Over 400 of the world’s top artistic gymnasts from 84 nations will compete at the 54th World Championships in Rotterdam from 20-25 October. Qualification places for the 2028 Olympics are up for grabs and you can watch the action live across the BBC.

The most prestigious competition in the calendar carries extra importance this year as the top three nations in each team event in the Netherlands will earn places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

China and Japan’s men’s teams start as favourites, while Great Britain retained the European title in August with a near-flawless display and could challenge for a medal.

The USA women have won every team final since 2011 and will be relying on the experience of Skye Blakely, who is competing at her fourth World Championships. This is a first senior Worlds for the rest of her team-mates, including Olympic team gold medallist Hezly Rivera.

The Russians, who are competing under neutral status, are European women’s gold medallists, but reigning world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova was among three of their female gymnasts denied a visa to compete in Rotterdam.

Great Britain were fourth at the most recent Olympics and Europeans and are led by multiple major medallist Alice Kinsella, 13 months after she became a mother.

Reigning champion Daiki Hashimoto of Japan is vying for a fourth consecutive men’s all-around world title, while Algerian Kaylia Nemour has a golden opportunity to become the first African winner in the women’s event. Brilliant Brazilian Rebeca Andrade competes at a major global championships for the first time since her four-medal haul at the 2024 Olympics, which included gold on the floor.

Jake Jarman

The Olympic bronze medallist at Paris 2024 in floor is also a two-time world champion – in vault (2023) and floor (2025). The 24-year-old all-rounder did not compete in the European Championships this year or defend his titles at the Commonwealth Games in order to prepare for these World Championships.

Courtney Tulloch

Tulloch, 31, is affectionately known as Great Britain’s ‘King of the Rings’. He became the first British gymnast, and first black man, to win a World Championship medal on the apparatus in 2022.

Harry Hepworth

Hepworth, 22, enjoyed a spectacular Olympic debut at Paris 2024, not only winning Team GB’s first ever Olympic medal on the vault but also making history as the first Briton to make an Olympic rings final.

Joe Fraser

In 2019, Fraser won Great Britain’s first-ever gold metal on the parallel bars at the World Championships. He then became Britain’s first European all-around men’s champion. Now 27, he remains a key figure in the team.

Reuben Ward

The 21-year-old made history this year as Scotland’s first all-around Commonwealth Games champion, as well as claiming silver in the pommel horse. He makes his World Championships debut.

Alice Kinsella

The Olympic bronze medallist returns after giving birth to her first child last year. She helped Team GB win their first Olympic women’s team medal for 93 years at Tokyo 2020. This is the 25-year-old’s sixth time competing at the World Championships.

Becky Downie

The 34-year-old has competed in three Olympics and is a World, European and Commonwealth medallist. She has won three major golds and four silvers in the uneven bars.

Ruby Evans

At age 17, Evans became the first Welsh female artistic gymnast in 28 years to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Now 19, she is already a Commonwealth gold medallist and a world silver medallist last year on floor.

Abigail Martin

Born and raised in Devon, the 18-year-old earned team, vault and floor silver medals at this year’s Commonwealth Games. Martin was part of the fourth-placed British team at the Paris Olympics and she earned a world bronze medal in the floor event last year.

Alia Leat

Leat, now 21, represented Great Britain at the 2025 European Championships and World Championships. She is the British champion in the balance beam and was part of the England team which won bronze at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Schedule

Tuesday, 20 October

18:25-21:30 – Men’s team final – iPlayer

19:00-21:30 – BBC Two coverage

Wednesday, 21 October

18:25-21:00 – Women’s team final – iPlayer

19:00-21:00 – BBC Two coverage

Thursday, 22 October

18:25-21:00 – Men’s all-around final – iPlayer

19:00-21:00 – BBC Two coverage

Friday, 23 October

18:20-21:00 – Women’s all-around final

19:00-21:00 – BBC Two coverage

Saturday, 24 October

13:00-17:00 – Apparatus finals – BBC Two coverage

Sunday, 25 October

13:00-17:00 – Apparatus finals – BBC Two coverage