Skye Blakely Claims World All-Around Gymnastics Title in Rotterdam
American gymnast Skye Blakely captured the women’s all-around world title at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, posting a winning total of 55,733 points, nos.nl reported. The 21-year-old capitalized on errors by her main rivals to secure her first major individual international gold medal.
Russian competitor Ljoedmila Rosjtsjina finished second with 55,199 points, while China’s Ke Qinqin took the bronze medal with 55,032 points. The victory follows Blakely’s silver finish in the qualification round behind Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour.
Missed Olympic Games Precede First Major Individual Gold
Blakely’s gold medal in Rotterdam marks a career breakthrough after missing selection for both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to injuries. While she contributed to team gold medals for the United States at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and helped the American squad to a silver team finish behind China earlier in the week, she had not previously won an individual world title.
History ✨ Skye Blakely is the first active NCAA gymnast to win a world all-around title 🥇#Rotterdam2026 pic.twitter.com/HqNBUm9Ykn
The competition field shifted significantly before the final when reigning world champion Angelina Melnikova of Russia was denied a visa by Dutch authorities and could not compete. Meanwhile, Rosjtsjina secured a visa and competed under the neutral designation of ‘World Gymnastics 2’, earning her first individual international senior medal.
Kaylia Nemour and Top Contenders Struggle on Apparatuses
Tournament favorite Kaylia Nemour missed the podium entirely, finishing fourth with 54,998 points after faltering on her opening vault rotation. The 19-year-old Algerian, who qualified in first place, misjudged her run-up and could not execute her planned vault, scoring 12,366. Despite recovering with strong performances on the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise, the deficit proved too large to overcome.
American teammate Claire Pease also contended for a medal after a strong team final performance but dropped out of the podium hunt after falling from the balance beam. The 17-year-old finished seventh with a total score of 12,533.
Naomi Visser Finishes Eleventh in Front of Home Crowd
Naomi Visser, the sole Dutch gymnast in the all-around final, placed eleventh with a total score of 52,866 points. Performing in front of a home audience at Rotterdam Ahoy, the 25-year-old opened with a 14,033 on the uneven bars—slightly below her qualification mark of 14,466—and will return to compete in the apparatus final for that event.
It was a nice final.
I am still glad and proud that I put together a clean set.
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