U.S. Women Lead Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Qualifying in Rotterdam
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team secured the top spot in the standings at the Artistic World Championships qualifying round in Rotterdam, Netherlands, finishing with 164.529 points on Monday, according to The Sports Examiner. Competing without injured U.S. All-Around champion Hezly Rivera, the American squad outperformed Russia’s neutral athletes, who posted 163.662 points. Italy followed in third with 162.430 points, while Japan placed fourth with 161.630 points. The U.S. is pursuing its eighth straight world women’s team gold medal.
US Team Leads Vault in Rotterdam Qualifying
The American team performance relied on contributions from Skye Blakely, Charleigh Bullock, Claire Pease, and Reese Esponda, alongside Dulcy Caylor, who competed exclusively on the balance beam. Across the four apparatus rotations, the U.S. squad finished first on vault with 42.133 points, ahead of Canada’s 41.966 and Great Britain’s 41.800. On the uneven bars, the Russian neutral team led with 42.499 points, followed by Italy at 42.332 and the U.S. at 41.965. France topped the beam standings with 41.699 points, with Italy second at 41.633 and Brazil third at 40.933, while the U.S. placed sixth with 40.499 points. On floor exercise, Canada recorded the top score of 40.099, followed by the U.S. at 39.932 and Great Britain at 39.832.
Kaylia Nemour Leads Individual All-Around Qualifiers
Monday’s qualifying round established the field for the upcoming individual medal events. Algerian Kaylia Nemour, the Paris 2024 uneven bars gold medalist, led all all-around competitors with 55.999 points. Blakely placed second with 55.465 points, and Liudmila Roshchina of the Russian neutral delegation ranked third with 55.098 points. Pease secured fifth place with 54.432 points to advance alongside Blakely, while Bullock finished 12th with 53.499 points but missed the finals due to the rule limiting countries to two entries per final.
Rebeca Andrade of Brazil led the vault qualification with an average of 14.533 across two vaults, followed by Pease at 14.066 and Canada’s Lia-Monica Fontaine at 14.099. Blakely advanced in fourth with 14.066 points. On uneven bars, Nemour led with 14.933 points, followed by Germany’s Helen Kevric at 14.766 and France’s Elena Colas at 14.533, with Blakely advancing in eighth place at 14.333. Brazil’s Flavia Saravia set the pace on the beam with 14.400 points, ahead of Japan’s Mana Okamura at 14.266 and Italy’s Manila Esposito at 14.200, while Blakely qualified fourth with 14.166. On floor exercise, Esponda led the field with 13.633 points, followed by Canada’s Lia Grace Redick at 13.433 and Great Britain’s Abigail Martin at 13.366, with Pease advancing in fifth place at 13.333 points.
Rotterdam Competition Schedule
The competition continues with the men’s team final on Tuesday, followed by the women’s team final on Wednesday. Individual all-around finals and apparatus finals will take place in the following sessions.
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