The Americans had the second-highest qualifying score for the team final of the World Gymnastics Championships on Wednesday, while American Skye Blakely qualified second for Friday’s all-around final in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
China had the highest score in qualifying (164.996), ahead of the United States (164.529). At every Olympic Games and World Championships (with a team event) since 2007, the top team in the women’s qualifiers has won the title, even if the scores are reset for the final (Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. ET, Peacock and NBCSN).
Blakely, who was making her world all-around debut at her fourth championships, totaled 55.465 points, just behind Algerian Kaylia Nemour (55.999).
Blakely returned to the elite all-around competition this year for the first time since tearing her Achilles tendon before the 2024 Olympic trials, when she was one of the favorites to make the Paris team.
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“I’ve cried before, but this means the world to me,” said Blakely, who also tore a ligament in his elbow while warming up for the Tokyo Olympic trials. “Knowing everything I’ve been through: two major surgeries, a lot of hardship, ups and downs. »
Blakely will be joined in Friday’s all-around final by world championship rookie Claire Pease, who qualified seventh.
The Americans have won the last seven world team titles dating back to 2011, and have placed at least one woman on the individual all-around podium at every Olympic and world Games since 2003 – a streak of 23 consecutive world championships.
Skye Blakely was a candidate to make the 2024 Olympic team before an injury she described as heartbreaking.
This year’s five-woman U.S. team does not include any gymnasts with Olympic experience, a first for the United States at a worlds with a team event since 2011, the year the streak began.
Hezly Rivera, the youngest U.S. Olympian in any sport in Paris at 16, was on the original team for the world championships but withdrew Saturday for medical reasons.
Three Americans competed in the all-around during qualifying, where up to two per country can advance to the all-around final. Charleigh Bullock, at 16, the youngest American to compete in the world championships since 2018, placed 14th overall in qualifying.
The Americans also qualified for all four women’s individual finals: vault Saturday (Pease and Blakely), uneven bars Saturday (Blakely), beam Sunday (Blakely) and floor exercise Sunday (Reese Esponda and Pease).
The U.S. men qualified fifth for Tuesday’s eight-team final, where the top qualifier was Olympic champion Japan.
Frederick Richard, the team’s only 2024 Olympian, and 19-year-old senior recruit Danila Leykin, 19, finished 11th and 24th in qualifying to advance to Thursday’s all-around final.
Richard also reached the floor exercise final, while 2025 Worlds bronze medalist Patty Hoopes reached the pommel horse final. Both are Saturday.
The World Gymnastics Championships will take place October 17-25 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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