Team USA Leads After Day 1 of World Gymnastics Championships Qualifying
The United States opened action in World Gymnastics Championships team qualification Sunday at the Antwerp Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium. The U.S. tallied a 171.395 to lead after three qualification subdivisions. Women’s team qualification action continues on Monday, with subdivisions 4-10 competing.
Two with Gator ties competed for the U.S. Sunday.
Junior Leanne Wong competed all-around Sunday. Through the opening three subdivisions, Wong is fifth among the all-arounders at 54.398. The U.S.’s Simone Biles (58.865) and Shilese Jones (56.932) lead the all-around standings through three subdivisions. The remaining seven qualification sessions compete on Monday. Once all qualification sessions are complete, the overall top eight advance to the all-around and apparatus finals. Each final can contain no more than two from a nation.
Florida signee Skye Blakely performed on uneven bars (14.133) and balance beam (11.866). She was third among the U.S. bars performers and fourth on beam.
Another Gator competes in Monday’s qualification. Freshman Anya Pilgrim competes for Barbados Monday in Subdivision 7. Competition begins at 10:15 a.m. ET and can be followed on allgymnastics.tv.<https://allgymnastics.tv/championships/world-artistic-gymnastics-championship-antwerp-2023>
World Championships’ schedule (broadcast)
Oct. 1-2 Women’s Team Qualifications.
U.S. competes Oct. 1 – 11:45 a.m. ET in Subdivision 2
Anya Pilgrim competes Oct. 2 – 10:15 a.m. in Subdivision 7
Oct. 4 Women’s Team Final – 1:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Oct. 6 Women’s All-Around Final – 1:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Oct. 7 Women’s Vault & Uneven Bars Final – 8 a.m. ET (Peacock)
Oct. 8 Women’s Balance Beam & Floor Exercise Final – 8 a.m. ET (Peacock)
U.S. World Championships Subdivision II Scores
Oct. 1, 2023
Event
Simone Biles
Skye Blakely
Shilese Jones
Joscelyn Roberson
Leanne Wong
Vault*
14.949
14.266
14.049
14.166
Bars
14.400
14.133
14.833
13.666
Beam
14.566
11.866
14.033
13.366
Floor
14.633
13.800
13.633
13.200
All-Around
58.865
56.932
54.398
2023 World Championships Women’s Team Qualification scores<https://live.gymnastics.sport/live/16194/womensqual.php?app=aa>
Skye Blakely Quotes following Team Qualification:
On what the differences are between competing at world championships this year compared to last year:
“The dynamics are definitely different, there are different people who have been to different places.”
On what happened in her beam routine, where she fell twice:
“It didn’t go how I wanted to, I made some mistakes I never do but it can’t always go how you want it to. I’m disappointed with myself. I know I could have been better. But now I’m just going to move forward, think about the team finals and support my team.”
On her next performance in team finals:
“I know I can definitely do better than that. It’s not what I’m used to showing, so I’m going back to the gym and do it how I can do it.”
Leanne Wong Quote heading into Team Qualification:
On her being in her best shape now, as a college gymnast:
“This is my third World Championships now. After the first, I went to college and completed my freshman year. Then I went back to elite and went to 2022 worlds. And then, back to college again before competing here at my third worlds. So I think competing over and over at college has been really beneficial. I’m just having a lot of fun competing out there.”
NCAA Influence on U.S. Worlds Roster
Prior to the 2022 World Championships, just six competed as a collegiate and was part of the U.S. World Championships team in the same calendar year. That number grew to nine as Wong, Jordan Chiles (UCLA) and Jade Carey (Oregon State) all competed as freshmen in 2022 NCAA action and were part of the U.S.’s 2022 World Championships’ gold medal team. DiCello is the 10th to complete the NCAA / World Championship calendar year combo as she competed as a freshman for the Gators in 2023.
Wong won all-around silver and floor exercise bronze at the 2021 World Championships in Japan. She is just one of three U.S. gymnasts ever to compete as a collegiate in between consecutive World Championships.
Name
College (years)
World Championships
Medals
Leanne Wong
Florida (2022-
2021, 2022 & 2023
2022 World Gold (team)
2021 World Silver (all-around), floor (bronze); Four All-America honors in 2022 NCAA Championships, including 5th in all-around
Alicia Sacramone
Brown (2007)
2006 & 2007
2006 World Silver (team)
2007 World Gold (team), floor (silver), bronze (vault); competed as individual at 2007 NCAAs (9.85 FX)
Kathy Johnson Clarke
Centenary (1978-79)
1978 & 1979
1978 Worlds bronze (floor); Swept 1978 AIAW Championships event titles (small colleges division)
Of the Gators currently enrolled at UF, Wong is among three to compete at a World Championships. Morgan Hurd (2017 & 2018) and Riley McCusker (2018) also represented the U.S. in World Championships action. McCusker and Hurd won team gold in 2018. Hurd won the 2017 World Championships’ all-around title. Kayla DiCello, who announced following her 2023 freshman season that she would take a gap year to pursue a spot on the 2024 Olympic team<https://floridagators.com/news/2023/4/27/gymnastics-gators-freshman-dicello-announces-plan-to-train-for-us-olympic-team-042723.aspx>, joined Wong at the 2021 World Championships and won all-around bronze.
Blakely signed a national letter intent with Florida in November of 2022<https://x.com/skyeblakely_/status/1590477293239283713?s=20> and announced she’ll defer enrollment at UF until fall 2024 to pursue a berth on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team<https://www.instagram.com/p/CvQriUJJ3dl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==>. She joined Wong on the U.S. 2022 gold medal team at the World Championships.
