​ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — The U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s long run of dominance at the world championships is over.China used a spectacular performance on balance beam in the third rotation to surge to the lead and then held on late to claim gold during a tense team final on Wednesday.The five-woman Chinese team’s total of 165.764 was just enough to edge the Americans at 165.531, ending the Americans’ run of seven straight world championship titles that began in 2011.The gold was the first for China at a major international competition since the 2008 Olympics and first at the world championships since 2006.Japan captured the bronze, its first podium finish at worlds in 60 years. France was fourth.Russia, which finished third behind China and the U.S. in qualifying and is competing at a major international team competition for the first time since winning gold at the 2020 Olympics, struggled from the outset in the finals.Taking the floor without a handful of their most experienced competitors — including 2020 Olympic gold medalist and 2021 world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova — after they were denied visas by the Netherlands, their competition began with a fall on uneven bars, and they never threatened to catch up on their way to a sixth-place finish.The Americans led by nearly two points through two rotations after excellent turns on vault and uneven bars, but it vanished quickly on balance beam. The Chinese, by far the best in the world on an event that requires gymnasts to navigate a 4-inch-wide piece of wood 4 feet off the floor, wasted little time erasing the deficit. Spectacular routines by Qinqin Ke and Zhang Qingying powered China to the front, with Zhang’s 15.066 the highest score by any athlete on any event.A fall by Dulcy Caylor on her dismount opened the door for China to move ahead by over two points heading into floor exercise. Caylor was competing in place of 2024 Olympic gold medalist and two-time national champion Hezly Rivera, who withdrew from the competition over the weekend due to a lingering ankle injur y.Solid routines by Caylor, Claire Pease and Reese Esponda on an event the Americans routinely dominate put pressure on China, but it wasn’t enough.While China’s routines lack the difficulty of the U.S.’s on floor, it avoided any major miscues that would have allowed the Americans to maintain their spot atop the sport. When Qiu Qiyuan’s score of 12.833 flashed and China’s flag moved to the top of the leaderboard, she was mobbed by her teammates.China’s victory over an American team comprised largely of athletes making their debut on the sport’s biggest stage outside of the Olympics ramps up the stakes ahead of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.Several of the U.S. stars who helped guide the Americans to gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including 2020 Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee and two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey, are pointing toward Los Angeles. The biggest question is whether superstar Si