U.S. women out in front as Artistic Gymnastics Worlds begin in Liverpool

Seeking a sixth consecutive World team title, the U.S. women jumped out to a big early lead as the 51st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships began Saturday at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool (GBR).

The U.S. five – Skye Blakely, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Shilese Jones, and Leanne Wong — set the standard with 167.263 points on the back of solid and oft-spectacular displays across all four apparatus.

Belgium, bolstered by the reappearance of Olympic star Nina Derwael, sits second with 156.063, with Spain a distant third. All competed in the first two of ten subdivisions of team and individual qualification, with another 20 teams and 50 individuals still to compete Sunday. The top eight teams advance to Tuesday’s women’s team final.

Four different American gymnasts sit atop the leaderboards: Carey on Vault, Blakely on Beam, Chiles on Floor Exercise, and Jones in the All-Around, where her combined 55.766 edged Carey’s 55.132.

The dynamic Chiles was on course to lead the All-Around before two falls off the Balance Beam left her third with 53.998. More significantly, it puts her third among the Americans, and only two per country qualify to next week’s All-Around final.

“It’s just a learning experience and it’s going to take time to lose the sting. She was rocking,” U.S. women’s team manager Chellsie Memmel said. “They all want to go out there and do their job.”

Nina Derwael (BEL)

Derwael, the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist on Uneven Bars, helped smooth over a rough evening for Belgium with brilliance on her signature apparatus. 14.700 was the highest score recorded by anyone on night one, and left Derwael with something to be happy about.

“I started badly on beam; I fell on my mount. That’s a bummer, especially for the team, because I really wanted to start off the qualification well for them and it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to,” she said. “Bars went quite well, but it didn’t feel as good as it used to. I think it was because I was very stressed today."