Chairman of the Romanian Olympic Committee (COSR) Mihai Covaliu said on Tuesday in Paris that COSR and the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (FRG) will do everything possible to get „justice” for gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who did not receive the „grade she deserved” in the women’s floor exercise final.
„It seems that due to a judging error we have reached a situation where, one by one, two gymnasts from Romania were faulted. First of all, athlete Sabrina Voinea, because here we are talking about the grade she received, and had it been correct, Sabrina would have been in a position to win the bronze medal. The challenge that the athlete from America did is regular, any athlete can file a challenge. We are not talking about the grade received by the athlete from the United States, because that is not our business. In time, as the routine of Sabrina Voinea was analysed, there are some question marks and since yesterday it has been analysed by everyone. There are elements that make us believe that the grade could have been higher, because Sabrina Voinea did not go outside the regulation surface, from the carpet, and that jump ‘Popa’ was executed absolutely correctly. And that’s what the specialists say, I don’t say that. Of course, you can also go to the CAS, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation will take these steps. But first of all, this approach has to start with the international federation. We are doing everything we can to get justice for Sabrina. We are in contact with specialists, including Nadia Comaneci, and all the others who can lend a hand in arguing that Sabrina did not receive the grade she deserved,” said Covaliu.
Referring to a letter of protest sent to the International Gymnastics Federation by COSR, addressed directly to President Morinari Watanabe, Covaliu said that at the same time, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation should notify the international forum about the technical elements that the specialists noticed.
„The Romanian Olympic Committee took these steps with the International Gymnastics Federation, in which we brought to attention this aspect, related to the fact that Sabrina Voinea’s grade does not seem correct to us. On the other hand, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation has to file a complaint with the international federation and draw attention to the technical elements they noticed and following their reanalysis, the Romanian athlete should receive the corresponding score and determine whether or not it has an impact on the final grade.”
The COSR president added that the reaction of Camelia Voinea, mother and coach of the athlete Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who announced her retirement, is justified by this injustice, but he is also convinced that the gymnast will continue.
„It is normal that after a lifetime’s work that you have done to fulfill your dream, by doing a medal-worthy exercise, you have certain reactions. But I’ll tell you what I said last night to Camelia Voinea. Sabrina from now on, regardless of what will happen, has something to prove to the International Gymnastics Federation, to her competition partners, that she is a good athlete and that she can win, not the bronze medal, but maybe even the gold medal in four years’ time.”
Camelia Voinea said on Tuesday that she intends to challenge with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) the decision of the judges in Monday’s women’s floor exercise final, that cost her daughter the bronze medal. She is confident that the medal is within reach.
AGERPRES
