Well, there is a new twist in the current gymnastics drama out of the Paris Olympics!
As you know, the Court of Arbitration for Sport denied Jordan Chiles’ appeal to reinstate the bronze medal she earned during the women’s individual floor exercise final earlier this month. Even though there is video proof that the initial ruling was wrong, the decision is final now. That means Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu takes the third spot once and for all…
The whole situation was messed up from the start. And it just keeps getting worse! Now, per The New York Times, The International Institute for Conflict Resolution and Prevention revealed on Tuesday that the head of the panel and lawyer Hamid G. Gharavi has represented the Romanian government in several legal disputes for almost a decade! Yes, you read that right! This guy is part of the panel that decided to strip Jordan of the medal AND has a working relationship with Romania! Talk about a HUGE conflict of interest here! (Remember, that bronze wound up going to a Romanian gymnast instead!)
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The panel members are reportedly supposed to complete a conflict of interest form before reviewing any cases. The CAS claimed in an email that Gharavi did disclose his work with Romania, and no one involved in the hearing objected to his appointment as the panel chair:
“In accordance with the guidelines on conflicts of interest issued by the International Bar Association (IBA), CAS has no reason to remove an arbitrator making such disclosure if the parties do not object to his/her appointment.”
Even if Gharavi did disclose his work, this still doesn’t seem fair for the athletes involved! Even Katherine Simpson, an international arbitrator, pointed out he should have taken it upon himself and automatically backed out of the hearing — even if none of the parties objected — since his work with Romania was so significant AND due to the International Bar Association guidelines:
“I don’t understand — especially given the visibility of the case — why he was proposed for this case and why he did not refuse the case when it was offered.”
It is all very sus if you ask us! It also sounds like USA Gymnastics has more ammunition to continue to fight this decision! That is if they chose to do so! What do YOU think, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments!
[Image via NBC Sports/YouTube]
