Eighteen-year-old Zhang Qingying from Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, won the women's balance beam gold medal at the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct 25, earning China its first world balance beam title since 2018.

Zhang Qingying (middle) holds the medal during the awards ceremony. [Photo/IC]

This marked the seventh time Chinese women had topped the world championship podium in this event. Zhang also took home a bronze in the women's all-around, ending a six-year medal drought for China in that category. She concluded the competition with one gold and one bronze medal.

Zhang Qingying waves her hand during the balance beam final. [Photo/IC]

In qualifications, Zhang led with a score of 14.366, finishing more than half a point ahead of her nearest competitor. In the balance beam final, Zhang performed a nearly flawless routine, earning a difficulty score of 6.9. She cleanly completed all high-difficulty connections and executed her dismount with composure. 

Chinese athlete Zhang Qingying competes in the balance beam final. [Photo/IC]

Born in May 2007 in Taizhou's Jiaojiang district, Zhang began gymnastics training at the age of five. Despite not having ideal physical proportions, her strong jumping ability and determination fueled her rapid progress. She joined the Zhejiang provincial team in 2015 and went on to win multiple national youth titles.

At the 2023 Asian Championships in Singapore, Zhang won gold medals in the balance beam, the floor exercise, and the team events, as well as a silver in the all-around, earning her qualification for the Paris Olympics.