ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — For about 48 hours, the rest of the world had some hope.
The U.S. women were no longer invincible, their 15-year winning streak at the world gymnastics championships over. With less than two years until the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the Americans had given China, Russia, Japan and everyone else optimism that the gold medal was once again up for grabs.
So much for that.
The clanking sound you heard this weekend was the U.S. women and all their medals. The all-around gold for Skye Blakely, the ninth time in the last 12 years an American woman has won gymnastics' biggest prize. A gold on floor exercise and a silver on vault for Claire Pease. A silver on floor exercise for Reese Esponda. Bronzes on vault and uneven
bars for Blakely.
Seven medals in all, matching the most they've won at a world championships since 2019. Seven medals in 10 finals. No other country came close to that. In fact, China (three), Brazil (two) and Algeria (two) were the only other countries to win multiple medals.
"I sure hope so," Chellsie Memmel, the U.S. women's technical lead, said when asked if the team had sent a message at these worlds that they are not to be discounted.
"I feel like we’ve done a very good job. I really couldn’t have asked for more from them," Memmel added. "They went out and gave it their all every single time they were on the floor, and we’ve got quite a few medals that we’re going home with."
The Americans aren't at full strength yet, either. Hezly Rivera, who would have been an all-around contender, missed these worlds with a left ankle injury. Tokyo Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee has resumed training and plans to return to competition next year.
And the G.O.A.T., Simone Biles, is still weighing whether she'll return for LA28.
"Confidence, eagerness, excitement. I'm excited," Memmel said when asked how she feels about the U.S. team after these worlds.
"Everybody that we have — from what we have here, who says they’re coming back at home — it’s just going to make us stronger," Memmel added. "I think they’re just going to fight harder to make that team, and it elevates everyone’s performance. I think that (competition) is what makes us great."
Here's a look at who's stock is up and who's is down after these worlds.
Stock up big time: Skye Blakely
Blakely has always had tantalizing potential. But she's been a question mark because of untimely injuries and a lack of consistency when the stakes were highest.
No more.
Blakely established herself as, for now, the one to beat in LA28. She won the all-around title, as well as bronzes on vault and uneven bars. Equally impressive, she did 14 routines across the competition without a major error.
"It definitely feels like something is different. I’m just grateful to feel like everything came together at the right time," Blakely said.
"I know that my gymnastics has been there and my skills have been there," she added, "but I think it’s continuing to strengthen my mind and how I think about myself and how I handle pressure situations. From this meet, I can definitely take away that I know how to handle it. It’s just being strong in those moments and not giving power to the nerves, the doubts, any fears. They’re going to be there. I need to give power to belief."
And her struggles on beam? Blakely was such a gamer she anchored the U.S. lineup in the team final.
"I do feel like this was just huge overall for Skye. Honestly, with or without the medals. Had she done the same performances and hit everything, that growth would have still been so evident," Memmel said.
"I think she’s just trusting herself more. What she’s doing is working, and it’s reflected in her performance and her confidence level."
Stock up: Claire Pease
Pease leaves her first world championships with the gold medal on floor exercise, as well as a silver medal on vault. She also did all four events in the team final, scoring a little over 56 points.
Pease made steady improvement over the last two months. After finishing second to Rivera at nationals, she won the all-around at the world team selection camp and then made three finals at her first world championships.
"I think I learned just how important being present in the moment is, and taking it one day at a time. It is a really long time so being present really helps you not get as tired and (to) enjoy every moment," Pease said after winning floor.
Stock up: Dulcy Caylor
Caylor got thrown into the lineup at the last minute because of Rivera's ankle injury, and delivered a solid balance beam routine in qualifying. Though she fell on beam in the team final, she came right back with a stellar floor routine that kept the Americans in the chase for gold.
Verdict still out: Reese Esponda
Esponda was thrown a curveball after arriving at worlds, being told a skill in her floor routine wasn't going to get the credit she expected. (And that she'd gotten at an earlier international competition.)
She re-worked her routine in a manner of days and it earned the highest score on floor in qualifying. But problems with her landings in both the team and floor finals cost her precious tenths. If she can clean those up, and add another big-scoring vault, she'll be hard to leave off the LA28 team.
"I have to figure something out for floor," Esponda said when asked what upgrades she'll have next season. "But my coaches are good. They'll figure it out."
Stock down: Charleigh Bullock
The 16-year-old had the bad fortune of being the third-best American all-arounder when countries can only have two in the final. But Bullock didn't do much else to distinguish herself, either. She only did vault and uneven bars in the team final, and had the lowest score on each event. She didn't make any event finals.
Stock down: Hezly Rivera
For a second consecutive year, a left ankle injury kept Rivera out of the world championships. Too bad, because the youngest member of the Paris Olympic team could have really shined at these worlds.
Big winner: Everyone at home
There are Olympic cycles when the world championships team is so dominant you could practically name the Summer Games team right then.
Like in 2015, when Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and Madison Kocian won gold and formed the core of the Rio team. Or in 2011, when Raisman, Douglas, Jordyn Wiever and McKayla Maroney did the same ahead of London.
This is not one of those teams. Although Blakely is a lock for LA28 so long as she's healthy, no one else is an obvious gimme. Yet. Which leaves openings for everyone who is training back home.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US women somehow leave gymnastics worlds more dangerous for LA28. Whose stock is up, down?
