The ruling addresses the appeal lodged by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and gymnasts Ana Maria Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, following a disputed score inquiry submitted on behalf of US gymnast Jordan Chiles during the event.

The controversy arose during the Floor Exercise final when an inquiry was submitted by the US team concerning Chiles’ score. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation challenged this inquiry, arguing it was submitted after the one-minute deadline stipulated in the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) 2024 Technical Regulations.

According to these regulations, any such inquiry must be made within one minute of the score being displayed. The Romanian team claimed the inquiry was submitted four seconds late, at one minute and four seconds. The CAS Ad Hoc Division, led by Dr. Hamid G. Gharavi, with panel members Prof. Philippe Sands KC and Prof. Song Lu, upheld this argument.

The panel unanimously ruled that the inquiry was indeed submitted out of time and ordered that Chiles’ original score of 13.666 be reinstated. Consequently, the final rankings for the Women's Floor Exercise event on 5 August 2024 were amended to reflect this decision. The panel's findings were based on a report by Omega, the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, which confirmed the late submission of the inquiry. 

The CAS panel emphasised that Article 8.5 of the FIG Technical Regulations is clear and does not allow for flexibility or exceptions regarding the one-minute deadline. The ruling highlighted that the review requested did not fall under the 'field of play' doctrine, as it was not a matter of referee judgment but rather a failure by FIG to enforce its own timing rules.

In response to allegations from certain US media outlets claiming bias due to the professional background or nationality of the panel members, the CAS firmly condemned these accusations. The CAS pointed out that no party involved in the arbitration had raised any concerns about the impartiality of the panel during the proceedings, making any subsequent criticism baseless.

The decision marks a significant moment in the Olympic gymnastics competition, emphasising the strict enforcement of rules and timelines. The ruling has been met with mixed reactions, particularly from those who supported Chiles, but it underscores the CAS's commitment to fairness and adherence to established regulations.