Gators Alumni Show Out in World Championships

Gators alumni Leanne Wong and Skye Blakely competed in this year’s Women’s World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. The two have been competing on the global scale together since 2022, and will continue to do so as Florida teammates for the 2024-25 season. In a nail-biting finish, Wong took home the silver medal in the all-around competition, and Blakely finished right off the podium in fourth for the uneven bars finals. 

The meet also featured future Gator Dulcy Caylor, being the second world championships with three current, future or past Gators since 2023 ( Wong, Blakely, and Kayla DiCello as an alternate).

Leanne Wong

The international stage is not new to Wong. She got second (56.340) in the all-around competition in 2021, her first World Championships. Wong has since competed in three World Championships, including this year’s, being a key member in helping the USA win team gold in 2022 and 2023. 

In all her competitions, Wong’s goal has always been to represent Team USA well and bring home as much success as possible.

“The main goal is always to…go there, do gymnastics, and bring home medals,” Wong told the media before this year’s Worlds. 

Wong finished her first day of competition in ninth place (51.865) and qualified as the second gymnast for the United States to compete in the women’s all-around. To start finals, she started on bars, one of her signature events, finishing with a clean routine and ending the first rotation in fifth (13.800).

In her final rotation on vault, Wong placed just off the podium in fourth. She decided to change her original vault, a double-twisting Yurchenko, to a Cheng, which has higher difficulty and higher score potential. The risk paid off, and Wong scored a massive 14.466 to take the lead. 

Wong’s biggest competitor, Russian gymnast Angelina Melnikova, finished her floor routine with a 13.466, enough to beat Wong by one-tenth. Melnikova also beat her back in 2021, taking the gold medal, with Wong being the runner-up. Despite the ending, she held her head high and expressed satisfaction with her performance.

“Of course, it’s disappointing to see your name go to second place,” Wong told the International Gymnastics Federation, “Overall, I’m happy with the competition…and to be winning a medal.”

Skye Blakely

Over a year ago, Blakely tore her right Achilles tendon during the 2024 Olympic trials, which took a year off her gymnastics career. After undergoing extensive care and surgery, she returned to competition seven months later, in the Gators’ season opener on Jan. 10. 

The reigning national bars champion had her first international appearance since 2023 last week in the world qualifications. She scored a huge 14.166 and qualified for the bars finals in seventh. On her final day of competition, she improved to a fourth-place finish (14.333).

While Blakely may not have won a medal, her immense progress since her recovery has been a “testament to her work ethic,” according to Gators gymnastics general manager Owen Field, who spoke nothing but praise about Blakely before the competition.

“Her mindset has continued to develop, and her ability to persevere through the rehab process,” said Field.

Blakely will compete for the Gators, likely in the bars lineup again, this upcoming season as a sophomore. Her end goal is to work her way into the team’s all-around lineup.

Dulcy Caylor

Caylor verbally committed to Florida last fall and will join the team in the 2026-27 season. In her first World Championships, she qualified in fifth, above Wong, in the all-around. She also qualified for the beam and floor finals, the only USA gymnast to qualify for multiple events this meet.

Caylor did not win any individual medals, but the future is bright for the soon-to-be Gator as she continues to increase her skills and experience in the sport.

Category: Former Gators, Gator Sports, Gators Gymnastics