualify to final round. The next-best ranked gymnast would qualify instead.

Rank	Gymnast	D Score	E Score	Pen.	Total	Qual.
1	Simone Biles  (USA)	6.8	7.900	0.100	14.600	Q
2	Rebeca Andrade  (BRA)	5.9	8.000		13.900	Q
3	Jordan Chiles  (USA)	5.8	8.066		13.866	Q
4	Sabrina Voinea  (ROU)	6.2	7.600		13.800	Q
5	Alice D'Amato  (ITA)	5.6	8.100		13.700	Q
6	Ou Yushan  (CHN)	5.6	8.066		13.666	Q
7	Manila Esposito  (ITA)	5.7	7.933		13.633	Q
8 [lower-alpha 1]	Rina Kishi  (JPN)	5.6	8.000		13.600	Q
	Ana Bărbosu  (ROU)	5.6	8.000		13.600	Q
10	Zhang Yihan  (CHN)	5.5	8.033		13.533	R1
11	Júlia Soares  (BRA)	5.4	8.100		13.500	R2
12	Jade Barbosa  (BRA)	5.5	8.000		13.500	–
13	Angela Andreoli  (ITA)	5.8	7.700		13.500	–
14	Zhou Yaqin  (CHN)	5.5	7.966		13.466	–
15	Ellie Black  (CAN)	5.6	7.900	0.100	13.400	R3

^[6]

Reserves

The reserves for the floor event final were:

1.   Zhang Yihan  (CHN)
2.   Júlia Soares  (BRA)
3.   Ellie Black  (CAN)

Only two gymnasts from each country may advance to the floor final. Gymnasts who did not qualify for the final or reserve positions because of the quota, but had high enough scores to do so were:

•   Jade Barbosa  (BRA)
•   Angela Andreoli  (ITA)
•   Zhou Yaqin  (CHN)

Final

Rank	Gymnast	D Score	E Score	Pen.	Total
	Rebeca Andrade  (BRA)	5.9	8.266		14.166
	Simone Biles  (USA)	6.9	7.833	0.600	14.133
	Ana Bărbosu  (ROU)	5.8	8.000	0.100	13.700
4	Sabrina Voinea  (ROU)	5.9	7.900	0.100	13.700
5	Jordan Chiles  (USA)	5.8	7.866		13.666
6	Alice D'Amato  (ITA)	5.6	8.100	0.100	13.600
7	Rina Kishi  (JPN)	5.7	7.566	0.100	13.166
8	Ou Yushan  (CHN)	5.6	7.700	0.300	13.000
9	Manila Esposito  (ITA)	5.7	6.533	0.100	12.133

^[7]

Controversy

Jordan Chiles, who was the last competitor to perform in the final, initially received a score of 13.666, which put her in fifth place directly behind Romanian gymnasts Ana Bărbosu and Sabrina Voinea who each received a score of 13.700 with Bărbosu winning the execution-score tie-breaker. Chiles's coach, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi, filed an inquiry on Chiles's score which resulted in a review that found her difficulty had been entered incorrectly. It was then adjusted to 5.9 from 5.8, and the overall score was upgraded to 13.766, moving her from fifth into a bronze medal position. ^[8] Further controversy arose when it was revealed that Voinea had received a 0.1 point deduction for going out of bounds. The replay showed that Voinea may not have gone out of bounds. If the deduction was not taken, Voinea would have scored 13.800, which would have put her in the bronze medal position even after Chiles's score was increased. ^[9]

Former Romanian Olympic gymnast, Nadia Comăneci, and Mihai Covaliu, president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, requested that Morinari Watanabe, the president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), allow for Voinea's floor exercise to be re-analyzed given that she had received a penalty of 0.1 for a step out of bounds which did not seem to have ocurred and which, if annulled would place her third in the final. ^{[9] [10]} The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, stated that he would boycott the closing ceremony due to "the scandalous situation in the gymnastics, where [Romanian] athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner". ^[9]

Subsequently Bărbosu and Voinea both appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Bărbosu appealed that Chiles's inquiry was filed twenty-four seconds ^[11] after the one-minute deadline, and therefore should not have been reviewed in the first place. On August 10, five days after the final, the CAS found that Chiles' inquiry was filed beyond the 1-minute deadline specified in art. 8.5 of FIG 2024 Technical Regulations, with the official Omega system time clocking the inquiry at 1 minute and 4 seconds. ^{[11] [12]} The CAS therefore ruled that the "initial score of 13.666 given to Ms Jordan Chiles in the final of the women's floor exercise shall be reinstated" and ordered the FIG to determine the ranking of the final and "assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision." ^[13] Voinea's appeal was simultaneously rejected. ^[14] The FIG reinstated the original standings, which led to Bărbosu placing third, Voinea placing fourth, and Chiles placing fifth. ^[15] Later that day Bărbosu posted on her Instagram a message to Voinea and Chiles saying that "my thoughts are with you. I know what you are feeling, because I've been through the same. [...] This situation would not have existed if the persons in charge had respected the regulation. We, athletes are not to be blamed, and the hate directed to us is painful." ^[16]

On 11 August the International Olympic Committee upheld the findings from the CAS and ordered that Chiles return the bronze medal and it be reallocated to Bărbosu. ^[17] Later that day USA Gymnastics (USAG) submitted additional video evidence suggesting that the inquiry was made at 47 seconds opposed to the official time of 1 minute and 4 seconds and requested reinstatement of the 13.766 score. ^{[18] [19]} The CAS denied USAG's appeal to reopen the case. ^[20] USAG stated its intent to continue pursuing "every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal". ^[21]

Notes

1. Rina Kishi and Ana Bărbosu tied for eighth place on the floor exercise. Because they both had the same D-score (5.6) and the same E-score (8.000), the tie was unable to be broken, meaning nine gymnasts qualified for the floor exercise final

References

1. "Paris 2024 – Artistic Gymnastics". Paris 2024. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
2. "Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Qualification". International Gymnastics Federation . International Olympic Committee. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
3. Nancy Armour (31 July 2021). "Simone Biles withdraws from floor exercise final at Olympics; status for balance beam unclear". USA Today . Retrieved 30 July 2024.
4. Jacob Camenker (29 July 2024). "Jade Carey floor routine fall: Why USA's reigning gold medalist won't defend gymnastics title in 2024 Olympics". The Sporting News. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
5. "Artistic – Entry List by NOC". International Gymnastics Federation . International Olympic Committee . Retrieved 30 July 2024.
6. "Women's Floor Exercise - Qualification results" (PDF). Olympics. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
7. "Women's Floor Exercise - Final results" (PDF). Olympics. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
8. "Why Jordan Chiles's score changed, giving her bronze medal in Olympic floor final". USA Today . 5 August 2024.
9. "Romanian leader to skip closing ceremony after gymnastics dispute". NBC . 6 August 2024.
10. Price, Caroline (6 August 2024). "'Romania Robbed:' Judging Error Overshadows 2024 Olympic Gymnastics Floor Final". Forbes .
11. "Culisele finalei de la sol" [Behind the scenes of the floor final]. Golazo.ro (in Romanian). 12 August 2024.
12. "Jordan Chiles May Lose Bronze Medal After Romanian Gymnasts' Protest". Sports Illustrated . August 10, 2024.
13. "Gymnastics: Jordan Chiles set to lose bronze medal after CAS ruling". Reuters . August 10, 2024.
14. "Sabrina Voinea's appeal was rejected". nineoclock.ro. August 10, 2024.
15. Dierberger, Tom (2024-08-11). "IOC Orders Jordan Chiles to Give Back Bronze Medal, Awards It to Ana Barbosu". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved 2024-08-11.
16. "Romania's Ana Barbosu Breaks Silence After Jordan Chiles Is Stripped of Olympic Bronze Medal: 'Been Through the Same'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
17. "Jordan Chiles has to give back her bronze medal because appeal was 4 seconds too late, IOC says". NBC . 11 August 2024.
18. "USA Gymnastics submits additional evidence to Court of Arbitration for Sport". USA Gymnastics . 11 August 2024.
19. Gaydos, Ryan (11 August 2024). "Jordan Chiles score inquiry was made in time and there's video evidence to prove it, USA Gymnastics says". Fox News .
20. "Jordan Chiles must return bronze medal after USA Gymnastics appeal fails". The Guardian . August 13, 2024.
21. "Statement from USA Gymnastics on CAS notice". USA Gymnastics . August 12, 2024.