China have denied the United States an eighth consecutive women’s team title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships as Qiu Qiyuan sealed a dramatic victory with the final routine.♪

（暂无翻译）

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 on Wednesday.♪

（暂无翻译）

The USA last failed to win gold 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.♪

（暂无翻译）

China, who also led the way in qualifying, finished with 165.764 points, edging out the Americans by 0.233 overall.♪

（暂无翻译）

Japan were a further 1.468 points behind as they completed the podium ahead of fourth-placed France.♪

（暂无翻译）

USA 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.♪

（暂无翻译）

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 that won their seventh consecutive title in 2023.♪

（暂无翻译）

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.♪

（暂无翻译）

Zhang Qingying, who topped beam qualifying, in particular made them pay with a sparkling performance that earned her 15.066 points.♪

（暂无翻译）

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.♪

（暂无翻译）

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.♪

（暂无翻译）

Japan took the men’s team title on Tuesday, pipping Russia and China.♪

（暂无翻译）