Skye Blakely and Claire Pease share the lead in the all-around in Phoenix; Blakely back in all-around after 2024 Achilles injury

2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships: Skye Blakely and Claire Pease share the lead after opening night

Blakely made her return to the all-around for the first time in elite competition since 2024. Both are seeking their first U.S. all-around crown in Phoenix. Defending champ Hezly Rivera is fourth.

When the opening night of the women’s artistic gymnastics competition ended Friday (7 August) at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix, there were two names at the top.

Skye Blakely and Claire Pease share the lead, each posting 55.600 in the all-around. First-year senior Charleigh Bullock , 16, sits third at 55.400.

“That felt really good,” Blakely said. “I’m really proud of myself. It’s not easy, but I feel like I handled each moment the best of my ability.”

Blakely competed her first floor routine and vault in elite competition since a 2024 Achilles tendon injury ended her Paris 2024 dreams. She scored a 13.450 on floor before adding a 14.200 on vault. She earned scores of a 14.200 and 13.750 on the uneven bars and balance beam, respectively.

For Pease, sharing the lead after one night with Blakely is “definitely a dream,” she told reporters afterward, though she was not about to dwell on it.

“I just like to stay focused on what I’m doing in the gym.”

Bullock led through three rotations, lifted by the best uneven bars score of the night, a 14.250. Finishing on floor with a chance to top the standings, she posted a 13.450, coming just short of the overall lead.

Hezly Rivera , the Paris 2024 Olympic team gold medallist and defending champion, suffered an uncharacteristic fall on the uneven bars in the third rotation. The resulting 12.500 cost her, but she answered with the best beam of the field, a 14.300, to climb to fourth at 55.000.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Jade Carey is fifth with a 54.400 total.

Charleigh Bullock: “I want to be known as a very strong all-arounder”

Bullock was confident coming in, if not expecting her top-three finish.

“I didn’t know I was gonna go like this. I knew I could,” she said. “Training has been good, consistent during practice, but you never know what’s gonna happen during competition. I’m glad I could show what I’ve been doing in practice.”

The 16-year-old has made a name for herself with her intricate work on the uneven bars, and she delivered there one again.

“Obviously, details can be better. Anything can be better,” she said. “But I was really happy about how it went. I think it was pretty clean overall.”

But Bullock has designs beyond her signature event.

“I’ve definitely been known for [my] bars, but I think I’m getting everything else better, too,” she said. “I want to be known as a very strong all-arounder.”

Skye Blakely on floor return: “You’ve been here. You’ve done this several times.”

Blakely has been building back for two years – a college season at the University of Florida has led into a measured return to elite – but a full floor routine, the most demanding event on the tendon she tore in 2024, was the last piece to come back.

“I knew it was my first one back,” she said of the routine. “In my mind it was more so, like, I don’t know how I’m gonna score, but I try not to think about that. So I changed my mindset, because it’s really similar to my college routine. I’m like, ‘You’ve been here, you’ve done this several times. Just take a deep breath and have fun.’”

Getting to this point was a plan, not an accident.

“My strategy was just building a foundation for my gymnastics, which meant I didn’t need to bring back all the difficulty all at once,” she said. “It was coming back to basics. My basics are my foundation, and when those are really strong, it really helps my gymnastics.”