China beams to glory

The Chinese, by far the best in the world in an event that requires gymnasts to navigate a four-inch-wide piece of wood four feet off the floor, wasted little time erasing the deficit.

Spectacular routines by Ke Qinqin and Zhang Qingying powered China into the lead, with Zhang's 15.066 the highest score by any athlete in any event.

A fall by Dulcy Caylor on her dismount opened the door for China to move ahead by over two points heading into the floor exercises. Caylor was competing in place of 2024 Olympic gold medalist and two-time national champion Hezly Rivera, who withdrew from the competition over the weekend due to a lingering ankle injury.

Solid routines by Caylor, Claire Pease and Reese Esponda in an event the Americans routinely dominate put pressure on China, but it wasn't enough.

While China's routines lacked the difficulty of the US routines on the floor, it avoided any major miscues that would have allowed the Americans to maintain their spot atop the sport. When Qiu Qiyuan's score of 12.833 flashed and China's flag moved to the top of the leaderboard, she was mobbed by her teammates.

China's victory over an American team comprised largely of athletes making their debut on the sport's biggest stage outside of the Olympics ramps up the stakes ahead of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Several of the US stars who helped guide the Americans to gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including 2020 Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee and two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey, are looking toward Los Angeles.

The biggest question is whether superstar Simone Biles — the 2016 and 2024 all-around champion, and the most decorated women's gymnast of all time — will join them.

Biles told reporters in September that she's getting close to making a decision. The respectable, if slightly nervy, US performance on Wednesday will do little to dampen speculation that the Americans might need Biles at her best to emerge from an increasingly crowded group at the top of the sport.

The championships continue with the men's all-around final on Thursday and the women's all-around final on Friday, followed by the apparatus finals over the weekend.