ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Ke Qinqin claimed bronze in the women's individual all-around final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships on Friday, while American Skye Blakely completed a remarkable comeback from injury to capture the gold medal.
Ke finished with a total of 55.032 points across four apparatus, narrowly missing silver by 0.167 points. Blakely topped the standings with 55.733 points, ahead of Russia's Liudmila Roshchina, who scored 55.199.
The Chinese gymnast delivered a consistent performance throughout the competition, scoring 14.033 on vault, 13.900 on uneven bars and 13.833 on balance beam before completing her campaign with 13.266 on floor exercise.
Ke, who had qualified for the final in fifth place, remained in medal contention throughout the four rotations and held her nerve in the closing stages to secure a podium finish.
For Blakely, the victory marked a career milestone following a serious Achilles tendon injury that shattered her hopes of competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 21-year-old American, who entered the final as the second-highest qualifier, produced strong routines on uneven bars and balance beam before sealing the title on floor exercise.
Blakely became the first American gymnast to win the women's world all-around crown since Simone Biles in 2023.
Roshchina also impressed, taking silver in a closely contested final, while Ke continued China's strong showing at the Rotterdam championships.
China had already celebrated success in the women's team final on Wednesday, winning the world title for the first time since 2006 and securing an automatic qualification berth for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Championships continue on Saturday with the first day of apparatus finals, featuring men's floor exercise, pommel horse and rings, alongside women's vault and uneven bars. ■
