U.S. gymnast Skye Blakely's long road to top ends with artistic world championship gold

Skye Blakely kept going. Through heartbreak. Through injury. Through doubt. Through all of it.

The American gymnast never gave up on herself, not after her dreams of Olympic glory ended one step short of a lifelong goal not once, but twice. Not after "shutting down" at times mentally as she wondered if it was all worth it.

The 21-year-old from Dallas kept faith in herself and in the process. She took two years off from competing in the all-around at the elite level after tearing her right Achilles at the 2024 Olympic trials, opting to patiently and painstakingly rebuild her body and her routines until she felt they were ready, and not a moment before.

That moment arrived on Friday at the 2026 world gymnastics championships, when Blakely put together four polished and confident routines that ended with happy tears and an all-around gold medal around her neck even she didn't see coming.

“Throughout the meet, I was telling myself, ‘Do it for the girl in 2021 and the girl in 2024 who couldn't do everything, just fight for her,"' Blakely said after posting a total of 55.733 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, more than a half-point ahead of silver medalist Liudmila Roschina of Russia and bronze medalist Ke Qinqin of China.

"That's what I kept telling myself: ‘I am capable, I am ready’ and I made every version of myself extremely proud."

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And a bit surprised. Blakely was a prodigy in 2021 when she injured her elbow at Olympic trials. She was a semi-longshot then to make the team. She wasn't in 2024. Blakely was in excellent position to head to Paris before shredding her Achilles during training the day before the start of the competition.

Rather than rush back,