The former great gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who is in Paris on the occasion of the 2024 Olympic Games, said on Tuesday that she talked with the president of the International Gymnastics Federation and that she personally asked him to re-analyze the score of the gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who was disqualified in the floor final by a tenth, although the video analysis shows that the Romanian athlete did not step outside the contest carpet as the referees accused.
„I don’t know what can happen, because to take the medal from the other, nothing like that will happen. First of all, it must be clarified, to see if it was taken incorrectly, and after that it will be decided what will happen. There were no waves to point the finger at anyone, but because this justice has to be done for our girls. In our soul, she has the medal, no matter what happens. I talked to her and she told me that her soul is dark. The retirement announcement is at an upsetting moment, she needs a break to clear her mind and feels the love of those at home, and not only those at home, because it was confusion everywhere. I ran, I went to the head referees, I said I want to see the photo with the heel out, but I haven’t seen anything yet. Lucky for us with that footage because I don’t think anyone else has it in that angle. After this case, they will probably think of doing something automatic at the carpet line,” Nadia Comaneci said.
„I think this is the first time that a review of an exercise is required after the gymnastics competition is over. It has to happen during the competition, not after. Luckily I got some video from the MPC, where it is clear that there was no exit (off the carpet, ed. n.). From what I understand, the line judges have a camera from above and you can’t see the detail, touching or not touching, because everyone, including the FIG president, who received this video, is trying to do this review of the floor. I don’t know what will happen, but waves have been made, the world is curious and needs answers and the ‘technicality’ that was used for this one-tenth deduction, which she would have climbed with to third place,” she stated.
Nadia Comaneci states that the president of the international federation promised her that the situation of Sabrina Voinea-Maneca will be reanalyzed.
„I made waves because I care about the girls and we have to put all the flags aside and think that the girls have worked very hard, regardless of the country they come from. I spoke with the president of the International Gymnastics Federation, Mr. Covaliu also spoke with him, he told me that these gymnasts are his children, that he cares a lot about them and that he will do everything possible. I thanked him and he told me that I don’t have to thank him because this is his job. We have to have an answer one way or another. It’s hard to say,” Comaneci added.
The former gymnast stated, at the same time, that Ana-Maria Barbosu, who was preparing to climb the podium before the referees accepted the appeal of the American Jordan Chiles and decided to increase her score, deserved the medal: „For me she already has a medal, it was no mistake. On the other hand, Ana Barbosu was terribly humiliated, I talked to her too, I can imagine what she went through, there is no need for such pressure to today’s generation.”
The president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Mihai Covaliu, sent, on Monday, a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation, addressed directly to the president Morinari Watanabe, for the reanalysis of the challenge of Sabrina Maneca-Voinea’s exercise in the floor final, at the Olympic Games from Paris, according to a COSR press release.
AGERPRES
