Many see gymnastics as a graceful dance, but few understand the relentless physical and mental toll it takes on an athlete. The US World Gymnastics Championships were held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from October 17th to the 25th. The gymnastics competition is for both men and women, where each country can register up to six men and four women. The men compete in six different events that include the floor exercise, the pommel horse, the still rings, the vault, the parallel bars, and the horizontal bar. The women compete in four different events: the floor exercise, the vault, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. The top three countries in the team final automatically qualify for the 2028 Olympics.
The USA Men’s team, who have been chosen to compete in the World Championships, are Brandon Dang, Asher Hong, Brody Malone, Kameron Nelson, and Donnell Whittenburg. The USA men’s team overall placement is not yet available as the team competition has not yet come to an end, but so far, Brody Malone has already won a Gold medal on the high bar, and Donnell Whittenburg has become the first U.S. Man to win a Gold medal in the World Championships on the still rings. Lastly, Patrick Hoopes won a bronze medal on the pommel horse.
The U.S. women’s team committee took Skye Blakely, Dulcy Caylor, Joscelyn Roberson, and Leanne Wong. The USA Women’s team placed third in the all-around team placing. With that, Leanne Wong won a silver medal in the all-around, and Joscelyn Roberson won a Bronze medal on the vault exercise. Another noticeable individual is Dulcy Caylor, who placed 13th in the all-around competition.
Sophomore Lyndie Ferguson shares her opinion about gymnastics “Personally, I believe that the sport of gymnastics often gets overlooked and is much harder than it seems, and needs to be appreciated more. Gymnasts push their bodies to the max almost every single day just to be able to showcase their talents in a routine that is less than two minutes, where they get harshly critiqued.” Ferguson used to do gymnastics, and she still watches it to this day. Gymnastics is a very intense sport, and it’s not something everyone can do. Every four years, the Olympics showcase individuals who seem to defy the laws of physics, but their grace is forged in countless hours of unseen struggle.
