Skye Blakely wins world all-around gold in Rotterdam after Achilles comeback

Skye Blakely is a world champion. The 21-year-old American won the women’s all-around at the 2026 Artistic World Championships in Rotterdam on Friday, totalling 55.733 points across the four apparatus in a commanding performance (https://usagym.org/blakely-clinches-all-around-gold-at-artistic-worlds-pease-finishes-seventh/).

The University of Florida junior scored 14.200 on vault, 14.400 on uneven bars and 14.200 on balance beam before sealing the title with 12.933 on floor, finishing more than half a point clear of silver medallist Ludmila Roshchina of Russia (55.199). China’s 16-year-old Ke Qinqin took bronze on 55.032 after a fall on her beam dismount (https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2026/10/23/skye-blakely-claire-pease-gymnastics-worlds-all-around-live-results—live/92252554007/).

It is Blakely’s first individual World medal in her fourth appearance at the championships, and she becomes the first American all-around world champion since Simone Biles in 2023. Her victory extends the United States’ streak of medalling in the World all-around at every championships since 2003 (https://usagym.org/blakely-clinches-all-around-gold-at-artistic-worlds-pease-finishes-seventh/).

The triumph completes a remarkable comeback. Two days before the 2024 Olympic Trials, Blakely ruptured her right Achilles in training, ending her season and dashing her hopes of making the Paris team after she had finished runner-up to Biles at the 2024 U.S. Championships (https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/skye-blakely-gymnastics-world-championships-all-around).

“I already cried, but it just means the world to me,” Blakely said. “Knowing how much I’ve been through — two major surgeries, a lot of hardships, ups and downs” (https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/skye-blakely-gymnastics-world-championships-all-around).

Fellow American Claire Pease finished seventh with 54.232, posting the night’s highest floor score of 13.733 (https://usagym.org/blakely-clinches-all-around-gold-at-artistic-worlds-pease-finishes-seventh/).