China ended the United States’ seven-year dominance in women’s gymnastics at the world championships, securing the team gold medal during the event held Wednesday in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Chinese team delivered a standout performance on the balance beam in the third rotation, which helped them take the lead and ultimately finish with a combined score of 165.764. This was enough to narrowly surpass the Americans, who posted a total of 165.531.

This victory marked China’s first world championship team gold since 2006 and represented its first major international title since the 2008 Olympics. Japan claimed the bronze medal, achieving its first podium finish in the world championships in six decades, while France finished in fourth place.

The United States entered the competition as the seven-time defending champions, having won every world championship team title since 2011. Several leading U.S. gymnasts from the 2024 Paris Olympic team, including 2020 Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee and two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey, are looking ahead to the upcoming 2028 Games in Los Angeles. The participation of Simone Biles, the sport’s most decorated female gymnast and the 2016 and 2024 all-around Olympic champion, remains uncertain. Biles indicated in September that she is close to deciding whether to compete in 2028.

While the U.S. team’s performance on Wednesday was solid, it showed signs of tension and inconsistency compared to their previous dominance. This has fueled speculation that the Americans will likely need Biles performing at her peak to maintain their competitive edge amid a growing and increasingly talented international field.