Blakely, Pease Tie In Night One Thriller At 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 07: Skye Blakely warms up before the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Mortgage Matchup Center on August 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

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A fierce battle took shape on Friday at the 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Claire Pease and Skye Blakely tied for the lead after Friday night’s competition in Phoenix, setting up a highly contested Sunday finale in the Valley of the Sun.

Pease, the 2024 U.S. Junior champion and Blakely, a two-time World Team Champion, both delivered exemplary routines in the final rotation to share the lead. First-year senior Charleigh Bullock followed close behind, scoring a huge 55.400 in her first national championships as a senior gymnast.

Defending U.S. Champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera finished in fourth, overcoming a significant deficit after falling on the uneven bars. 2024 Olympic teammate Jade Carey finished in fifth in her first U.S. Championships since the Paris Olympic Games.

U.S. Championships All-Around Standings

1. Skye Blakely & Claire Pease: 55.600

3. Charleigh Bullock: 55.400

4. Hezly Rivera: 55.000

5. Jade Carey: 54.400

For Blakely, the result almost elicited tears – “I almost cried a little bit,” she said to reporters after the meet. Today’s meet marked Blakely’s first elite all-around competition since she tore her Achilles tendon at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Pease, a club teammate of Hezly Rivera, attributed today’s successes to her “positive attitude.” Like Blakely, Pease has a redemption arc of her own: in 2025, she missed an opportunity to make the 2025 World Championship team due to an untimely injury.

While scores carry over to Sunday’s finale, the title race remains highly contested. Should Rivera execute a comeback, the 18-year-old will join an elite list of American gymnasts to win multiple U.S. titles. Any other winner would join the history books as the U.S. national champion.

Here’s how the action unfolded on Friday in Phoenix.

The Phoenix Play-By Play

Rotation One: Blakely, Esponda Shine

Skye Blakely began her competition on uneven bars, an event where she is the reigning U.S National Champion and finalist at the 2025 World Championships. Blakely swung with power and difficulty to start the meet, cleanly landing her dismount for a strong 14.200.

First-year senior elite Charleigh Bullock showed jitters in her U.S. Championships senior debut, bouncing out of her vault landing. Despite the landing error, Bullock received a strong score of 14.000 due to strong execution in her twists. Next up, U.S. Classic All-Around Champion Reese Esponda. While Esponda had directional issues on her vault, Esponda nailed the landing for a near-perfect stick, earning a 14.200 to tie with Blakely for the lead.

Reigning U.S. Champion and Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera’s night started on floor exercise, an event she won at the 2025 championships. Rivera showed strong power and artistry in her exercise, but struggled with endurance on her final tumbling pass. Nonetheless, a score of 14.000 marked a strong start.

In her first U.S. championships since winning two medals at the Paris Olympic games, Phoenix native Jade Carey returned to the beam. Though Carey began her routine with tentativeness, she showed her trademark composure to deliver a hit exercise. Carey clapped in celebration, opening her homecoming with a hit.

One of the top contenders for the AA title, reigning Pan American floor champion Claire Pease opened her night on floor exercise. Pease struggled with excess power on her landings, but showed remarkable flexibility in her dance elements.

Top Five After One: 1. Reese Esponda & Skye Blakely: 14.200, 3. Charleigh Bullock & Hezly Rivera: 14.000, 5. Lavi Crain: 13.950

Rotation Two: Bullock Pulls Ahead, Rivera Holds Steady

Heading to her second-consecutive ‘legs event,’ Rivera powered through the vault after her strong opening on floor exercise. Despite a recent hamstring “aggravation,” Rivera delivered another hit exercise to score a 14.200.

Minutes later, Bullock took to the uneven bars – an event where she is the 2025 U.S. Junior champion. Bullock quickly proved why, nailing her release moves and sticking her dismount for a 14.250, the highest bars score of the night. Two routines in, the 16-year-old took the lead over the defending national champion.

Over on the floor, former Olympic floor champion Jade Carey took to her signature event. Carey nailed her first three landings, only to bounce out of her final pass – a simple double back; perhaps, too easy for the three-time Olympic medalist. “She looks exceptionally better than [the] U.S. Classic,” commentator John Roethlisberger reflected. Carey received a strong 13.750, the highest floor score since Carey began her comeback.

Needing to capitalize on her two strongest events, Skye Blakely mounted the beam. Hitting her opening standing full twist, Blakely nearly fell off the beam on her acrobatic series but found her rhythm over the course of the routine. Despite the wobbles, she scored a strong 13.750. A world finalist on beam, Blakely has long battled with consistency.

At the halfway mark, Bullock took the lead, with Esponda dropping to fifth due to limited difficulty in her uneven bars routine. With less than a point separating the top five competitors, the all-around race quickly heated up.

Top Five After Two: 1. Charleigh Bullock: 28.250, 2. Hezly Rivera: 28.200, 3. Skye Blakely: 27.950, 4. Claire Pease: 27.500, 5. Reese Esponda: 27.300

Rotation Three: Bullock Holds Strong

Sitting just outside the top five in the all-around race, Jade Carey went to vault, an event where she is a World Champion and Olympic medalist. Competing lower difficulty due to her recent comeback, Carey cruised through her two vaults to take a comfortable lead in the vault standings.

Heading to the beam, Reese Esponda needed to hit before heading to her strongest ...

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