Gymcastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

OLYMPIC TRIALS PREVIEW The Favorites Simone Biles and the biggest question we have about her heading into trials Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles Who gets the second automatic team spot? What does each need to do to confirm her presumed spot on the team? Jade Carey She "has every intention" of taking her individual spot. So, good. Right? The Contenders From Wong to McCusker to McCallum to DiCello to Skinner and more, we make the Olympic team case for (and against—Spencer's part) every single athlete heading into Olympic Trials We grapple with questions like, can Leanne Wong hit consistently enough to get herself on the team? Would you feel comfortable putting Riley McCusker on the same team as Sunisa Lee? Can Grace McCallum return to her peak level in time? Men's Preview Kensley brings the TWIST with her picks for the two most likely men to get automatic spots on the Olympic team Is there any denying the top 3 favorites? What does Shane Wiskus have to do to get himself on the team? Is this finally t

BUT FIRST Updates on the US trials petition drama and the statement from USAG saying Tom Forster "misspoke" which only provoke more questions A palate cleanser of Laurie Hernandez's skill reveals GYMNASTICS INTERNATIONAL A deeper dive into the Becky Downie situation and how she says she was treated at her make-up trial Russian Cup Valentina just went ahead and announced the Olympic teams mid-competition "Likely Gerasimova" and whether that makes sense A deep interpretation of Viktoria Listunova's new floor routine Varvara Zubova is the beam champion The Nabieva 1/2 revolution Is it Nabs? Or is it not Nabs? Only Tatiana Nabieva can tell us Comparing Nina Derwael's version and Sanne Wevers' version The FIG screwed up with the values again Important developments from the first Dutch trial Plus, The German and French Olympic teams have been named, and that time Kohei got mad JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd or buy a gift membership for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Behind The Scenes: Pos

US NATIONALS Morgan Hurd was not advanced to Olympic Trials. We discuss what Tom Forster said to the press about it, the confusion USAG fully brought on itself, and whether that decision actually makes sense Simone Biles. Gushing about the best parts of her 7th national championship Queen of Consistency Jordan Chiles and Queen of Bars Composition Sunisa Lee Who makes up the highest-scoring Olympic team based on nationals? Who's still in contention? Why Tom Forster's press conference was great news for MyKayla Skinner Did Grace McCallum and Kayla DiCello jeopardize their chances with falls at nationals? The latest on the Jade Carey Problem Highlight routines like Riley McCusker's bars and Emma Malabuyo's beam The US men earned a +1 Olympic spot at Pan Ams Brody Malone broke Sam Mikulak's streak to win the national championship Realistic team and specialist options for the men's Olympic team BATTLE POMMEL HORSE is on for Olympic Trials OLYMPIC TEAM NEWS Becky Downie will not be in Tokyo as Great Britain anno

We discuss the results, the history makers this week from Jade Carey's triple twisting double layout to Olivierias arabian double pike out at Pan Ams; what the highest scoring 3-up-3-count team would be based on day one results and how all of your favorites did tonight. 

USAG National Team Agreement The USAG National Team Agreement as long been a point of contention for athletes and parents. On the eve of US Championships when the US National Team will be named, Jessica talked to attorneys Jaime Santos, partner at Goodwin in their Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation practice and Betsy Cooper, founding Director of the Tech Policy Hub at the Aspen Institute, about the currently available national team agreement for 2018-2019. The 2021 agreement is expected to be posted soon, as it is requirement from the USOPC, however, it was not available at the time of this recording. This interview is geared towards athletes and parents to let them know what to look for, change or negotiate before signing the agreement. Remember to seek legal advice before singing any contract. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD  Join Club Gym Nerd or buy a gift membership for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Behind The Scenes: Gymnastics Time Warp Behind The Scenes: Sr. Session Two US Classic 2021 Behind The

NATIONALS PREVIEW The biggest questions we have heading into nationals—featuring Konnor McClain's sudden gym move, Riley McCusker's injury status, whether Sunisa Lee will do the all-around, and who's going to write the worst article about Simone's vault Athletes opting out of doing interviews — good news or greatest news? What does two weeks more time look like for Morgan Hurd and Grace McCallum? Is Spencer still trying to make Leanne Wong happen? What does Kara Eaker need to do? Laurie Hernandez goes next level with a Tiktok AA reveal MAN THINGS: Kensley tells us about national team funding, the Pan Ams team and who's really in contention for a +1 Olympic spot for the US men, and likely Olympic team permutations heading into nationals. Plus, the greatest retirement tweet of all time. INTERVIEW Make it Happen: My Story of Gymnastics, the Olympics, and the Positive Power of Sport by Kyle Shewfelt Three time Canadian Olympian, and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Shewfelt is here to talk about his new book. L

US CLASSIC Simone Biles officially debuted the Yurchenko double pike. We discuss how awesome it is, and Spencer has 84 things to say about the D score. What Tom Forster, US High Performance Coordinator, said when Jessica asked if USAG would fight the low D score given to Simone's vault. Simone gave credit to both of her coaching teams. She's been doing the Yurchenko double pike for over ten years (see our interview in 2013), first with Aimee Boorman and now competing it with Cecile and Laurent Landi. Jordan Chiles went 57+ again. Is she an Olympic lock? Can anyone stop the reliability of bars champion Kayla DiCello? OUTSPOKEN GROWN ASS WOMEN ADULTS - Simone, Morgan Hurd and MyKayla Skinner do not hold back in interviews "The way Marta did things, it was kinda brutal and it didn't need to be that way. With Tom and the rest of the team, it's a growing experience, but the changes have been really good. Tom is so supportive. It's so weird having a relationship with a national coach." - MyKayla Skinner "I don

US CLASSIC PREVIEW Schedule change, plus how to watch Important PSA re: chilling out. It's not the end of the world if your favorite makes a mistake. What expectations do we have for the Chellsie Memmel revenge on Steve Penny tour of MEMMELING? What does Laurie Hernandez need to show here? Where is Morgan Hurd in her elbow comeback/organizing a solidarity amongst the entire US team demonstration against police brutality and anti-asian hate crimes? Will we see some patented US Classic vault upgrade attempts? SIMONNNEEE piked double yurchenko? Do it! OLYMPIC NEWS The Japanese women's Olympic team has been named. We celebrate, and Spencer has some concerns British women's team selection has been pushed back to allow Becky Downie a chance to trial GYMTERNET NEWS The US men's Pan Am team was chosen but no one told us about it The 2022 codes of points are out. Quick reactions to the headlines for the new women's code An update on Kevin Mazeika JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd or buy a gift membership fo

HEADLINES British Gymnastics Olympic Trials: Updates on the Downies' personal tragedy and the British trials bars controversy. Georgia-Mae Fenton and Ondine Achampong won the two days of trials, throwing everything into chaos What do they even do with Olympic team selection now? In Australia news, the Human Rights Commission report is out, and Peggy Liddick wrote that horrible letter. Update -  Liddick has been removed from judging at AUS Championships. Former US men's team coordinator Kevin Mazeika has been put on the USAG restricted list and cannot coach minors without adult supervision. PROJECT K: The Romanian Secret Police Files on the Karolyis Interview with Professor Simona Petracovschi, PhD, faculty of Physical Education and Sport West University of Timisoara, Romania, to discuss the relationship between the Securitate and the athletes in communist Romania. What was the Securitate and what was their relationship to the athletes vs average Romanian citizens in Communist Romania? Can reports from the

Jessica Bendinger Interview What got cut from the movie. Scary NYC punk shows in the 1980's and of course legendary punk band, Bad Brains who get a nod in the movie. The continued relevance of Stick It. Pitching movies about women to a Hollywood system constipated by gender and structural bias. Why she started her Mob Queens podcast Alternative to the Bechdel Test Training at Muriel Grossfeld's gym with Marcia Fredrick and Don Peters Needing more diversity in Stick It. Our mutual love for Oana Ban and Mattie Larson as both a gymnast  and bad ass hero. Gymnastics, PTSD and nervous breakdowns. Jessica pitches Stick It 2, genderless mafia gymnastics revolution or Stick It 2, the horror version: Escape from the Ranch. Listen to our full episode about  the movie 422: Stick It (Commissioned) JOIN CLUB GYM NERD  Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Behind The Scenes: Project K Behind The Scenes: LIVE after NCAA Finals Behind The Scenes: Live After NCAA Semifinal I Behind The Scenes: A

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Four more Olympic spots have been clinched, including by Larisa Iordache (ROM)! We discuss her valiant triumph over kidney infection, her intent on giving us all heart attacks, her fast-forward award acceptance speech, and...maybe a little about the scoring. Nikita Nagornyy's (RUS)triple pike. That's all. Qualification was super easy to follow, the stream worked, the scoring worked, and we have no notes. The German unitard revolution! Related sign petition for longevity and health; get event specialists to Level 10 Championships. Russian dominance, and how Listunova's victorious AA score compares internationally The glory of Jessica Gadirova (GBR) Vanessa Ferrari's first Euro or world medal in 7 years Giulia Steingruber's (SUI) first Euro medal in 5 years Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA) busting out a full-twisting double tuck beam dismount to beat Sanne Our trauma for Rhys McClenaghan, Max Whitlock, Tin Srbic, Epke and Bart Deurloo Shock pommel horse champion Artur Davtyan and hi

BREAKING NEWS We reached out to USAG about Jade Carey's Olympic spot, whether she's going to compete at Trials, and whether she'll be considered for the main team. Their answer was wild. And now we have some additional questions: "Based on our understanding of the current FIG qualification rules, we believe Jade Carey’s performances on the floor exercise in the World Cup Series have mathematically qualified her, by name, to the Tokyo Olympic Games. Barring any rule changes, we anticipate that FIG will award her the spot. We are extremely proud of Jade’s performance on the world stage, which earned her this well-deserved opportunity. This path – to pursue the opportunity for an individual qualification – was open to certain qualified national team athletes. No other eligible athletes opted to pursue this qualification route. We anticipate that Jade will be competing at Trials. Unless she accepts the individual spot beforehand, Jade would be eligible to make the four-person team. At this time, FIG has not ann

Club Gym Nerd member Casey has commissioned an episode all about the greats of Soviet Gymnastics, and how they weren't exactly the "specter of evil" that NBC told us they were. What do you think of when you think of Soviet gymnastics? Dominance? Ballet? Caviar? How the Soviet Union changed the game immediately upon attending the Olympics for the first time Top 10 Soviet Gymnasts of All Time. Make your pick. No redos. No takebacks. Prof. O'Beirne's history of the cold war. When did the USSR compete? What made them so successful? Are wolf turns their fault? And why don't we spend more time talking about Maria Tyshko, Galina Urbanovich, and Maria Gorokhovskaya? That time the Soviets lost, and the epic 1981 world championships cheating conspiracies What might have been for Elena Mukhina What would have happened if the Soviets had competed at the 1984 Olympics? Bogi, Chuso, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the lasting legacy THE POSTS THIS FRIDAY  Behind The Scenes: Live After NCAA Semifinal I Things Are

THIS WEEK NCAA Nationals are here. We preview the action, with expectations for each teams and key gymnasts to watch. SEMIFINAL I: Florida, Michigan, Cal, Minnesota The semifinal of gymternet darlings What does a victory look like for these teams? What should our expectations be for Michigan? SEMIFINAL II: Oklahoma, LSU, Utah, Alabama The semifinal of teams that will outright murder you for a trophy Was Utah's regionals victory over LSU foreshadowing or an aberration? Who's going to win the AA title, and if justice could be done, who would win each event? Team title picks, and one final insane prediction. Schedule Friday, April 16 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT - Semifinal I LIVE BTS between sessions 6:00pm ET/3:00pm PT - Semifinal II Saturday, April 17 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT - Team Final How to Watch Semifinal I and II on ESPN2, Team Final on ABC. All sessions will have event streams and four-event view on ESPN3. THE POSTS Things Are Happening – April 9, 2021 April 9, 2021 Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – 

WATCH Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. THIS WEEK NCAA Regionals Recap Who advanced to nationals and who didn't Is competing back-to-back(-to-back) days unfair to the athletes? LSU survived a challenge from Kentucky and Arizona State. We HAVE to talk about that beam judging. An injury apocalypse and vault balk-pocalypse in the Athens regional final The Case of the Georgia Floor Lines Larissa Libby has no lies about the regionals format, and we discuss Adeline Kenlin's beam moment Did the correct teams qualify? Of the nine 10.000s this weekend, which one was the 10iest? Plus Evan Manivong's vaccine card vault MORGANNNNNNN. She spoke at the Stop Asian Hate event in NYC and it was perfect. Tisha Volleman's beam innovation from the Dutch/Belgian friendly Eythora's Onodi to illusion Spencer has ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS with the Ol

WATCH Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. THIS WEEK We have a commissioned episode all about Aly! A Club Gym Nerd member asked for a deep dive into the gymnastics and activism career of one of the true champions of the sport, our beloved Aly Raisman. We discuss Consistency and muscles and cardio (and tugboats for some reason) Owning things we thought about Aly when we first saw her as a junior elite that turned out to be false Her 2010 American Cup performance and what that beam routine told us about Aly The "mini-Alicia" years, and when she broke out to establish her own identity The 2012 Olympics, an AA tiebreak, and a beam petition The lie of "she'll never get those scores internationally" Behind the scenes memories of Aly at competitions 1.5 to double Arabian to layout. We gush for a while, and discuss why no one else has

WATCH Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss.Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. THIS WEEK USAG announced the 18-member US women's national team. We discuss why Konnor McClain and Skye Blakely aren't on it and whether it matters. The NCAA conference championships had UPSETTTS. Denver beat Oklahoma after Oklahoma's apocalyptic floor rotation and hilarious OOB moment, Alabama beat LSU and Florida (what?), and Minnesota beat Michigan. It was a lot, and we have thoughts. The regionals draw is out and Spencer has numerous logical complaints with how stupid it is. But it's going to be exciting. Plus, gymternet news updates on the dumpster fire, Tokyo Olympics, Gymnova, Vanessa Ferrari, and Pan Ams, and feedback on exhibition routines and Lexy Ramler. THE POSTS Top Scores of Conference Championships March 23, 2021 2021 Regionals Draw March 22, 2021 Conference Champions

WATCH Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. This week's episode has been commissioned by Dr. Ben, who asked for an episode on the fascinating history of Anna Pavlova, who blessed us with her flexibility, artistry, and power, yet who heartbreakingly remained off the podium in many major finals. Why Do We Love Pavlova? Form. Grace. Longevity. Switch ring. The Ultimate Pavlova Quiz Baby Pavlova: A star even in 2000 and 2002 The Badass Years: Two Olympic medals and one iconic beam series Fight to the Death – Athens Edition: Did Pavlova deserve all-around bronze over Zhang? Fight to the Death – Beijing Edition: Did Pavlova deserve beam bronze over Cheng? The Vault Zero: A Gymnastics Tragedy The F-U Russia Years: Medals for Azerbaijan THE POSTS Top Scores of Week 10 March 16, 2021 Week 10 Rankings & NQS Update March 15, 2021 S

WATCH Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. GYMNASTICS INTERNATIONAL Welcome to Gymnastics International! On this show, we take a deep dive into the latest competitions from around the world, covering them with the depth and detail they truly deserve. This week: 2021 Russian Championships! Celebrating the Big 3 Viktoria Listunova – National champion, queen of vault faces. Gold Medal Beam Routine Vladislava Urazova – All-around silver, bringing back the beam mount SERIES. Gold Medal Bars Routine Angelina Melnikova – Won floor even though she thought she wasn't ready. Gold Medal Floor Routine The Challengers Yana Vorona – Split jump to immediate front tuck on beam. Beam Routine Elena Gerasimova – Hit beam every time despite being RUSSIAN. Beam routine Lilia Akhaimova – How will her injury influence her Olympic status? Anastasi