China edge USA to women’s team gold at Gymnastics World Championships

China finished ۰.۲۳۳ points ahead of the Americans, denying them a chance to win an gold eighth consecutive team gold.

China have denied the United States an eighth consecutive women’s team title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships as Qiu Qiyuan sealed a dramatic victory with the final routine.

Qiu needed to score more than ۱۲.۶۰۰ points in the closing floor routine to give her country gold and did just enough with ۱۲.۸۳۳ on Wednesday.

The USA last failed to win gold when they were beaten by Russia at the ۲۰۱۰ championships, but were left to count the cost of several errors on the balance beam in Rotterdam.

China, who also led the way in qualifying, finished with ۱۶۵.۷۶۴ points, edging out the Americans by ۰.۲۳۳ overall.

Japan were a further ۱.۴۶۸ points behind as they completed the podium ahead of fourth-placed France.

USA superstar Simone Biles, a ۲۳-time world champion including five times in the team competition, is taking a break from the sport and has not competed since the ۲۰۲۴ Paris Olympics, where she won three gold medals.

The reigning champions took a healthy lead at the halfway stage, helped by strong vault and uneven bars routines by Skye Blakely, the only gymnast on the team who was part of the quintet that won their seventh consecutive title in ۲۰۲۳.

But ۱۸-year-old Caylor Dulcy stumbled on the beam, scoring just ۱۲.۳۳۳, as the Americans were outscored by more than four points on the apparatus by their rivals.

Zhang Qingying, who topped beam qualifying, in particular made them pay with a sparkling performance that earned her ۱۵.۰۶۶ points.

The Chinese were put under pressure on the floor, but Qiu held her nerve to secure their first women’s team world crown since ۲۰۰۶.

The championships continue in the Netherlands on Thursday as Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto defends his men’s all-around title, with a big challenge expected from his compatriot and Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka.

Japan took the men’s team title on Tuesday, pipping Russia and China.