World University Games 2025:
Japan and China Lead in Essen

Japan and China Share the Podium in Essen

The women’s artistic gymnastics competition at the 2025 FISU World University Games concluded in Essen, Germany with Japan and China splitting top honors across the three competition days. From July 24 to July 26, the event featured a tightly contested team final, an all‑around battle decided by tenths, and apparatus finals showcasing execution quality and depth across the field.

Team Final: Japan’s Balanced Approach

Japan’s women delivered a collective performance without major errors, finishing with a 162.297 total to claim team gold. Their rotation strength on beam and floor proved decisive against China, whose higher difficulty scores on uneven bars were offset by landing deductions on floor. China finished second with 161.864, while South Korea took bronze at 158.765.

All‑Around Final: Zhang Prevails

China’s Zhang Yihan captured the all‑around title with 54.399, edging Japan’s Haruka Nakamura (54.166) and teammate Liang Shuxin (53.832). Zhang’s clean execution on uneven bars (14.100) created the margin she needed, while Nakamura posted the top beam score of the day at 14.033.

Event Finals: Multiple Nations on Top

The vault title went to South Korea’s Kim Su‑ji (13.966 average) with dynamic amplitude on both vaults. On uneven bars, Zhang Yihan’s 14.166 secured her second gold of the Games. Balance beam was won by Haruka Nakamura with 14.033, and floor exercise closed with Japan’s Mai Tanaka earning gold at 13.733. China and South Korea both added silver and bronze medals across these finals, underlining regional competitiveness.

Performance Indicators

Execution averages in medal‑winning routines exceeded 8.8 on uneven bars and balance beam, while vault medalists maintained start values above 5.2. This consistency in E‑scores at a multi‑sport event signals preparation quality and routine stability comparable to senior continental championships.