CAS sanctions Ana Maria Bărbosu with a two-year period of ineligibility following three whereabouts violations

The Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has partially upheld the application filed by World Gymnastics against gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu and ruled that the athlete violated anti-doping rules. Bărbosu was sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility, beginning on May 5, 2026, the date of her provisional suspension.

The case concerns three instances in which the gymnast allegedly failed to comply with her obligation to provide whereabouts information for anti-doping tests. The violations occurred between September and December 2025, within a 12-month period. CAS found that all three violations had been properly recorded and constituted breaches of the anti-doping rules.

Ana Maria Bărbosu challenged the sanction proposed by the International Testing Agency (ITA) and requested a hearing. On August 20, 2026, a sole CAS judge examined the arguments of both parties. The period already served under the provisional suspension will be deducted from the two-year period.

The tribunal ruled, however, that the results obtained by Bărbosu in competitions from December 2025 onward would not be annulled. For this reason, World Gymnastics’ application was only partially upheld.

The athlete is also involved in separate proceedings before CAS concerning the floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The case, involving the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, Ana Maria Bărbosu, Jordan Chiles, USA Gymnastics, Donatella Sacchi and World Gymnastics, was referred back for reconsideration in February 2026. The parties have requested that any hearing not take place before May 2027.