Romanian PM to Boycott Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony Over Gymnastics ‘Injustice’”

Romanian PM to Boycott Paris Olympics: Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has announced that he won’t attend the Paris Olympic closing ceremony on August 12 because his country's athlete Ana Barbosu was denied a medal in women’s gymnastics.

In a post on his Instagram handle, Romania PM Marcel Ciolacu sharing the picture of Ana Barbosu said, “Am decis să nu particip la ceremonia de închidere a Olimpiadei de la Paris, după situația scandaloasă de la gimnastică, unde sportivele noastre au fost tratate într-un mod absolut dezonorant. (I decided not to participate in the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, after the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable way.)”

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A post shared by Marcel Ciolacu (@marcelciolacu)

Romania PM added, “Să retragi o medalie obținută pe muncă cinstită pe baza unei contestații, pe care nici antrenorii și nici tehnicienii de top nu o înțeleg, este total inacceptabil! (To withdraw a medal earned by honest work on the basis of an appeal, which neither the coaches nor the top technicians understand, is totally unacceptable!)”

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He also added, “Este inadmisibil ca, într-o competiție de asemenea anvergură, care promovează valori precum respectul, înțelegerea și excelența, o copilă care își câștigase onest medalia să fie privată cu brutalitate de rezultatul muncii sale de patru ani! Eu nu am putut să îi privesc lacrimile și să accept cu seninătate că așa ceva este perfect normal! (It is unacceptable that, in such a grand competition that promotes values such as respect, understanding and excellence, a child who had honestly earned her medal to be brutally deprived of the result of her work for four years! I couldn't look at her tears and accept calmly that something like this is perfectly normal!)”

“Iar faptul că sute de milioane de telespectatori din întreaga lume au rămas, ca și noi românii, efectiv șocați de această scenă teribilă, arată că undeva, în sistemul de organizare al acestei competiții, ceva este în neregulă. (And the fact that hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world were, like us Romanians, effectively shocked by this terrible scene, shows that somewhere, in the organization system of this competition, something is wrong.)”

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Marcel Ciolacu further stated “Îmi amintesc foarte bine cum, în comunism, rușii ne furau la Olimpiade, iar noi încercam să ne certăm cu ei fără a avea mari șanse de câștig.(I remember very well how, under communism, the Russians would steal the Olympics from us, and we would try to argue with them without much chance of winning.)”

“Eu nu vreau să mă cert astăzi cu nimeni, ci doar aleg să protestez prin gestul meu față de o nedreptate flagrantă la adresa unor românce care și-au probat din plin valoarea! (I don't want to argue with anyone today, but I just choose to protest with my gesture against a blatant injustice towards some Romanian women who have fully proven their worth!)” Romania PM Marcel Ciolacu praising Ana Barbosu for her exceptional performance said, “Sabrina și Ana Maria, aveți alături o întreagă națiune pentru care munca și lacrimile voastre sunt mai de preț decât orice medalie, indiferent din ce metal prețios ar fi! Și vă asigur că statul român vă va trata, inclusiv în ceea ce privește premiile, ca pe niște medaliate olimpice. Pentru că asta sunteți pentru noi toți! (Sabrina and Ana Maria, you have with you an entire nation for which your work and tears are more precious than any medal, no matter what precious metal it is! And I assure you that the Romanian state will treat you, including in terms of the prizes, like Olympic medalists. Because that's what you are for all of us!)”

Ana Barbosu who is a Romanian athlete came third in the women's gymnastics and won a bronze medal for her country but as she was celebrating while holding her country’s flag when coaches for Jordan Chiles of the USA Team filed an appeal with the judges to review their decision.

After the appeal, Jordan Chiles, an American gymnast score went up by 0.1 points which was enough to pass Barbosu and win the bronze medal.

However, when Ana Barbosu saw her score change on the board she broke into tears.

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