Elena Colas
The world challenge cup series concludes in Paris this weekend, where the winners of the 2026 season will be announced while the meet also offers one of the final major internationally competitive opportunities to athletes preparing to compete at world championships.
The host country has an impressive list of names on the roster, including a number of athletes who are set for Rotterdam next month. For WAG, most notable are Elena Colas, Morgane Osyssek, and Maïana Prat, and while many of the top MAG athletes are competing under the hors concours designation – basically as guests whose scores in qualifications won’t count toward the total ranking – I’m excited to follow Naël Sakouhi, Kevin Carvalho, and Benjamin Osberger.
In addition to France, the WAG field will include Sabrina Voinea of Romania and Lisa Vaelen of Belgium as two who are often capable of medaling in these types of competitions, and I think Izzy Stassi of the United States could put up some medal-worthy routines on vault and floor. I’m also psyched about Emelie Westlund of Sweden and Sofia Shtykhetskaya on bars, Aitana Pacheco of Spain on beam, and Christine Kubon of Norway, who could medal on vault if she brings back the Yurchenko double full she debuted at Euros this summer, a first in her program’s history.
Lots of top MAG names are on the list as well, including high bar standout Carlo Macchini of Italy, Ferhat Arican and Ibrahim Colak of Türkiye, Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine in his second competition back after an extended break along with his teammate Nazar Chepurnyi, who should be the top contender for vault gold, and pommel horse stunners Hamlet Manukyan of Armenia and Gabriele Targhetta of Italy. Fan favorite Cooper Kim of the United States should put up some exciting routines here, Artem Dolgopyat of Israel should be a top contender on floor, Ilya Zaika of Russia will be one to watch on rings, and I always love Sebastian Sponevik of Norway on floor and vault.
The competition begins tomorrow, September 26, with all of the qualification sessions, while apparatus finals will be held on Sunday, September 27. There will not be a stream for qualifications, but finals will stream live on MaGymTV and on World Gymnastics TV for a fee, and live scores are available through Longines Timing.
A full list of athletes expected to compete is below.
| ALGERIA | |
| Louna Hamames-Moallic Sihem Hamidi Léna Khenoun Djenna Laroui |
|
| ARGENTINA | |
| Meline Mesropian | |
| ARMENIA | |
| Artur Avetisyan Gagik Khachikyan Hamlet Manukyan |
|
| AUSTRALIA | |
| Carlos Lai Max Langdon Ewen McConville Blair Stewart |
Audrey Hawkins Sophie Leo Haylee Whitehead |
| AZERBAIJAN | |
| Rasul Ahmadzada Nikita Simonov |
Daniz Aliyeva Nazanin Teymurova |
| BELARUS | |
| Bahdan Ilyinkou Yahor Sharamkou |
Karalina Fedaniuk Sofia Shtykhetskaya |
| BELGIUM | |
| Alessio Corda Romeo Jost Florient Olmanst Victor Tournicourt |
Naomi Descamps Lisa Vaelen |
| CANADA | |
| Addyson Cheladyn Raphael Madore Jackson Martin |
Charlotte Raymond Zoe Tsaprailis |
| CROATIA | |
| Marko Jovicic Jakov Vlahek Mateo Zugec |
Erin Bakran Sofia Mester Antea Sikic Kaucic Christina Zwicker |
| CZECHIA | |
| Beata Merinska Julie Steinhauserova |
|
| DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | |
| Wilfry Contreras | |
| EGYPT | |
| Sirine Abouelhoda | |
| FINLAND | |
| Marcus Pietarinen | Misella Antila Maisa Kuusikko |
| FRANCE | |
| Lorenzo Aymes Swaïmy Bellil (hors concours) Alphonce Burbail (hors concours) Kevin Carvalho Anthony Mansard (hors concours) Alan Moullec Benjamin Osberger Naël Sakouhi Melwin Touchais Leeroy Traore-Malatre (hors concours) |
Lorette Charpy (hors concours) Elena Colas Alizée Letrange-Mouakit (hors concours) Morgane Osyssek Maïana Prat Célia Serber |
| GREAT BRITAIN | |
| Elliot Vernon | Crystelle Lake Emily Roper Ruby Stacey |
| IRELAND | |
| James Hickey | Mimi Moloney |
| ISRAEL | |
| Noam Berkovich Artem Dolgopyat Ilia Liubimov Ron Ortal Ron Pyatov |
Roni Shamay Yali Shoshani |
| ITALY | |
| Tommaso Brugnami Carlo Macchini Gabriele Targhetta |
|
| LATVIA | |
| Anna Grauda Grote Elana Svike |
|
| LITHUANIA | |
| Nedas Grikinas | |
| LUXEMBOURG | |
| Quentin Brandenburger Ronan Foley Ben Mangen Joy Palermo |
|
| MONACO | |
| Kevin Crovetto | |
| MOROCCO | |
| Hamza Hossaini Wallys Pharess Khiri |
Salina Bousmayo Danielle Ferris |
| NORWAY | |
| Theodor Gadderud Sebastian Sponevik |
Christine Kubon Keisha Lockert |
| PANAMA | |
| Pablo Broszio | |
| PERU | |
| Soleil Rodrigues Alessia Suarez |
|
| ROMANIA | |
| Maria Ceplinschi Adelina Ionescu Sabrina Voinea |
|
| RUSSIA | |
| Matvei Akinshin Timofei Akinshin Aleksei Rostov Ilya Zaika |
Varvara Belova |
| SLOVAKIA | |
| Nela Ostrihonova | |
| SLOVENIA | |
| Luka Bojanc Kevin Buckley Anze Hribar Beno Kunst Gregor Rakovic |
|
| SPAIN | |
| Daniel Carrion Sergio Kovacs Ignacio Yockers |
Laura Casabuena Maia Llacer Aitana Pacheco |
| SWEDEN | |
| David Rumbutis William Sundell |
Emelie Westlund |
| TÜRKIYE | |
| Ferhat Arican Alperen Ege Avci Ibrahim Colak Mert Efe Kilicer Mehmet Ayberk Kosak Kerem Sener |
Ceren Biner Sevgi Kayisoglu |
| UKRAINE | |
| Nazar Chepurnyi Ihor Dyshuk Oleg Verniaiev |
Bohdana Kovalova Diana Lobok |
| UNITED STATES | |
| Crew Bold Brandon Dang Cooper Kim |
Lila Richardson Izzy Stassi |
Article by Lauren Hopkins
