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.
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.
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.
France – 161.130
Brazil – 159.730
WG2 Russia – 159.394
Italy – 158.129
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.
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.
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 thrilledFujitsu 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 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.
Reigning World all-around champion Angelina Melnikova, Tokyo Olympic team champion Victoriia Listunova, and 2026 European all-around silver medalist Anna Kalmykova are to miss the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam, October 17-25, after being denied visas, the Russian Gymnastics Federation announced today. ….
As I post, Daniel Marinov, Arsenii Dukhno,Sergei Naidin, Ilya Zaika and Saveli Syedin are approved for the Men.
Only 3 were able to make it to Rotterdam in time for Podium Training.
Alena Glotova, Lyudmila Roshchina, Milana Kayumova and Elizaveta Us have been approved for the women.
Hopefully there will be more last minute approvals.
Personally, I would have voted to continue the ban on Putin’s dictatorship until he ends the war. Recall they were already sanctioned for systematic doping even before Putin invaded Ukraine.
BUT — since World Gymnastics approved them, they should be at World Championships.
World Gymnastics should not host any event in Netherlands nor Indonesia (denying Israeli athletes in 2025) for many years to come.
I fear for Olympics 2028. What nations will Trump ban after a bad golf game?
NOW … if you want to discuss banning nations other than Russia, I’d like to participate. Personally I would ask how many children were killed by a nation’s armed forces when deciding on those bans.
Statement from the Local Organising Committee of the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam has taken note of the announcement by the Russian Gymnastics Federation that three visa applications from members of the Russian delegation have been refused.
The assessment of visa applications and the decisions on whether to grant or refuse them are the sole responsibility of the relevant Dutch authorities. The LOC has no role in this decision-making process and is not involved in the assessment of individual visa applications.
As LOC, we have made every effort within our capacity to support and facilitate the participation of athletes and delegations. We respect the decisions made by the Dutch authorities.
Our position remains unchanged: all athletes eligible to compete under World Gymnastics regulations are welcome in Rotterdam, in accordance with applicable Dutch and European laws and regulations.
World Gymnastics media statement regarding the refusal of visas to three Russian athletes set to participate at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam.
Lausanne (SUI), 14 October 2026 – The issuance of visas to all participants is a process determined solely by the Dutch authorities. World Gymnastics is not in a position to explain why a select number of application requests have been refused. World Gymnastics remains in ongoing dialogue with the Dutch authorities, the Local Organising Committee, and the Russian Gymnastics Federation. World Gymnastics fully regrets the negative impact on the preparations of the Russian delegation and the confusion felt among the wider Artistic Gymnastics World Championships community.
