Great Britain heads to the World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam with Olympic qualification on the line. The event runs from 20 to 25 October and features over 400 gymnasts from 84 countries. The top three teams in each event will secure spots for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The men’s competition sees China and Japan as favourites. Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto aims for a fourth consecutive men’s all-around world title. Great Britain’s men, who finished fourth at the European Championships, have a chance to challenge for a medal. The British team includes Olympic bronze medallist Jake Jarman, who skipped the European Championships and Commonwealth Games this year to focus on Rotterdam. Jarman is a two-time world champion on vault (2023) and floor (2025).
Courtney Tulloch, known as Great Britain’s ‘King of the Rings,’ returns at 31. He became the first British gymnast and first black man to win a World Championship medal on rings in 2022. Harry Hepworth, 22, made history at Paris 2024 by winning Britain’s first Olympic vault medal and reaching the rings final. Joe Fraser, who won Britain’s first World Championship gold on parallel bars in 2019 and later became European all-around champion, is also part of the team. Reuben Ward, 21, makes his World Championships debut after becoming Scotland’s first all-around Commonwealth champion this year.
The women’s team features Alice Kinsella, a multiple major medallist and Olympic bronze medallist who returned to competition 13 months after giving birth. Kinsella has competed in six World Championships, helped Great Britain win their first Olympic women’s team medal in 93 years at Tokyo 2020, and described the team’s return as ‘hard to put into words.’ Becky Downie, 34, also brings experience with three Olympic appearances and several medals at World, European, and Commonwealth levels.
Younger gymnasts include Ruby Evans, 19, who became the first Welsh female artistic gymnast to compete at the Olympics in 28 years during Paris 2024 and holds a Commonwealth gold and a World silver on floor. Abigail Martin, 18, earned multiple silvers at the Commonwealth Games and was part of the fourth-placed British Olympic team in Paris. Alia Leat, British balance beam champion and part of England’s 2026 Commonwealth bronze team, rounds out the women’s squad.
The USA women, dominant since 2011, will rely on Skye Blakely, who is competing in her fourth World Championships. Most of her teammates, including Olympic team gold medallist Hezly Rivera, are at their first senior Worlds. Russia, competing under a neutral flag, face challenges after three female gymnasts, including reigning world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova, were denied visas for Rotterdam. The Russian women won the European title but will be without their full strength.
The event will be broadcast live by the BBC. Team finals run on 20 and 21 October, with all-around finals on 22 and 23 October, followed by apparatus finals on 24 and 25 October.
Great Britain’s performances here will determine whether they secure Olympic qualification for 2028. The competition also includes standout athletes like Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, competing at a major global championship for the first time since her four-medal haul at the 2024 Olympics, and Kaylia Nemour of Algeria, who has the chance to become the first African women’s all-around world champion.
According to Yahoo Sports.