American gymnast Skye Blakely has won the women's all-around title at the world gymnastics championships in Rotterdam. The 21-year-old athlete scored 55.733 points across four events to win the gold medal, finishing ahead of Russia's Liudmila Roshchina and China's Ke Qinqin. The victory is the biggest individual prize in gymnastics outside the Olympic Games.
Blakely's win is a remarkable comeback after two serious injuries stopped her Olympic dreams. In 2021, she tore an elbow ligament during warm-ups for the Tokyo Olympic trials. Then, in 2024, she ruptured her Achilles tendon—a strong band of tissue connecting the calf muscle to the heel—only two days before the trials for the Paris Games. Both injuries required surgery and long periods of recovery.
During Friday's final, Blakely performed with confidence under intense pressure. She earned a high score of 14.200 points on the balance beam and protected her lead through the final floor exercise. After completing her routine, she became emotional and wrapped herself in an American flag as the final scores confirmed her victory.
"Throughout the meet, I was telling myself 'Do it for the girl in 2021 and the girl in 2024 who couldn't do everything, just fight for her,'" Blakely said. With this win, she became the first American gymnast to take the world all-around crown since Simone Biles in 2023.