ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — The long reign of the U.S. women's gymnastics team is on the line.
The Americans have won every team final at the world gymnastics championships going back to 2011. But today they face their stiffest challenge in more than a decade. China finished ahead of them in qualifying, and Russia's cobbled-together team was less than a point behind the Americans.
Granted, the Chinese and Russians had the benefit of more generous judging by being in the last qualifying sessions. But the title is very much up for grabs, and that's a new experience for the U.S. women. They'll also be trying to secure one of the first three spots in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, something the U.S. men couldn't do.
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!
Where to watch world gymnastics championships
Peacock is live streaming the team, all-around and event finals.
World gymnastics schedule today
The women's team final runs from 1:30-4:30 p.m. ET.
USA gymnastics lineup for women's team final
- Vault: Charleigh Bullock, Claire Pease, Skye Blakely.
- Uneven bars: Charleigh Bullock, Claire Pease, Skye Blakely.
- Balance beam: Dulcy Caylor, Claire Pease, Skye Blakely.
- Floor exercise: Dulcy Caylor, Claire Pease, Reese Esponda.
How does scoring in gymnastics work?
11:01 AM ET, October 21 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 the final, 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.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LIVE: US women's 15-year reign at gymnastics worlds faces its biggest test today
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