Brazil's women's artistic gymnastics team finished fifth in the team final at the World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Wednesday, with 159.730 points. The team had reached the final in eighth place, with 159.131, and was the only one of the eight finalists to improve on its own score — a routine with no falls, according to Agência Brasil.
Gold went to China, which totalled 165.764 points and returned to the top of the team podium after 20 years, interrupting the run of titles by the United States. The Americans took silver with 165.531, and Japan won bronze with 164.063 — its first World Championships podium in 60 years. France finished fourth with 161.130.
Where Brazil gained and lost points
Vault was Brazil's best apparatus, with 41.433 points. Rebeca Andrade scored 14.400, Sophia Weisberg 14.033 and Flávia Saraiva, known as Flavinha, 13.000. On beam the team totalled 40.532, on uneven bars 39.132 and on floor 38.633.
The gap of nearly six points to the bronze is concentrated in those last two apparatus: floor and bars accounted for a little over 77 points of Brazil's total, while the medal-winning teams went past 80 on the same sum. Those are the two apparatus where the team still lacks the depth of scoring the top three have.
Alongside Rebeca, Flavinha and Sophia Weisberg — 16 years old and making her World Championships debut — the team included Lorrane Oliveira and Thais Fidelis, with Gabriela Bouças as reserve.
"A caminhada é dura" ("the road is hard"), Flavinha said after the final, recalling that the team's main goal was to secure a place at the 2027 World Championships.
What comes next
The eight finalists have secured places at next year's World Championships, which will hand out nine team berths for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. According to Agência Brasil, the three medallists in Rotterdam have already qualified for the Games.
Brazilians are still competing this week, in Brasília time:
- Friday, from 2.30pm: Flavinha, 12th in qualifying, and Lorrane Oliveira, 22nd, in the all-around final.
- Saturday, from 9am: Rebeca Andrade in the vault final.
- Sunday: Flavinha in the balance beam final, for which she qualified third, behind China's Zhang Qingying and Qiu Qiyuan.
With information from Agência Brasil and CNN Brasil.
