Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu has spoken out after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced plans to award her the bronze medal, following the stripping of the honour from American gymnast Jordan Chiles.

Barbosu, 18, took to her Instagram story to address the situation, expressing her empathy for both Chiles and her fellow Romanian gymnast, Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. “Sabrina [Maneca-Voinea], Jordan, my thoughts are with you. I know what you are feeling because I’ve been through the same,” Barbosu wrote.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, Barbosu expressed her hope that the three gymnasts could share the podium at the next Olympic Games. “I hope from deep of my heart that at the next Olympics, all three of us will share the same podium. This is my true dream,” she said.

Barbosu also acknowledged that the situation would not have existed if “the persons in charge had respected the regulation,” implying that the incident could have been avoided. She further stated that the “hate directed to us is painful,” emphasizing that the athletes should not be blamed for the situation.

The Romanian gymnast expressed a desire to end the Paris 2024 Olympic Games “in the spirit of Olympism, the true value of the world.”

The IOC’s decision to reallocate the bronze medal to Barbosu came after a review of the Women’s All-Around Final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Chiles was initially awarded the bronze.