ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands — The gymnastics world championships roll on today with the last day of qualification, highlighted by the Russian women's team in subdivision 8.
The day's slate features the final women's seven subdivisions to settle who will advance to the eight-team final, the 24-gymnast all-all around final and the event finals. The U.S. women completed their qualifying session on Sunday, scoring a 164.529, which should be good enough to land them in the team final, where they will try for their eighth consecutive worlds team title.
These championships mark the first opportunity for three men's teams and three women's teams to lock down spots at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
USA TODAY's Nancy Armour is on the ground in Rotterdam
bringing you the latest live updates, reactions, analysis and highlights. Follow along.
Watch Gymnastics World Championship Finals on Peacock!
Gymnastics world championships schedule today
Seven women's subdivisions make up today's action before team finals (Oct. 20-21), all-around finals (Oct. 22-23) and apparatus finals (Oct. 24-25). Each block features at least two teams, as well as gymnasts whose countries didn't qualify a full team and are trying to make the all-around or event finals. All times Eastern.
- 3:30 a.m., women's subdivision 4: Sweden, Belarus, all-around group 6, all-around group 2
- 5:05 a.m., women's subdivision 5: Ukraine, Algeria, Argentina, all-around group 9
- 6:40 a.m., women's subdivision 6: France, Malaysia, all-around groups 3 & 4
- 10 a.m., women's subdivision 7: Netherlands, Great Britain, apparatus specialst groups 1 & 2
- 11:35 a.m., women's subdivision 8: Canada, Spain, Russia, all-around group 11
- 1:35 p.m., women's subdivision 9: Switzerland, Brazil, all-around groups 12 & 13
- 3:10 p.m., women's subdivision 10: China, Korea, all-around groups 1 & 5
Where to watch gymnastics world championships
EuroVision Sport is live streaming qualification. Peacock picks up live streaming when we get to finals.
How world gymnastics qualifying works
In qualifying, teams put four gymnasts up on each event and count their three best scores. The top eight countries advance to the team final, where scoring starts over. The top 24 all-around gymnasts after qualifying advance to the final, with a limit of two per country.
How does gymnastics scoring work?
04:07 AM ET, October 19 2026, Nancy ArmourA gymnastics routine gets two scores: One for difficulty, also known as the D score or start value, and one for execution. Every gymnastics skill has a numerical value, and the D score is the sum total of the skills in a routine. (Except in vault, which is a single skill.) The execution score, or E score, reflects how well the skills were done. A gymnast starts with a 10.0, and deductions for flaws and form errors are taken from there.
Add the D and E scores together, and that’s your total for an apparatus.
In qualifying, teams will put four gymnasts up on each event and count their three best scores. The top eight countries advance to the team final, where scoring starts over. Each team puts up three gymnasts on every apparatus, and every score counts. (You'll often hear this called three up, three count.) Have to count a fall, and your chances for gold are probably gone. Count two or three, and you'll be watching the medals ceremony with the rest of the spectators.
The top 24 all-around gymnasts after qualifying advance to the final, with a limit of two per country. The top eight on each event following qualifying make the event finals, also with a limit of two per country.
`Staying alive'
04:06 AM ET, October 19 2026, Nancy ArmourNo, this isn't a description of me as we begin Day 3 of qualifications. That was the floor music for Belarus' Sofia Shtykhetskaya, and I am here for it. A very fun routine, but her 12.466 won't get her into the floor final. Too bad.
How does Olympic qualifying work?
04:00 AM ET, October 19 2026, Nancy ArmourThe top three teams in the final on Wednesday, Oct. 21, qualify for LA28. The remaining nine teams in the Olympic field will be determined at next year's world championships, which are in Chengdu, China.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LIVE: Russian women's team returns to world gymnastics stage in final day of qualifying
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
