Skye Blakely has been close to the top of American gymnastics for five years, and her career has been shaped as much by bad luck as by results. In Rotterdam, after Hezly Rivera's withdrawal, she is the most experienced member of the US women's team.
Two world team titles
Blakely was part of the US teams that won world gold in Liverpool in 2022 and Antwerp in 2023. In Liverpool she reached the beam final and finished fifth after a fall. She also won all-around bronze at the 2022 Pan American Championships.
The injuries
Twice, injury has stopped her at Olympic Trials. In 2021 she withdrew after an injury in vault warm-up. In 2024, after finishing second in the all-around at the US Championships, she ruptured her right Achilles tendon in podium training at the Trials and missed Paris.
Since 2024
Blakely joined the University of Florida in 2025. In 2026 she was co-SEC Specialist of the Year and won NCAA uneven bars silver. In elite competition she was co-champion on uneven bars at the 2025 US Championships and fourth on bars at the 2025 World Championships. In 2026 she won bars and beam at the US Classic and bars silver at the national championships.
Rotterdam 2026
This is Blakely's fourth World Championships. The US women are chasing an eighth consecutive world team title, and with no Olympians on the roster, her experience in the team final on 21 October will matter. Her individual best chances are on uneven bars and balance beam.
