Was gymnast Artem Dolgopyat robbed of the coveted gold medal in the floor exercise due to a judging slip-up? The Israeli team definitely thinks so.
Adam Badir, Artem's go-to physiotherapist who got him competition-ready despite a serious injury, mentioned to team officials that one of the judges confessed post-competition that the Israeli star gymnast should have taken the victory.
The contention stems from Carlos Edriel Yulo of the Philippines, who claimed gold with a score of 15.000, allegedly repeating a move in his routine that should have lowered his difficulty score. Yulo's victory was followed by a second gold in the vault.
Despite the controversy, the Israeli team has decided not to protest the outcome. "We’re not going down that road. We respect the judges' calls, no question," said a team insider. "But, top judges in the sport told us after the final that Artem deserved to win, and the final result was unfair to him."
Celebrating the silver
(Video: Raz Shechnik)
In the floor exercise final at Bercy Arena, Dolgopyat executed a nearly flawless high-difficulty routine, earning a score of 14.966. Yulo, despite an error on his first acrobatic pass, narrowly edged out Dolgopyat. British gymnast Jake Jarman scored 14.933, securing the bronze.
The Israeli Olympic Committee released a statement saying, "Artem delivered a stellar routine in the final, and as in any competition, the judges make the calls and we respect their decisions. We’re all incredibly proud of Artem for his phenomenal performance and thrilled with his success."