Hello, and welcome to Gymnastics Insider!
The 2026 World Championships begin in just over a week (roster). I plan to have information on how to watch and follow scores next week. In the meantime, here’s a preview of what to expect, at least until someone gets hurt and we have to shake this Etch A Sketch and start over.
Help shape what’s next for The IX Sports! Take our short reader survey:
Schedule
Access the full schedule here.
Qualifications
Oct. 18-19
(draw)
The U.S. has the unenviable position of competing first, and they’ll start on floor. Japan is in the second subdivision, Italy in the third, WG2 (Russia) in the eighth, and China in the tenth and final subdivision.
Team final
Oct. 21
The top three teams will qualify team spots at the 2028 Olympics.
All-around final
Oct. 23
Vault and bars finals
Oct. 24
Beam and floor finals
Oct. 25
Preview
Here are my predictions for each podium. If you want to join in the fun, check out the top scores spreadsheet, and join the discussion on Reddit.
Team final
The competition for the team title is so fierce that anyone who gets on the podium should be very proud of themselves. I expect China, Russia, Japan and the U.S. to contend for gold, with Italy an outside shot.
China is bringing the same five athletes who competed at Asian Championships and the Asian Games this year. That means we have a pretty good idea of what they’re capable of. They’ve scored 166.462 in a 5-3-3 final this year, with especially strong routines on bars and beam. But this team is just coming off of an exhausting schedule at the Asian Games. Plus, bars and beam are the two most risky events to rely on in a team final, and we know that China has a tendency to fall at worlds. That said, they’re an incredibly talented group. I hope to see them do their strongest work to contend for gold.
Russia is a question mark because once again, their visas are late, according to the federation. If the Netherlands allows them in, there’s still a chance not all of them will get visas. This leaves the team composition in question. I’m referring of course to European Championships, when Viktoria Listunova was left home after not being allowed in Zagreb. The team still did very well there, earning a 165.430 in a 5-3-3 final with only three athletes. Angelina Melnikova is settling well in her Mustafina role. And with Anna Kalmykova and Lyudmila Roshchina right behind her, this team should get a medal, if only they can stay on beam.
Japan was right behind China at the Asian Games, with a 165.362 in the team final. They put the country’s dominance into question when Sugihara Aiko won the all-around and Nishiyama Misa took bronze. Sugihara is also the reigning world champion on floor. Nishiyama is having an incredible first year as a senior. She’s competed seven times this year, and has earned an all-around medal each time. They have two strong beamers in Okamura Mana and Nakamura Haruka, too. Japan barely made a dent at the last Olympics, only placing eighth in the team final due to Miyata Shōko’s removal and Sugihara being left in the alternate spot. Despite being named way too early, this team still appears to be healthy and ready to challenge for a podium spot.
The U.S. doesn’t have a reliable international score to go on this year, since only two of the worlds team members were at Pan Ams. National scores are generally inflated, making it even more difficult to tell where they stand compared to the other teams. That said, they’re looking very consistent based on what we saw at the U.S. trials. Hezly Rivera’s errors there were a deviation from normal, while Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock look ready to take on the world. Putting up Skye Blakely in a team final situation is risky. But it’s a risk worth taking, and Reese Esponda’s floor should boost the team score. The U.S. doesn’t bring in the flashiest scores on bars and beam. But for the most part, they’re staying on, and that should get them far.
Rep The IX Sports at your next game!
Shop the logo collection or special “Women’s Sports are Front Page News” collection now on Shopify.
All-around
Kaylia Nemour should medal here, and might win the whole cake. She has the top all-around score of the year with a 57.750 from the Mediterranean Games. While others could beat her in the all-around, they would likely have to rely on errors from Nemour. She’s done the all-around four times this year, and has earned a 55.800 with a fall on bars. Maybe she’ll play it safe with her bar routine to contend for gold, but I doubt it. At the Swiss Championships (results), she competed a 15.600 bar routine to earn a 56.900 all-around. A medal is hers to lose.
Angelina Melnikova is always on this list. We haven’t seen very much of her this year because Russia, but her 55.932 at Euros was good for gold. And, it’s higher than the score that won her the world all-around title last year.
Claire Pease is out for blood at this competition, and might unseat Hezly Rivera as the top American all-arounder. Pease and Skye Blakely dominated the all-around competition at the U.S. Trials after Rivera’s bars troubles. But Rivera is still the national champion with a 56.950, which beats anything Blakely and Pease have earned this year. These three will have to compete with each other for the two all-around spots. If Pease’s ankles hold up and she’s able to land her Cheng, my money is on her and Rivera.
Elena Colas of France is having a breakout rookie year. I have high hopes for her after seeing her thrive in the all-around this year. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she needs more time to gain experience on the international stage.
China’s all-around chances aren’t great, as they tend to do better in event finals. Still, Ke Qinqin’s 56.299 to win the Asian Championships is nothing to laugh at. Similarly, Japan’s all-arounders could do well here, especially Nishiyama Misa and Sugihara Aiko, whose Asian Games win came with a subpar floor performance.
Of course, nothing matters until the final. Hopefully, all of them do everything they’re capable of, and we can see who truly deserves the title.
Vault
Rebeca Andrade has yet to show her Cheng this year, but her beautiful work at Pan Ams was still enough to bring her a 14.549. Even if she shows up and only does two lower-difficulty but super well executed vaults, she could win. She’s just that good.
Pease’s Cheng looked amazing at the U.S. Trials, but the competition wasn’t on a podium, and we’ve never seen her land a Cheng on one. That said, I don’t think she’s going to hesitate here if there’s a chance at a worlds medal. Because if she can land her Cheng, she should medal here.
Yeo Seojeong is another medal favorite. She’s competed a ton this year, winning vault at both the Asian Championships and the Asian Games.
Of course, there’s Melnikova, too. She won the Euros vault title this year with a less-than-stellar performance, but she broke out her Cheng, and is always in the mix.
Bars
Kaylia Nemour is untouchable here. The much-hyped (by me, mostly) showdown between Nemour and Yang Fanyuwei is not meant to be, sadly, as Yang is AWOL and presumed injured. As long as Nemour stays on the bars, she’ll win.
As for the rest of the podium, Qiu Qiyuan is the Asian Games and Asian Championships gold medalist this year with pirouettes and laid-out releases galore, and I could see her winning if Nemour falls.
From Russia, Alena Glotova and Viktoria Listunova both have strong routines, as does Helen Kevric of Germany and Colas. Becky Downie will be there as well. She’s competed a few times since her return this year, and won the British title with an incredible set.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Beam
This one is Zhang Qingying’s to lose. Her difficulty score is a 6.9, the highest in the world, and she earned a 15.266 to win the beam title at Asian Championships this year with an incredible performance. She and Ke Qinqin are China’s top beamers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see both of them on the podium.
Nemour is an unexpected favorite here; she’s been thriving on beam this year, and if she hits I see her on the podium for sure.
Aside from that, beam is always kind of a crapshoot, isn’t it? A few of the highest scores of the year have come from Japan, with Nakamura Haruka and Okamura Mana getting in the 15 range at domestic meets.
Flavia Saraiva will be there, but she hasn’t been getting the sky-high scores we’re seeing from the top beamers this year. I hope she still makes the final just so we can see her do ring leaps.
Floor
Reese Esponda could very well take the win here. She’s improved over the course of the year, culminating in an incredible 14.450 to take the win at U.S. nationals. We’ll see if she decides to roll the dice and include some of those upgrades she’s been showing off on Instagram.
Rivera is right behind her with some of the top scores of the year, but again, we haven’t had much opportunity to see if these routines hold up in front of international judges.
Sugihara Aiko is the 2025 world champion on this event and won the title at this year’s Asian Games. Kishi Rina, Zhang Yihan and Manila Esposito are also podium threats.
Who else to watch
Everyone on Team Brazil is a delight to watch, especially Thais Fidelis, Lorrane Oliveira and Sophia Weisberg. Olympic gold medalist Sanne Wevers will be in attendance, along with Canada’s Lia Monica Fontaine. Great Britain’s Alice Kinsella is back at worlds after having a baby, along with compatriot Ruby Evans.
More news
McKayla Maroney’s coaches at All Olympia Gymnastics Center were banned this week. Artur Akopyan is permanently ineligible, and Galina Marinova is suspended for a year.
There’s drama at Florida as three athletes have been removed from the team, Gymnastics Now reports.
Five at The IX: Sunisa Lee
Sunisa Lee joined her coach Jess Graba on his podcast. She says she wants to compete at the 2027 U.S. Classic.
Your business can reach women’s sports fans who share your passion!
Here at The IX Sports, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, you should reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com to discuss ways to work together in 2026.
Soccer: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer
Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus, The IX Sports
Golf: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Hockey: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
Gymnastics: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer
