US women have an Olympic spot within reach. But there's little room for error

From Hezly Rivera’s ankle to Skye Blakely’s beam, Nancy Armour identifies the biggest questions facing the U.S. women's gymnastics team at worlds.

ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands — The U.S. women head to the world gymnastics championships with their eyes on the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Paris gold medalist Hezly Rivera and two-time world champion Skye Blakely headline a young American squad that will try to qualify for LA28 at these worlds, which run Oct. 17-25. The top three in the team competition secure spots in Los Angeles, while everyone else will have to wait until next year to qualify for the 12-country Olympic field.

Blakely is the only American who's been to a world championships before, having been part of the teams that won gold in 2022 and 2023. Though Rivera is already an Olympic champion, these are her first worlds because she was too young to compete in 2023 and missed last year with an ankle injury. Charleigh Bullock, Reese Esponda and Claire Pease are all competing at their first major international competition.

Here's a closer look at the five women on the U.S. world team.