Before young athletes can strive for gold as part of the U.S. gymnastics team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, they must first get qualifying scores in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. This event is being held in Stuttgart, Germany, from October 4 to October 13. 

Who Qualifies for the 2020 Olympic Games

Up to six gymnasts per country will compete in the 2020 Olympics. In the past, teams were comprised of five athletes.

Individuals qualify for their country’s teams based on their performance at the 2019 Championships, marking the official start to the journey to Tokyo 2020. Only two athletes will perform for all-around qualifications.

The top nine men’s and women’s teams will make it to Japan. This is in addition to the top three men’s and women’s teams that qualified at the 2018 World Championships. Six hundred gymnasts will compete in this year’s Championships, with eighty countries represented. 

Team USA’s History at the Championships in Stuttgart 

This year will mark the return of the World Championships to Stuttgart, where the event was held in 1989 and 2007.

In the first year, Team USA finished in fourth place. 

In 2007, the USA gymnastics team took home the gold. Those athletes— Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone, Bridget Sloan, Nastia Liukin, Sam Peszek, Ivana Hong, and Shayla Worley— were inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2013. For the all-around event, American athletes also won the top medals.

If your child has dreams of a gymnastics future, contact The Gymnastics Training Center Of Rochester in Monroe and Wayne counties, NY. The coaches are committed to helping children develop a passion for gymnastics and provide exercise and conditioning training to help them master basic tumbling and gymnastics skills through advanced routines. Their 22,000-square-foot center also accommodates recreational classes. Become a Facebook fan for news alerts, learn more about their competitive programs online, or call (585) 388-8686 to enroll.