The 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships are currently underway at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, running from October 17 through October 25. Fans can watch the qualification rounds for free on EurovisionSport, while RaiSport is providing live coverage of the finals for viewers in Italy.
Team Competition Stakes in Rotterdam
The men’s artistic gymnastics team final takes place today, October 20, at 9:30 a.m., with medals and qualification passes for the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles on the line. Eight nations are competing for the title: Japan, Great Britain, the team representing Russia (WG 2), China, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Colombia. Italy did not qualify for this final, having finished in ninth place.
In the women’s competition, the Italian squad—known as "The Fairies" and accompanied on the competition floor by coaches Camilla Ugolini, Marco Campodonico, and Enrico Pozzo—delivered a strong performance during the opening qualification rounds. Their routine was built on solid performances on the uneven bars and balance beam, alongside a good closing performance on vault and despite two errors on the floor exercise.
Broadcast Schedule for Finals
RaiSport will air the finals for viewers in Italy. For viewers outside of Italy, the finals remain available via EurovisionSport.
- October 24: Individual apparatus finals including men’s floor exercise, women’s vault, pommel horse, uneven bars, and rings (14:00–18:00).
Qualification Performance and Future Prospects
The Italian women’s team is currently well-positioned to reach the eight-team final, which is the primary objective for the FGI women’s delegation at this world championship. National Technical Director Enrico Casella expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, We couldn’t have hoped for anything better. After the first day, we’re ahead of Japan and behind the United States, without being too far behind. The girls are all doing well. We knew we’d struggle on floor, and indeed we struggled somewhat, but where we could make a difference, on bars and beam, we did. The three and a half twists on vault also paid off very well.
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Individually, Italian gymnasts have shown significant promise. Giulia Perotti and Sofia Tonelli are currently in contention for the 24-athlete all-around final, sitting provisionally in fifth and sixth place respectively. Perotti has performed well on the uneven bars (14.366) and balance beam (13.833), though she encountered minor flaws on her final tumbling pass and double salto on the floor exercise (11.800) and scored 13.033 on the vault. Elisa Iorio holds second place on the uneven bars with 14.466 behind Germany’s Helen Kevric (14.766), while Perotti ranks third on the apparatus with 14.366. On the balance beam, Manila Esposito holds second place with 14.200 points—just 0.066 behind Japan’s Mana Okamura (14.266)—while Perotti ranks fifth with 13.833. Esposito holds third place provisionally on the floor exercise with a score of 13.233, trailing Americans Reese Esponda (13.633) and Claire Pease (13.333).
Frequently Asked Questions
How can international viewers access the qualification footage? All qualification rounds held from October 17–19 are available for free on the EurovisionSport platform.
What is the significance of the team finals for the Italian squad? Qualifying for the final eight is a primary objective for the Italian team. Achieving this is essential also because it guarantees qualification for the World Championships in Chengdu, according to ANSA.
Are the individual final spots confirmed? No, the final rankings for individual all-around and specialty events remain suspended. The official list of finalists will only be determined once all ten qualification subdivisions have concluded.
More on United States
Competition at Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Rotterdam BEGINS. https://t.co/miVTCHNTb4
— https://x.com/GymCoaching/status/2111359700692603251