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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.