ROTTERDAM: China denied the United States an eighth consecutive women's team title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships on Wednesday, as Qiu Qiyuan sealed a dramatic victory with the final routine.
The USA last failed to win gold in the event when they were beaten by Russia at the 2010 championships, but were left to count the cost of several errors on the balance beam in Rotterdam.
Qiu needed to score more than 12.600 points in the closing floor routine to give her country gold and did just enough with 12.833.
China, who also led the way in qualifying, finished with a total of 165.764 points, edging out the Americans by 0.233 overall.
Japan were a further 1.468 points behind as they completed the podium ahead of fourth-placed France.
US superstar Simone Biles, a 23-time world champion including five times in the team competition, is taking a break from the sport and has not competed since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won three gold medals.
The reigning champions took a healthy lead at the halfway stage, helped by strong vault and uneven bars routines by Skye Blakely, the only gymnast on the team who was part of the quintet who won their seventh consecutive title in 2023.
But 18-year-old Caylor Dulcy stumbled on the beam, scoring just 12.333, as the Americans were outscored by more than four points on the apparatus by their rivals.
Zhang Qingying, who topped beam qualifying, in particular made them pay with a sparkling performance which earned her 15.066 points.
The Chinese were put under pressure on the floor, but Qiu held her nerve to secure their first women's team world crown since 2006.
The championships continue in the Netherlands on Thursday as Japan's Daiki Hashimoto defends his men's all-around title, with a big challenge expected from his compatriot and Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka.
Japan took the men's team title on Tuesday, pipping Russia and China. - AFP
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd