China end US reign with world women’s team gymnastics title

By the Editorial Team · Friday, October 23, 2026

China ended the United States’ seven-year winning streak by claiming the women’s team gold at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam with a narrow margin of 0.233 points. This victory not only marks China’s first team title since 2006 but also secures direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics for China, the US, and Japan, which took bronze.

China ended the United States’ streak of seven consecutive women’s team titles at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, capturing their first gold medal in the event since 2006. The Chinese squad, composed of Du Siyu, Ke Qinqin, Qiu Qiyuan, and Zhang Qingying, amassed a total of 165.764 points to narrowly surpass the US team’s 165.531 points. Japan secured the bronze with 164.063 points. All three nations earned direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles through their podium finishes.

The competition saw the US maintain an early lead after dominating the vault and uneven bars, where they scored 42.633 and 42.766 points respectively, holding a 1.967-point advantage over China. However, China made a decisive comeback on the balance beam. Zhang Qingying led with 15.066 points, followed by Ke Qinqin’s 14.400 and Qiu Qiyuan’s 13.900, cumulatively delivering 43.366 points compared to the US’s 39.199. This shift allowed China to take the lead by nearly two points prior to the final rotation.

The floor exercise, the competition’s last segment, saw the US once again taking the top score at 40.933 points. Nevertheless, China’s trio—Zhang, Ke, and Qiu—secured 38.966 points, which sufficed to edge out the Americans by a slim margin of 0.233 points, clinching the gold medal.

Leading the Chinese team, 24-year-old Du Siyu highlighted the significance of their victory, which capped a year marked by several major accomplishments, including Asian Championships and Asian Games gold medals. She emphasized the perseverance of the veterans on the team and the hard-earned nature of their world title. Captain Qiu Qiyuan also reflected on the team’s unity and shared determination to represent their country proudly, describing the victory as the culmination of collective effort and resilience.

For Japan, finishing third marked a historic milestone, ending a 60-year medal drought in the women’s team final at the World Championships. Earlier in the week, Japan’s men’s team secured the world title with 251.928 points, narrowly defeating Russia and China, who took silver and bronze respectively.

The championships, held in the Netherlands, were set to continue with the men’s all-around final overnight and the women’s all-around final later, followed by apparatus finals throughout the weekend.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.