Skye Blakely completed a sensational comeback from a ruptured achilles tendon to win the women’s all-around title at the world gymnastics championships in Rotterdam on Friday, claiming the biggest individual prize in the sport outside the Olympics.

The 21-year-old American scored 55.733 points across four apparatus to finish ahead of Russia’s Liudmila Roshchina (55.199), with China’s Ke Qinqin taking bronze (55.032).

Blakely’s triumph came little more than two years after her Olympic ambitions were shattered when she ruptured her right achilles during floor exercise training, just two days before the US trials for the 2024 Paris Games. The injury required surgery and ended a season in which she had finished runner-up to Simone Biles at the national championships.

It was the second major setback of her career after she tore an elbow ligament while warming up for the Tokyo Olympic trials.

“Throughout the meet, I was telling myself ‘Do it for the girl in 2021 and the girl in 2024 who couldn’t do everything, just fight for her,’” Blakely told reporters. “That’s what I kept telling myself: ‘I am capable, I am ready’ and I made every version of myself extremely proud.”

“I already cried, but it just means the world to me,” Blakely said after qualifying at the Rotterdam Ahoy arena. “Knowing how much I’ve been through – two major surgeries, a lot of hardships, ups and downs.”

Blakely, a Dallas native, entered Friday’s final as the second-ranked qualifier and delivered under pressure, producing assured routines on uneven bars and balance beam before protecting a lead of more than a point on floor exercise.

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Her 14.200 on beam, an apparatus that had caused problems during the Americans’ silver-medal finish behind China in Wednesday’s team competition, gave her a commanding advantage heading into the final rotation. A misty-eyed Blakely became overwhelmed by emotion after completing her floor routine, then wrapped herself in an American flag once the result was confirmed.

“It truly means the world to me, knowing how much I have overcome, all of the hardship that I faced and the days that I wanted to give up or didn’t think it was possible,” Blakely said. “To see it really come to be tonight, is just, it makes me so proud of myself and makes me reflect on little me who would dream of this.”

Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour, the leading qualifier, finished fourth after a mistake on her opening vault forced her to perform a less difficult attempt. She recovered with an outstanding performance on uneven bars but missed bronze by just 0.034 points. Fellow American Claire Pease finished seventh after falling from the balance beam.

Blakely, a University of Florida junior, became the first American to win the world all-around crown since Biles in 2023, extending a US streak of podium finishes at every Olympics and world championships since 2003.

Competition continues on Saturday with the first apparatus finals. Blakely and Pease are set to compete in the women’s vault and uneven bars finals, while Fred Richard will contest the men’s floor exercise and Patrick Hoopes the pommel horse.