Hezly Rivera Out, Skye Blakely Leads + Robot Judges Strike Again | Worlds Qualification Day 1

Hezly Rivera is out, Dulcy Caylor is in, and Skye Blakely had the day of her life. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy after day one of women's qualification at the 2026 World Championships: Team USA leads with no falls, Italy is one floor hit from something special, Japan counted three misses, and Mexico beat Belgium and Romania. Plus robot judging downgrades Carlos Yulo's vault, Manila Esposito's perfect-execution beam and Sabrina Voinea's raven.
This is the free 26-minute preview. The full 74-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 48 more minutes, nearly two-thirds of the show, including Team USA event by event, the men's qualification recap, the Gymnasts for Change boat party and your letters. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.
GymCastic Live in Rotterdam on October 24 with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir is sold out in person, but virtual tickets are still available.
This episode is presented by Sand and Sea Luxury Travel Advisors. Plan your dream trip at go.sandandsea.travel/gcnotes and use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Rotterdam
01:17 Breaking news: Hezly Rivera withdraws, Dulcy Caylor in
03:07 Jade Carey and the "stay-at-home alternate"
05:34 Hezly's blanket
07:44 Robot judging: Carlos Yulo's vault downgrade and Frederick Richard's floor deduction
11:12 Team USA leads after day one
13:44 Skye Blakely leads the all-around
15:10 Claire Pease and the Cheng
16:36 Mexico beats Belgium and Romania
19:22 Opportunities for comedy: Sabrina Voinea's raven
21:30 Scott Bregman's Gymnastipedia
22:38 Manila Esposito's beam and Marta Pihan-Kulesza
24:28 Join Club Gym Nerd for the rest
25:32 Club preview: Cécile Landi's story
Links
Episode page
2026 World Championships Headquarters
Worlds Coverage Bundle: 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99
Rotterdam Worlds Roster Tracker