U.S. Men Sit Fourth After Day One of Qualifying at the World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam

The 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships opened Saturday at Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands, and the first big test for Team USA is already in the books. The U.S. men competed in the fourth subdivision of men's qualifying and ended the day fourth in the team standings, according to live reporting from Gymnastics Now.

Japan won that subdivision and Great Britain finished second, and those two teams sat first and second overall at the end of the night. Two more men's subdivisions, including the one with China, compete Sunday before the qualifying picture is final.

Why This World Championships Matters

This is the first world championships with team events since the Paris Olympics, as NBC Sports noted in its preview. That makes Rotterdam the first real look at how the major gymnastics nations have rebuilt their teams for the next Olympic cycle.

There is also a lot riding on the team finals. According to NBC Sports, the top three men's and women's teams at these worlds earn 2028 Olympic team spots for their nations, with the rest of the Olympic field set at the 2027 World Championships.

A New Look U.S. Men's Team

The U.S. men won team bronze at the 2023 worlds and at the 2024 Olympics, but this roster looks very different. NBC Sports reported that none of Fred Richard's 2024 Olympic teammates are with him in Rotterdam.

Richard, the national all-around champion and the 2023 world all-around bronze medalist, leads a group that includes Tokyo Olympian Shane Wiskus, 2025 worlds veterans Kameron Nelson and Patrick Hoopes, and 19 year old Danila Leykin, who is making his senior global championship debut. Yul Moldauer is the traveling replacement, according to USA Gymnastics.

How Saturday Played Out

Gymnastics Now's live blog described a day of real highs and some costly mistakes. The Americans started strong on vault, where Wiskus stuck his landing for a 14.233 and Leykin opened his world debut with a 14.066.

Parallel bars was the toughest stretch. Both Leykin and Richard fell, which meant Nelson had to step in as the fourth scorer, and the team total on that event leaned heavily on a 14.466 from Wiskus. Pommel horse brought more falls for Wiskus and Leykin before Richard hit his routine and Hoopes, competing only on that apparatus, scored a 14.666 that moved him into third on the event at the time.

There were bright spots on floor as well. Richard scored a 14.233 that put him second on the event at that point, and Leykin added a 14.000.

The All-Around Picture

At the end of the day, Gymnastics Now listed Richard as the top American all-arounder with an 82.098, which ranked 10th at that stage. Leykin was 17th with a 78.998. The top 24 all-arounders advance to the individual final, so both still have work ahead of them as the rest of the field competes.

In team qualifying, the top eight teams move on to the team final. The U.S. men will learn their fate once Sunday's final two subdivisions are done.

What Comes Next

Women's qualifying begins on Sunday. NBC Sports reported that the U.S. women have won the last seven world team titles, a streak that dates to 2011, and that they are expected to face strong challenges from China and Russia.

Their roster includes two time world team champion Skye Blakely along with Claire Pease, Charleigh Bullock and Reese Esponda, who are all making their senior global championship debuts. Dulcy Caylor, the traveling alternate, replaced 2024 Olympian Hezly Rivera on the eve of qualifying, according to NBC Sports.

After qualifying wraps up, the men's team final is set for Tuesday, October 20, and the women's team final follows on Wednesday, October 21. The all-around finals run Thursday and Friday, and the apparatus finals close the championships on October 24 and 25, with finals streaming on Peacock in the United States.

The Bottom Line

Day one in Rotterdam showed both sides of a rebuilt U.S. men's team: the talent to post big scores and the mistakes that come with a new lineup. Sunday's remaining subdivisions will show where the Americans finally land in qualifying, and Tuesday's team final is where a podium, and a 2028 Olympic team spot, would be decided. Follow Legend Magazine for more coverage of the World Championships as the finals unfold.