China beats USA by 0.233 for women's team gold at Gymnastics Worlds
China won its first women's world team title since 2006 in Rotterdam, ending the United States' run of seven straight world team golds, while Japan took a first team medal in 60 years.
At a glance
- China won the women's team final at the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam on Wednesday, October 21, scoring 165.764 to the United States' 165.531.
- The 0.233-point win ended a US streak of seven consecutive world team titles since 2011, all previously won by at least two points.
- Japan took bronze with 164.063 — its first Olympic or world women's team medal in 60 years.
- Zhang Qingying's 15.066 on balance beam, the best beam score of the final, swung the contest after a US fall on the same apparatus.
China won the women's team title at the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam on Wednesday, October 21, beating the United States by just 0.233 points (165.764 to 165.531). The result ended a US run of seven straight world team titles dating back to 2011 and gave China its first women's world team gold since 2006. Japan took bronze, its first women's team medal at an Olympics or world championships in 60 years.
Final standings
| Rank | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 165.764 |
| 2 | United States | 165.531 |
| 3 | Japan | 164.063 |
| 4 | France | 161.130 |
| 5 | Brazil | 159.730 |
| 6 | Russia (neutral team) | 159.394 |
| 7 | Italy | 158.129 |
| 8 | Canada | 158.096 |
How the final was won
The Americans led by nearly two points at the halfway stage, helped by Skye Blakely's 14.300 on vault and strong uneven bars from Blakely (14.566) and Claire Pease (14.366).
The contest turned on balance beam. China's Zhang Qingying, the reigning world beam champion and the only Chinese gymnast to compete on all four apparatus, scored 15.066, the highest beam mark of the night, and Ke Qinqin added 14.400. For the US, Dulcy Caylor fell on her double pike dismount, and China went into the last rotation with a 2.200-point lead.
On floor, the US fought back: Pease scored 13.933, the best floor score of the final, and the team totalled 40.933 on the apparatus against China's 38.933. Going into the final routine the gap was about 0.8, and China's last gymnast, Qiu Qiyuan, delivered a clean floor routine to seal the gold.
Japan survived falls on uneven bars and in its final routine to hold on to bronze, with Haruka Nakamura (14.133 on beam) and Aiko Sugihara (13.900 on floor) among its top scorers.
Background
The US had dominated women's team gymnastics for more than a decade, winning every world team final since 2011 by at least two points, as well as the Olympic team titles in 2012, 2016 and 2024. China had qualified in first place in Rotterdam, ahead of the Americans, signalling that the gap had closed.
The US arrived without Hezly Rivera, who withdrew the day before qualifying with pain in her left ankle. The US team in the final was Skye Blakely, Charleigh Bullock, Dulcy Caylor, Reese Esponda and Claire Pease.
Reactions
- Zhang Qingying said the title "represents 20 years of work and progress for us".
- Skye Blakely said the US team had "ups and downs" and some things outside its control, but "never gave up the fight".
- US team leader Chellsie Memmel said finishing second would give the squad a lot of motivation.
Why it matters
The result reshapes the build-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the US will compete at home. China now has a world title to defend at the 2027 World Championships in Chengdu, while Japan's bronze confirms its return among the medal contenders. For a sport long dominated by one nation, a margin of a quarter of a point makes the next two years of competition far more open.
What happens next
| Day | Event |
|---|---|
| Thursday, October 22 | Men's all-around final |
| Friday, October 23 | Women's all-around final (Blakely and Pease for the US) |
| After the all-around | Individual apparatus finals |
| 2027 | World Championships in Chengdu, China |
Questions people are asking
Who won the women's team gold at the 2026 Gymnastics World Championships?
China won the women's team final in Rotterdam on October 21, 2026, with 165.764 points, beating the United States (165.531) by 0.233. Japan won bronze with 164.063.
When did China last win the women's world team title?
China's previous women's world team title came in 2006, and its last global team gold was at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The 2026 win ended a US run of seven straight world team titles.
When is the women's all-around final at the 2026 Gymnastics Worlds?
The women's all-around final is on Friday, October 23, 2026, in Rotterdam, with Americans Skye Blakely and Claire Pease among the finalists. The men's all-around final is on Thursday, October 22.
