Two Gators Headed to Rotterdam for World Championships
Florida will have two athletes representing gymnastics program at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships later this month, set for Oct. 17-25 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
On the five-woman roster for the U.S. World Team is Skye Blakely. Backing her up as the team’s traveling replacement athlete is Florida signee Dulcy Caylor.
Blakely has already seen the world stage three times. Her first appearance in 2022 ended in gold for the U.S. and a fifth place finish for her on the balance beam. In 2023, she saw the same success for the team as a whole, and 2025 led her to fourth place on the uneven bars.
Caylor is in a unique position. She signed for the Gators but deferred her enrollment until fall 2028 to train for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Like Blakely, Caylor has been at the World Championships before this year. In 2025, she competed in all-around, balance beam and floor exercise, placing sixth on floor and eighth on beam.
To get the bid for the World Championships, the U.S. athletes first had to compete in selection events Wednesday and Thursday.
Day one welcomes two athletes to the team based 60% on the selection event and 40% on their combined championships results. These spots were given to Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock.
Day two fills the leftover three positions. The athletes are allowed to compete in up to two categories for their selection consideration. Blakely competed in bars and beam, earning a 14.40 and 13.25, respectively. Caylor had a 13.25 on beam and a 13.15 on floor.
Gator gymnast Simone Rose was also vying for a spot on the team, but her 12.95 on bars and 13.65 on beam did not get her on the final roster.
The committee named Blakely, Reese Esponda and Hezly Rivera for the remaining spots. Caylor was named traveling alternate and Jade Carey was named non-traveling alternate.
With her bid, Blakely is now the only 2026 team member to have competed at the World Championships as a collegiate athlete twice.
The University of Florida is making history of its own at the competition as well. It is now the only NCAA program with a gymnast on the last three U.S. World Championship teams. Former Gator Leanne Wong competed in 2022, 2023 and 2025, and Kayla DiCello also was a replacement athlete for the 2023 team. Blakely finished the trifecta with her bid this year.
With the roster set, Blakely and the U.S. will open the championships with Women’s Team Qualifications on Oct. 18. The Women’s Team Final follows Oct. 21, with the finals for the individual events set for Oct. 23-25.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Gymnastics
