China denied the United States an eighth straight women’s team title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam. Qiu Qiyuan’s closing floor routine decided the result, as she needed more than 12.600 to win gold and posted 12.833 on Wednesday.
China, who also led qualifying, finished on 165.764 points, 0.233 ahead of the Americans. Japan completed the podium, 1.468 points further back, while France placed fourth.
US beam errors cost them the gold medal
The United States had not lost the team title since Russia beat them at the 2010 championships. This time, several mistakes on the balance beam proved costly. The Americans had built a healthy lead at the halfway stage, helped by strong vault and uneven bars routines from Skye Blakely.
Caylor Dulcy, 18, stumbled on the beam and scored just 12.333. Zhang Qingying, who topped beam qualifying, produced a sparkling routine worth 15.066 points, and the Americans were outscored by more than four points on the apparatus.
Qiu holds her nerve on the floor
China were under pressure on the floor, but Qiu stayed composed to secure their first women’s team world crown since 2006.
Simone Biles absence and the championships ahead
USA superstar Simone Biles, a 23-time world champion, including five titles in the team competition, is taking a break from the sport. She has not competed since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won three gold medals.
The championships continue in the Netherlands on Thursday, when Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto defends his men’s all-around title. He is expected to face a major challenge from his compatriot and Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka. Japan won the men’s team title on Tuesday, ahead of Russia and China.
