PHOENIX — Skye Blakely's first all-around competition at the elite level in two years was worth the wait.
Blakely is tied with Claire Pease, the 2024 junior champion, atop the standings after the first day of competition at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The two are at 55.6 points, 0.20 points ahead of Charleigh Bullock.
"I was watching my scores," Blakely said when asked if she was scoreboard watching. "I saw a couple other scores, but I actually had no clue really what was going on. For real. So to see it at the end, that's exciting. It just makes me happy."
Paris gold medalist Hezly Rivera, the defending national champion, is 0.60 points behind the leaders after a fall on uneven bars. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey is fifth.
The
second day of competition is Sunday, and scores from the two days will be combined to determine the final standings. The top two gymnasts are guaranteed spots at next month's selection camp for the world championships team, with at least another 10 named to the camp roster.
"I wasn't really knowing exactly what to expect, but to go out there and compete how I did, I'm happy," Blakely said. "I'm really proud of myself. It's not easy, but I feel like I handled each moment (to) the best of my ability."
Blakely was a lock for the Paris team until she blew out her Achilles at the Olympic trials. She has been deliberate in her comeback, only competing uneven bars and balance beam at the elite level. Though she's done the all-around at the NCAA level for Florida, she acknowledged feeling a little uncertain, calling it "an adjustment."
It didn't look like it.
Blakely was solid the entire night, her only real mistake on floor exercise, where she was low on her final tumbling pass. She decided mid-air to take out her last skill, a punch front, but landed awkwardly and stumbled forward a couple of steps.
"I think in the air I was like, 'We'll just do it. We'll just land,'" Blakely said.
But her uneven bars were exquisite, as usual, and her vault looked effortless. Vault was her final event, and she beamed when she came off the podium to exchange hand slaps with her coaches.
"It felt really good," Blakely said. "Just happy to be here overall."
"WOOOOOOO!" 🗣️
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2026
With that coach reaction on uneven bars, it's safe to say that Skye Blakely is BACK!
📺 U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Peacock & NBCSN pic.twitter.com/GiDRJaFDMg
Pease was equally impressive, putting up the second-highest scores on both uneven bars and balance beam. Bullock, who served notice she's going to be one to watch in the lead-up to LA28 with a second-place finish at Winter Cup in February, had a lead going into the final rotation. But she was finishing on floor exercise, her weakest event, and she couldn't keep pace with the leaders.
Rivera was a surprise member of the Paris team, taking advantage of the opening when Blakely and Shilese Jones got hurt. But she's claimed the spotlight for herself with her Paris teammates taking last year off, winning her first national title.
Don't count her out for this year yet, either.
Rivera was in contention for the lead until uneven bars, where she fell on her final release move. The 12.5 dropped her to fourth place going into the final rotation. But Rivera rebounded with a monster routine on balance beam, a 14.3 that was the second-highest score of the night on any event.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Skye Blakely shares US Gymnastics Championships lead after successful all-around return
