2026 World Championships LINKS

Hashimoto Daiki 4th World Gymnastics Title

He’s catching up to Uchimuara Kōhei who won 6 consecutive World all-around titles.

  1. Hashimoto Daiki, Japan, 85.998
  2. Yang Haonan, China, 84.199
  3. Joe Fraser, Great Britain, 83.531
  4. Daniel Marinov, Russia, 83.297
  5. Angel Barajas, Colombia, 83.232
  6. Jake Jarman, Great Britain, 82.865
  7. Arseniy Dukhno, Russia, 82.697
  8. Oka Shinnosuke, Japan, 82.165

Full results.

Nice guy Joe Fraser taking his first AA medal was the highlight for me. Especially since he had been so disappointed in his Team Final performance.

I don’t know much about Yang Haonan. But he already looks essential for the team at 2027 World Chengu. Excellent on all 6 apparatus.

Marinov had a near perfect competition. Shockingly, Dukhno had a fall on H Bar. He seemed to be perfect up to that point.

Jake has never been better.

Angel Barajas definitely could have scored higher. His podium finish awaits.

Olympic champion Oka Shinnosuke? It just wasn’t his day.

Summing-up Rotterdam Worlds TEAM FINAL – China wins.

The Women’s Team Final 2026 was excellent this year — better than I expected. And far better than the Men’s Team Final.

Results.

Automatic qualification as teams to Olympics 2028 for the top three.

1. China – 165.764
2. USA – 165.531
3. Japan – 164.064

  1. France – 161.130
  2. Brazil – 159.730
  3. WG2 Russia – 159.394
  4. Italy – 158.129
  5. Canada – 158.096

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Pundit Analysis

Surprises

  • Fujitsu video analysis has coaches worried that skills credited in the past will suddenly be downgraded. I want computer video analysis integrated into the score as soon as possible. It’s really helped Trampoline.
  • Nobody watching Skye’s Beam worried that she wasn’t getting credit for her Switch Half and series. Credit to the judges, by exacting evaluation of the rules, it wasn’t rotated far enough. The best way to solve this problem would be to devalue Switch Half.
  • Roshchina missed her Dance Combo requirement on Beam. Didn’t seem to have a back-up planned for later in the routine.
  • Manila fell on Beam dismount. Impossible. I’m blocking that from my memory.

Highlights

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

  • China finally winning Gold was my highlight. I recall ALL the World Championships in the past where China won the Men’s Team — and the women were 4th. This time the ladies are Gold medalists on the flight home.
  • Japan so happy with the Bronze podium finish — fantastic.
  • Fujitsu Awards go to the Women’s Team of Japan, first team medal in 60 years. And the Men’s Team of host Netherlands.
  • Newcomer Coralie DEMERS (from Gymnix, Canada) swings like a dream on Bars.
  • Lia-Monica Fontaine from Canada is now age-17. Her 2nd World Championships. A future all-around star with tremendous potential on Floor and Vault.
  • Elena Colas, age 16, is already an AA podium contender. Imagine a scenario where she and Kaylia Nemour were both competing for France. … What could have been.
  • Pease has the best controlled Wolf turn on Beam. WTC should devalue those.
  • Rebeca back at Worlds. Wonderful for Brazil and everyone.
  • Claire Pease was terrific, scoring a competition high 56.099 if there was an AA during Team
  • Without Simone, there’s much more parity in the Team competition. In an exciting 3-up, 3-count Final, many more nations have a chance to medal. For Japan it’s been 60 years since their last podium finish.
  • Floor scores made more sense than in the qualification round. I’m still convinced that choreography was best ever in 2026. Nations like China and USA much more entertaining.
  • As a Canadian, I was pleased Ellie Black’s team qualified for the Final. Recall they qualified 8th four years ago, finishing 3rd in Team, qualifying to the Paris Olympics. That didn’t happen this year due to BEAM. (3 falls in qualifying, 2 falls in Team) But this might be Canada’s strongest team ever — when they stay on the skinny Floor.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Chellsie on the Women’s Team Final

Great team effort.

In future, working on increasing execution scores, especially on Beam.

Absolutely no-one considered the possibility of Skye Blakely not getting credit for her Switch Half. No-one to blame, in my opinion.

I’d love World Gymnastics WTC to devalue Switch Half. It’s an overused skill.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sam Oldham & Kensley Behel on Men’s Worlds TEAM FINAL Rotterdam

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

China are Women’s Gymnastics World Champions. Congratulations.

Full results.

Automatic qualification as teams to Olympics 2028 for the top three.

1. China – 165.764
2. USA – 165.531
3. Japan – 164.064

USA had a fall on Floor. China hit 12 / 12.

There was a controversial decision on Beam. Skye Blakely didn’t get credit for switch half due to insufficient twist. Lost 0.4 for the D part. AND lost combination requirement for the series for 0.5. She had a back-up series but didn’t do it, thinking the first one was fine.

I feel it’s good for the sport to have a new Team Champion. More competition = more excitement. Also, how soon can Shilese Jones get back. 🙂

It was an excellent and exciting Team Final this year.

Beam was the make or break apparatus, as always.

  1. France – 161.130
  2. Brazil – 159.730
  3. WG2 Russia – 159.394
  4. Italy – 158.129
  5. Canada – 158.096

Fujitsu Awards went to the Women’s Team of Japan, first team medal in 60 years. And the Men’s Team of host Netherlands.

Mai is Head Coach of the Japanese team.

Summing-up Men’s Team Finals at Worlds Rotterdam – Japan defends

Top 3 teams earn automatic Olympics 2028 team qualification.

  1. Japan 251.928
  2. WG2/Russia 250.329
  3. China 249.193
  • Great Britain 247.395
  • Switzerland 246.497
  • United States 245.161
  • Netherlands 241.294
  • Colombia 240.093

It really was a crazy day, the top teams making unexpected and sometimes weird mistakes. GBR and China led at various times.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Pundit Analysis

Surprises

  • Colombia qualifying for the Team Final was the biggest surprise. We’d predicted it COULD happen with 2 superstars Ángel Barajas & Camilo Vera. But there are plenty of teams who wanted their spot.
  • USA had the difficulty to contend with the top teams, but had a bad meet. It happens.
  • competition delay after Team NETHERLANDS complained about the Floor in one touch warm-ups. Just like Worlds 2017 Montreal.
  • online and in arena scoring was very good in the qualification days. But for the Team Final, we really didn’t get enough information.
  • top Pommel guys in the world should avoid Magyar / Sivado in case of SKEW deduction. And maybe get rid of Wu-type long travels for risk of form break. I’d like to see Fujitsu analyze extension on regular circles. To separate the best of the best, we might need require a straight line.

Highlights

  • Colombia qualifying for the Team Final was my highlight. A small non-European nation grabbing that spot in front of so many teams looking for 2028 Olympic qualification.
  • Ángel Barajas used his harder H Bar routine. And hit. It’s a shocker every time.
  • Netherlands qualifying for the Team Final was not all that much of a surprise — but them delivering so many excellent routines in front of the home crowd was a huge highlight. Congratulations.
  • Daiki Hashimoto clinching the win for the team on H Bar. Drama.
  • Shane Wiskus was money-in-the-bank again, leading off for team USA. So consistent.
  • my man Kam Nelson from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, confirmed to me he’s a legit contender for the U.S. Olympic team. Consistent competitor on 3 apparatus. Could be top 2 American on any of those three.
  • Zou Jingyuan is maybe my favourite Chinese gymnast of all time. So many BIG routines, big competitions. Now age-28, how many years can he keep going?
  • Switzerland once again super prepared, super consistent. With so many falls from the top teams, at one point I wondered if they might WIN these World Championships
  • Scotland’s Reuben Ward is a GBR A-team member now. Super job in Rotterdam.
  • Jake Jarmin looking great
  • Danila Leykin is a highlight for me. He’s exactly the kind of gymnast USA needs. Charisma. Ultra-modern routine construction. Only age-19, I suspect he will learn a lot from mistakes in 2026 and be a superstar by 2028.
  • China on Rings. Zou Jingyuan (14.033), Yang Haonan (14.000), and Lan Xingyu (14.733).
  • Dukhno is the best gymnast to come out of WG2 Russia for many years. Only age-18. I worry about his future potential on Rings, however.
  • STICK BONUS for MAG has really improved the quality of dismounts. And crowd appeal as the great unwashed can appreciate a stuck landing.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Japan are Men’s World Gymnastics Champions 2026

It wasn’t the walk in the park for Team Japan that many predicted. All the top teams had ups and downs.

Top 3 teams earn automatic Olympics 2028 team qualification.

  1. Japan 251.928
  2. WG2/Russia 250.329
  3. China 249.193
  • Great Britain 247.395
  • Switzerland 246.497
  • United States 245.161
  • Netherlands 241.294
  • Colombia 240.093

Colombia is just a few routines short of being even more competitive. Look out. They are young and hungry.

Switzerland is fantastic in Team competitions. Year after year. I have so much respect for that program.

Summing-up Gymnastics World Championships Rotterdam qualifications

A weird and surprising event.

RESULTS

➙ Nemour leads All-Around qualification at Gymnastics Worlds as Team China surges ahead

➙ China tops women’s qualifications as Russia also challenges U.S. for podium position at Worlds in Rotterdam

➙ Brazilian women proud of Worlds qualifications performance

➙ Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour on Worlds qualifications performance: ‘I’m truly very satisfied’

➙ 8 things to know after qualifying at the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Surprises

  • China has no Bars finalists for the first time since 2006. (This team really is weaker on Bars than usual)
  • Low, whippy Paks on Bars as Team China is showing, not a technique I’d recommend
  • China 2nd on Vault with 2 DTY, 1 Kasamatsu + 1/1, 1 Kasamatsu. Finally good on this apparatus again (since the Cheng Fei teams). I’d say they are the favourites for TEAM if they can hit these again in Team
  • GBR was excellent — aside from Beam. 4 falls resulting in at 9th place team rank. Missing Team for the first time since 2018.
  • Canada had 3 falls on Beam. Yet still qualified 7th with excellent Vault and Floor. Recall Canada qualified 8th four years ago ➙ and had the miracle Team Final to finish 3rd, qualifying to the Paris Olympics.
  • Newcomer Lia Redick from Canada I’d name the breakout star of 2026 – 53.599 qualifying 10th to the AA. (We have breakout stars from Russia, as well, but mainly because Putin’s dictatorship was sanctioned for systematic national sport doping and then invading Ukraine.) Lia’s planning to compete for LSU after the Olympics. One of the top recruits as Lia’s artistic style will be perfect for NCAA.
  • Russia exceeded expectations — though we had no idea who would eventually compete in Rotterdam. World Champion 2010 Aliya Mustafina, now coaching, rated the performance as good. Lyudmila Roshchina and Alena Glotova ranked third and seventh respectively into the AA.
  • “Am I in front?” a surprised-sounding Nemour asked reporters waiting to talk to her after she left the competition floor. She definitely has room for improvement in the AA Final. The champion, for sure, if she hits 4 / 4.
  • Fujitsu analysis is having judges devalue layout skills to pike. Gymnasts who always got credit in the past, were not in Rotterdam. Ellie Black’s intended layout Handspring Front 1/1 vault, for example.

Highlights for me

  • Unpopular opinion — I’m thrilled Fujitsu video analysis is available to the D-panel now. It’s new and making mistakes, even hallucinations. But using machine analysis as part of the final score works really well in Trampoline. It could already be part of Vault scoring ➙ height & distance relative to gymnast height, alignment on landing. Think of the cost savings by having fewer humans involved in scoring. Humans make mistakes, as well. 😀
  • video analysis would do a better job than humans at deducting Wolf Turns and Switch Half, for example. WHY do we still have so many of those in 2026?
  • China on Beam is simply breathtaking.
  • Rebeca Andrade returning on Vault (gasp) and Beam
  • Flavia Saraiva in the all-around, qualifying 12th. 27-years-old and still improving.
  • Netherlands competing at home was terrific, but they didn’t have enough to qualify to the Team final. Too bad as the Men’s team did so.
  • 2016 Olympic beam champion Sanne Wevers finishing her career on home soil
  • Ke Qinqin is fantastic. One of the best in the world already. Fall on Beam dismount in qualifications won’t be repeated.
  • Floor judging is weird. I can’t understand where scores come from. BUT there’s no doubt that choreography is far, far superior to just a few years ago. The American routines are entertaining now.
  • Kylana Muchatuta, the first gymnast from Zimbabwe to compete Worlds. She also recited the Gymnasts’ Oath on behalf of all competing athletes during the Opening Ceremony.
  • I’m a fan of Pan Ei Phyu (Amber) and her coaches, the first gymnast from Myanmar to compete Worlds.
  • I admire all the older gymnasts including Becky Downie, Sanne Wevers, Marta Pihan-Kulesza, Ellie Black, …
  • Alice Kinsella in the all-around and Floor finals, just a little over a year after giving birth to her son
  • It was a surprise for me to see the quality of Team Malaysia. They truly deserved to be here, replacing North Korea this time.
  • Algeria is a respectable team, as well. So long as Kaylia is competing, they will be the top African nation
  • I was impressed with Rotterdam hosting in 2010. And it’s even better in 2026. But this nation should be banned from hosting for the next 10 years as we can’t trust the government to allow all eligible athletes to compete. Same goes for Indonesia who’s government did the same thing at Worlds 2025.
  • Manila Esposito is the superstar that keeps impressing me. I do hope she gets back to the all-around. She’s only age-19.
  • there were fewer delays and announcements of judging inquiries. Still, IF the last routine on an apparatus has an inquiry, everyone stands around before rotating
  • Sabrina Voinea‘s Layout 1/1 on Beam is fantastic. And risky. Her Double Double punch front on Floor must be a first for MAG and WAG. And risky for the Achilles tendons.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

RESULTS ➙ Women’s Gymnastics World Championships Rotterdam Finalists

I was 15 hours at the arena the final day of women’s qualifications. 7 subdivisions.

And it was worth it.

Thrills and surprises.

Full results.

Here’s who’s moving on to Finals.

Team

CHINA leads team qualification after winning NO BARS Finalist positions. They did amazing Beam and even more astonishing Vault.

  1. China 164.996
  2. United States 164.529
  3. Russia 163.662
  4. Italy 162.430
  5. Japan 161.630
  6. France 161.430
  7. Canada 160.130
  8. Brazil 159.131

Canada and GBR both had Beam apocalypses. Canada survived to the Final. GBR did not.

France and Brazil were probably the teams that impressed me the most. Netherlands, as well, though it wasn’t enough.

All-around

  1. Nemour – 55.999
  2. Blakely – 55.465
  3. Roshchina – 55.098
  4. Colas – 55.032
  5. Ke – 54.699
  6. Zhang – 54.565
  7. Pease – 54.431
  8. Visser – 53.965
  9. Glotova – 53.932
  10. Redick – 53.599
  11. Petisco – 53.599
  12. Saraiva – 53.566
  13. Kishi – 53.499
  14. E Black – 53.466
  15. Prat – 53.333
  16. Perotti – 53.032
  17. Tonelli – 52.700
  18. Scott – 52.698
  19. Martin – 52.599
  20. Sugihara – 52.266
  21. Oliveira – 52.165
  22. Vaelen – 52.065
  23. Kinsella – 52.065
  24. Mayer – 51.999

Vault

  1. Rebeca Andrade BRA 14.533
  2. Yeo Seojeong KOR 14.483
  3. Claire Pease USA 14.283
  4. Lia Monica Fontaine CAN 14.099
  5. Skye Blakely 14.066
  6. Ellie Black CAN 13.933
  7. Abigail Martin GBR 13.850
  8. Victoria Mata MEX 13.816

Reserves – Vaelen, Anufrieva, Vlkova

Bars

  1. Kaylia Némour ALG 14.933
  2. Helen Kevric GER 14.766
  3. Elena Colas FRA 14.533
  4. Elisa Iorio ITA 14.466
    – Naomi Visser NED 14.466
  5. Alyona Glotova RUS 14.400
  6. Giulia Perotti ITA 14.366
  7. Skye Blakely USA 14.333

Reserves – Roshchina, Veerman, Ke

Beam

  1. Zhang Qingying CHN 15.100
  2. Qiu Qiyuan CHN 14.966
  3. Flavia Saraiva BRA 14.400
  4. Okamura Mana JPN 14.266
  5. Manila Esposito ITA 14.200
  6. Skye Blakely USA 14.166
  7. Elena Colas FRA 14.133
  8. Kaylia Némour ALG 14.133

Reserves – Hwang, Prat, Scott

Floor

1 Reese Esponda USA 13.633
2 Lia Redick CAN 13.433
3 Abigail Martin GBR 13.433
4 Lia Monica Fontaine CAN 13.366
5 Claire Pease USA 13.333
7 Maïana Prat FRA 13.300
8 Alice Kinsella GBR 13.266
9 Lyudmila Roshchina RUS 13.266

Surviving 12 Hour Days at WORLDS 😀

Caffeine and Sugar.

Coffee with Stroopwafel all day long. Heat softens the caramel and warms the wafel for that perfectly chewy bite.