Blakely wins world all-around title as Nemour narrowly misses podium

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Skye Blakely won the women’s all-around title at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam on Friday, 23 October, securing her first individual world gold after an injury kept her out of the Paris Olympics.

The American finished with 55.733 points, 0.534 ahead of Liudmila Roshchina of Russia, competing under the WG2 designation. China’s Ke Qinqin took bronze with 55.032, holding off Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour by just 0.034.

Blakely built her advantage over the opening three rotations. Scores of 14.200 on vault and 14.400 on uneven bars put her ahead before another 14.200 on balance beam gave her more than a point of breathing space. Her closing 12.933 on floor exercise was enough to secure the title.

Nemour, the leading qualifier, was left chasing the field after a problem on her vault approach forced her to attempt a simpler skill. She scored 12.366 there but recovered with the final’s highest marks on both uneven bars, 14.866, and beam, 14.500. Her total of 54.998 still left her fourth.

For the 21-year-old Blakely, the result completed a long return from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered during training at the 2024 US Olympic trials. She rebuilt her competition programme while representing the University of Florida and returned to elite all-around competition in August after two years away from the four-event contest.

Great Britain’s Alice Kinsella placed 13th with 52.765, while Abigail Martin finished 18th on 51.599. American Claire Pease was seventh with 54.232.

Florida said Blakely became the first gymnast to compete in NCAA gymnastics and win a world all-around title in the same calendar year. She is scheduled to contest the vault and uneven bars finals on Saturday, followed by the beam final on Sunday as the championships conclude.

Sources

• Longines Timing — Women’s all-around final official standings
• International Gymnast — Blakely rises to the top in Rotterdam
• Associated Press — Blakely’s long road to world gold
• Florida Gators — Skye Blakely wins world all-around title