Angelina Melnikova wins controversial all-around title at the 2025 World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta
JAKARTA, Indonesia – It seemed to be a done deal.
After qualifying ninth following a fall on vault, Leanne Wong (USA) hit all four of her routines in the women’s world all-around final, capped off by a Cheng that scored a 14.466, to earn a 54.966. Left to go was Angelina Melnikova (AIN), who fell on beam in the rotation prior. She needed better than a 13.366 to win and had only earned a 13.100 in qualifying.
During the routine, Melnikova seemed to go out of bounds with both feet on her first pass, had an apparent error on her wolf turn, and couldn’t quite find her landings. As the athletes and crowd waited for the final score to come in, many thought Wong had it in the bag. But the score flashed – 13.466 – and Melnikova jumped to the top of the leaderboard.
It was the difference of a tenth.
Melnikova was only given a one-tenth neutral deduction for her out of bounds, instead of the three-tenths deducted if an athlete is out with two feet. She also earned the highest floor execution score of the day with a 7.966.
Melnikova celebrated, Wong was consoled by her coach, and the outrage from the gymternet ensued. An instant controversy to debate for a lifetime – what if?
Rounding out the podium was Zhang Qingying (CHN), who won China’s first women’s world all-around medal since Tang Xijing in 2019.
The top 24 women advanced to the all-around final. You can see the full results of the meet, including qualifying scores, here.
Keep reading for a rundown of the meet as it happened.
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Final Leaderboard
- Angelina Melnikova (AIN) – 55.066
- Leanne Wong (USA) – 54.966
- Zhang Qingying (CHN) – 54.633
Rotation 4
That win is going to leave a bitter taste in some gymnastics fans mouths. Melnikova was good on floor, but she got the highest execution score of the day with a 7.966. Not to mention the out of bounds. Melnikova beats Wong by a tenth – but should it have been Wong beating Melnikova by two-tenths?
Angelina Melnikova (AIN) FX: Will need more than a 13.366 to win. Full-twisting double layout, both feet looked out of bounds despite it looking good. Turn sequence is solid. Double layout, hop back. Wolf turn looked off. Double pike… The out of bounds early might do it alone. We will see. 13.466 – that gives her the world all-around title! 55.066.
Asia D’Amato (ITA) UB = 13.866
Aiko Sugihara (JPN) FX = 13.666
Kaylia Nemour (ALG) FX: 1.5 through to triple twist, little hop to the side. Punch front layout through to double pike, small hop. Double wolf turn. Double back, rebounds forward uncontrolled but avoids putting her hands down. 12.866 – that’s third now. She’s going to finish off the podium.
Leanne Wong (USA) VT: Cheng, we’ve got to watch hand… and she gets it! 14.466! You can hear her coach, Owen, celebrate! 54.966 total, and now she waits!
Zhang Qingying (CHN) FX: Full-twisting double back, single large step back. Front handspring full and takes a couple large steps forward out of it. Double wolf turn. Double pike, single small step back.
Dulcy Caylor (USA) FX: Double Y-turn. Double layout, stuck, but low coming up. Full through to double back to punch front, great. Triple wolf turn. Double pike, small hop. Really great routine for her to end. It will be always be a what if after the two falls, but for her to be here and make three finals – she is doing so well, and her future is bright! 13.433. Watch it here.
Karina Schoenmaier (GER) FX: Falls on first pass. 11.900.
There is 0.133 between Qingying, Nemour, and Melnikova in 1-3. Wong is 1.233 out of first, and now the question is will she do the Cheng? Or double-twisting Yurchenko? She fell on the double in qualifying. The Cheng scores higher. She SHOULD go for the Cheng if she wants a chance at a medal/this title. It’s the CEO – she’s going to go big, right? It seems like it’s between the top 3, but Wong isn’t completely out of it, mathematically, with them going to floor.
Rotation 3
Aiko Sugihara (JPN) BB: Mount series is great. Front aerial to split jump to straddle jump. So expressive – lovely to watch on this event. Back handspring to layout stepout. Y-turn, off balance and kind of slams her leg down out of it to stay on. Another stumble. Switch ring, leg up. Double pike, hop back. 13.366.
Rina Kishi (JPN) FX: Tucked double-double, big rebound back but seems to keep it in bounds. Front layout to Rudi, small hop. Double wolf turn. Out of bounds on a turn. 2.5 twist, beautiful. Double pike, hop forward. 12.800.
Kaylia Nemour (ALG) BB: Roundoff layout mount, clean. Back handspring to layout stepout to layout stepout, beautiful. Front aerial to split jump to straddle jump. Switch leap to switch half. Side aerial. Pops out of the wolf turn and falls. Just like qualifying. Door is wide open for this field. 13.066 – second behind Qingying.
Leanne Wong (USA) FX: Triple wolf turn, calm, cool, and collected. Tucked double-double, little college lunge out of it. Half to front full to arabesque, beautiful. Double pike, small hop back. 13.200. Watch it here.
Ruby Evans (GBR) FX = 13.200
Natalia Escalera (MEX) UB: Van Leeuwen. Straddle Jaeger. Straddle Tkatchev, sky-high, to Pak. Maloney to Gienger, leg separation on that. Giant 1/1. Full-twisting double back, stuck. 12.933.
Zhang Qingying (CHN) BB: Her best event here… Switch leap mount to switch half to Korbut, excellent. Roundoff two footed layout, small bobble – usually perfect so might be a bit of nerves there. Switch ring to back handspring to split jump. Switch side 1/4 to straddle jump to Yurchenko loop. Triple jump series. Turn. Double pike, single step. Will be a big score! 14.833 – almost a five-tenth improvement! WOW. And she’s into first. Watch it here.
Laia Font (ESP) VT: Stuck double-twisting Yurchenko. Form issues in the air, namely leg separation, but great landing! 13.766!
Dulcy Caylor (USA) BB: Switch leap mount, small bobble. Back handspring to layout stepout to layout stepout. L-turn, bobble. Side aerial and misses the connection. Switch leap to straddle jump. Front aerial to split jump to Korbut. Double wolf turn and she’s off. Was very timid through the routine before that. 11.900. Watch it here.
Abigail Martin (GBR) FX: Full-twisting double layout, looked like one foot out of bounds. Double layout, big hop back. Punch front full through to double back, knees kind of buckle as she hops forward. Martin is a rising powerhouse for Team GB! 13.266.
Karina Schoenmaier (GER) BB: Punch front mount, leg up and bends over but saves it. Bends in half on flight series. Whole routine is a bit of a struggle. 11.900.
Asia D’Amato (ITA) VT: Double-twisting Yurchenko, soft knees, but very clean landing, just a small hop. 13.966.
Angelina Melnikova (AIN) BB: Switch leap mount to switch leap. Roundoff two-footed layout and she fights and fights and fights and she falls – same thing she fell on in qualifying. Same skill she struggled on in podium. 12.800.
Rotation 2
Zoja Székely (HUN) is a DNF.
Kaylia Nemour (ALG) UB: Opening sequence ends with her on top of the bar. Flows through the skills beautifully. Double layout, smallest of hops. 15.166 – she connected less today than qualifying, lost two-tenths in difficulty score alone. Only did a 6.9 vs. quals 7.1. Watch it here.
Leanne Wong (USA) BB: Switch leap mount to switch half to straddle jump, good. Side aerial. Switch ring. Double wolf turn. Back handspring to layout stepout. Front aerial to split jump. Side somi, arm swing, but she keeps going. Wolf jump to Sissone. Tuck gainer full, stuck cold. That dismount has become SO good for her. 13.500 – that’s more than three-tenths higher than qualifying. Watch it here.
Zhang Qingying (CHN) UB: Clear hip to clear hip half to Pak. Maloney to straddle Tkatchev. Toe-on to toe 1/1 to full-twisting double back – stuck! Her gymnastics is so clean and solid. 13.900.
Alba Petisco (ESP) BB = Fall. 12.200.
Dulcy Caylor (USA) UB: Fell during qualifying… Toe 1/1 to Maloney to straddle Tkatchev, hits it. Pak. Van Leeuwen. Straddle Jaeger, falls. Double layout. So disappointing for her – she was swinging great prior to the mistake. 12.233. Watch it here.
Karina Schoenmaier (GER) UB = 13.200
Ruby Evans (GBR) BB: Punch front to split jump, misses the connection to the straddle jump. Double wolf turn, little arm swing and bend in the leg but saves it. Switch leap to switch half, low and tentative. Back handspring to layout stepout to layout stepout, leg kicks up. Double wolf turn, another stumbling finish. Front aerial. 2.5 twist and hop forward. 12.033.
Abigail Martin (GBR) BB: Double wolf turn. Front aerial, little arm swing. Back handspring to layout stepout to layout stepout, solid. Switch leap to switch side 1/4, bit low on those. Straddle jump, also low. Side aerial, low chest and kicks her leg up but doesn’t come off. Double pike, juices it and takes a couple steps back. 12.400.
Angelina Melnikova (AIN) UB: Inbar 1/1 to inbar Shaposh to Pak to Van Leeuwen. Inbar half to piked Jaeger. Orphan half to toe 1/1 to full-twisting double back, stuck. 14.700 – improves by two-tenths.
Lyudmila Roschina (AIN) BB: Falls again. The Russian AINs have really been struggling on that event. 11.733.
Asia D’Amato (ITA) FX: Double Y-turn. Double layout, great amplitude, hop back. Double Arabian, large hop forward but keeps it in bounds. Double wolf turn is short, only will get credit for a single. Double back, little rebound. 12.800.
Aiko Sugihara (JPN) UB: Toe half to straddle Jaeger. Toe 1/1 to Pak. Maloney to Gienger and she’s off – really odd fall and she almost lands partially standing up. Hopefully didn’t hyperextend her leg. Double front half dismount. 12.200.
Rina Kishi (JPN) BB: Double wolf turn but kind of wolfkinos it a bit and stands out of it. Bends over on the flight series. The Japanese women have surprisingly struggled on this apparatus a bit in Jakarta. 13.433.
Rotation 1
Natalia Escalera (MEX) FX: Big double layout, slide and a small step back. Punch front full through to double pike, flexed feet in the pike throughout, hop. Punch front layout through to double back, low chest and a hop forward. She’s actually married to Jose “Gussy” Lopez, who is from Puerto Rico, and her routine uses some Bad Bunny as a tribute to her husband! 12.966.
Asia D’Amato (ITA) BB: Roundoff back handspring mount. Back handspring to layout. Front aerial to split jump to straddle jump. Switch leap, bit low, pauses before switch half, little stumble there. Side somi, big bobble and takes a second to recompose. Another bobble on the next skill. Full turn. Double pike. 12.900. Watch it here.
Abigail Martin (GBR) UB: Toe 1/1 to Maloney to straddle Tkatchev. Straddle Jaeger Pak. Van Leeuwen. STUCK full-twisting double back. 13.466.
Zhang Qingying (CHN) VT: Tsuk full, single step back with the left foot, noticeably piked down. 13.000.
Kaia Tanskanen (FIN) BB: Roundoff two-footed layout mount. Back handspring to layout stepout to layout stepout. Front aerial to straddle jump, a couple bobbles in that. Wolf turn. Switch leap to switch side 1/4. Side somi. Roundoff 1.5 dismount. 12.500.
Alba Petisco (ESP) UB = 13.466
Dulcy Caylor (USA) VT: Very clean, small hop back. 13.966, just behind Melnikova. Watch it here.
Lyudmila Roshchina (AIN) UB = Inbar 1/1 to inbar Shaposh to stalder piked Tkatchev to Pak. Stalder Shaposh to Gienger. Toe half to piked Jaeger. Orphan half. Full-twisting double back, stuck. 13.833.
Breanna Scott (AUS) FX: Double layout, tidy, hop forward. Punch front through double twist. Double wolf turn. Y-turn. Double pike, small hop back. 12.433.
Karina Schoenmaier (GER) VT: Double-twisting Yurchenko, lands off to the side and takes some steps just off the mat. 13.566.
Aiko Sugihara (JPN) VT: STUCK Yurchenko 1.5! 13.900.
Angelina Melnikova (AIN) VT: Double-twisting Yurchenko, great height. Couple hops back and on that line but doesn’t go over! 14.100.
Rina Kishi (JPN) UB: Maloney to stalder 1/1 to giant to Pak. Van Leeuwen. Stalder. Half to straddle Jaeger. Toe 1/1 to full-twisting double back and a couple steps out of that. 13.033.
Naomi Visser (NED) BB: Roundoff back handspring mount. Front aerial. Side aerial to back handspring, and she misses the second, coming off. 12.233.
Kaylia Nemour (ALG) VT: Double-twisting Yurchenko, and she hits it today! Still needs more power. Under-rotated a bit and hops over the line to the left. 13.466. That’s a point increase from qualifying.
Leanne Wong (USA) UB: Clear hip half to straddle Jaeger. Toe 1/1 to Bhardwaj. Maloney to Pak. Van Leeuwen. Double layout, hop back. That was one of Leanne’s best bars routines – hit handstands, super clean. Leanne was probably very frustrated after qualifying, specifically vault. 13.800. Watch it here.
Greta Mayer (HUN) FX: Double layout, leg separation but stuck cold. Full twisting double back, basically stuck, just a little staggered landing. Punch front through to double back, one foot out of bounds, under-rotated but keeps it upright. Double wolf turn. Double pike, also short a bit, chest down. 12.700.
