The U.S. women’s gymnastics team hit all 16 of their routines, capturing the top spot in team qualifying after three of ten subdivisions at the 2026 Artistic World Championships on Sunday afternoon.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- All-Around Value: Skye Blakely and Claire Pease are current all-around leaders heading into the remaining subdivisions.
- Apparatus Depth: Reese Esponda and Claire Pease have prime positioning for floor and vault finals.
- Men’s Final Rotation: The U.S. men’s fifth-place qualification secures spots in team and apparatus finals for Frederick Richard and Patrick Hoopes.
Rotterdam Routines Propel U.S. Women to Early Lead
Competing in Subdivision 1 on Sunday, the American squad composed of Skye Blakely, Charleigh Bullock, Dulcy Caylor, Reese Esponda, and Claire Pease posted a combined score of 164.529. Italy finished the day in second with 162.430, while Japan claimed third with 161.630 ahead of Monday’s remaining seven subdivisions.
Blakely and Pease set the individual standard. Blakely posted a 55.465 in the all-around, marking her first time competing in the all-around discipline across her four World Championship appearances. Pease followed closely behind with a 54.432. Bullock added the third-best all-around score of 53.499, though she is unable to advance to the final due to the two-per-country limit.
The squad faced a late lineup adjustment on Saturday when Hezly Rivera medically withdrew just before qualifying. Dulcy Caylor stepped into the five-person lineup on Sunday’s rotation, delivering a 13.300 score on balance beam.
American Men Secure Final Berths in Rotterdam
Earlier on Sunday, the U.S. men’s team locked down a spot in Tuesday’s eight-team final by finishing fifth in qualifying. The roster featuring Patrick Hoopes, Danila Leykin, Kameron Nelson, Frederick Richard, and Shane Wiskus sits behind Japan, Great Britain, Russia, and China.
In individual qualification brackets, Richard placed 10th and Leykin finished 21st, securing their places in Thursday’s 24-person all-around final. Richard also advanced to the floor exercise final in fourth place and holds the first reserve spot on the horizontal bar. Hoopes secured fifth place on the pommel horse to punch his ticket to the apparatus final.
Additional depth showed across the men’s reserve list. Kameron Nelson claimed second reserve on still rings and vault, Shane Wiskus earned first reserve on parallel bars, and Danila Leykin took first reserve on floor exercise.
Next Rotations on the Horizon
Qualifying action at the Rotterdam Ahoy arena continues through Monday, with an update on the U.S. women’s standings available Monday evening. The American delegation will enjoy a day of rest before returning to the floor on Tuesday for the men’s team final.
