Gymcastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

Jessica, Spencer, and the 1997 U.S. national all-around champion VANESSA ATLER will recap the 2022 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship Semifinals and take your questions live. Join the GymCastic Crew at the Rose Marine Theater on Friday, April 15. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. (CDT) with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. (CDT). TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW. NCAA Championship Preview Part I A quiz on the Most Decorated Freshman Class of All Time Who is Spencer picking to win nationals? And what do each of the favorites need to do to get that title. The all-around competition is intense. Trinity? Jade? Suni? Leanne? Justice for form? We break it all down. Jesolo We spend nearly as long talking about the opening ceremony at Jesolo as the ceremony itself took! But COME ON. We have to dissect this perfect insanity. Who impressed us at Jesolo, from McClain's multiple event titles, to Shilese's beam, to Asia D'Amato delivering in the all-around. Plus, nerding out about beam composition credit, McClain's insane Pak save,

Live Show Jessica, Spencer, and the 1997 U.S. national all-around champion VANESSA ATLER will recap the 2022 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship Semifinals and take your questions live. Join the GymCastic Crew at the Rose Marine Theater on Friday, April 15. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. (CDT) with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. (CDT). TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW. Regionals Headlines LSU was eliminated in the regional semifinals. What happened there? The OOB that wasn't. Or was it? We break down the controversial finish between Missouri and UCLA Stanford delivered in the most exciting semifinal of the weekend Florida recorded the third-highest score in history, and Trinity got 8500 tens. Can she beat Maggie and Kyla? Elite News We got timely results (!) from the US women's Jesolo selection camp. We discuss the impending era of New Shilese, Zoe Miller's bars D, and what the Jesolo teams would have been if the highest-scoring team were selected Regionals Deep Dive NC State: LSU's moments to be proud of, what w

USAG has announced that it will not hire a new women's high performance director but will instead split the position into three equal roles, one in charge of development, one in charge of strategy, and one in charge of technical gymnastics. We're...pleased? Live Show Jessica, Spencer, and the 1997 U.S. national all-around champion VANESSA ATLER will recap the 2022 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship Semifinals and take your questions live. Join the GymCastic Crew at the Rose Marine Theater on Friday, April 15. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. (CDT) with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) for icebreakers and door prizes. PRE-SALE TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW FOR CLUB GYM NERD MEMBERS. Regionals Preview We talk our way through each of the four NCAA regionals coming up this week, highlighting the favorites, the biggest storylines, and the individual battles royale that will surely ensue. NC State: Can Missouri play spoiler? What of UCLA's utter UCLAness? Will the Iowa and UCLA floor lineups really have to battle fo

College Gymnastics The regionals draw is out! We discuss who is going where and the juiciest matchups and potential upsets The Airing of Grievances: "geographical" placement, Iowa State getting hosed, "Lexy Rainier" and "Jordan Chillus," play-ins as a failed species, and why we need more snakes If all the conferences can give out a bunch of awards, so can we. We decide to throw some random awards at some random people About conference championships: Suni's 9.450, the Lauren Guerin affair, a weed-a-tard, and more. Elite Gymnastics At the DTB Cup, the US women took the senior title over Italy on D score, and Andreoli established herself as our favorite of all time forever What the head coach of the US team actually does at international meets, Vanessa Atler's post about Valeri, and...is Cecile Landi up for the national team coordinator position or not? The Cairo World Cup, and the importance of warm weather and arena design. Gymternet News Carlos Yulo has launched a perfume company. Chuso is getting a gymn

College Gymnastics Is there a favorite for the title? Who is it? Who would be a surprising winner? Lexy Ramler did two bars routines in the same rotation, featuring a toe-on Shap full because Lexy Ramler Spencer is challenged to begrudgingly acknowledge which 10s this year were actual 10s Jessica explains why conference championships are dumb, and we discuss what's actually at stake this coming weekend—like UCLA 198-bombing someone's regional and everyone being scared to get sent to Auburn What was up with the Pac-12 Network's coverage of Sekai Wright's floor? Why why why why are all the conference championships at the same time? Elite Gymnastics The DTB Cup in Stuttgart is this weekend. We discuss the format, how to watch, and how a stacked Italian team is going to steal everyone's gelato. What is USAG's responsibility when most of the coaches have SafeSport allegations? Gymternet News Becky Downie competed floor this week, Kohei performed in his send-off celebration, Fisk announced its head coach, and

The Russia Situation The FIG has now followed the IOC's "recommendation" and banned all athletes, coaches, and judges from Russia and Belarus from competition until further notice. The ban does not extend to members of the Executive Committee or Technical Committees. We discuss the issues with that. At Doha, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak wore a tape Z on his chest on the medal stand alongside Ukrainian PB champion Ilia Kovtun. The FIG has opened disciplinary proceedings into this violation of the code of conduct. FIG Executive Committee member and president of the Russian GYmnastics Federation, Yuri Titov says he will defend Kullak. The gymnastics implications of the Russian ban moving forward to worlds and the Olympics And the happy news that meanest coach on earth, Russian rhythmic head coach, Irina Viner and her husband had their mega yacht seized. News Valeri Liukin is no longer under consideration for women's high performance director at USAG. Liukin is under investigation by SafeSport for allegations

The Russia Situation The IOC has "recommended" that sport federations bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions. What should the FIG do? We discuss. Jessica updates us on Putin's secret rhythmic gymnastics family. Women's Winter Cup Konnor McClain won the all-around title without full difficulty and with a bars error, because that's what winners do Gymnasts who impressed us like Nola Matthews, Addison Fatta, Zoe Miller, and Azaraya Ra-Akbar Plus, the February of it all, the disturbing lack of drunk gym moms, and our concerns about the new code and lack of direction in the women's program Stories from the meet: The girl who owns Sam Mikulak now, the $500 Uber, and a coach/judge confrontation Men's Winter Cup Kensley and Documents are here to take us through the men's national team, the way it makes sense and the way it maybe sorta doesn't We discuss a crazy bonus system that didn't go as planned, why Yul has barely had a break in a whole year, and what needs to change about fundi

Winter Cup Women's Preview We preview this weekend's Winter Cup women's competition: what team selection is at stake, which gymnasts we're most looking forward to seeing compete under the 2024 code, what new seniors might shake things up, and a rule change for junior vaulting. Nile Wilson Interview Nile's second book: My Story, tackles his struggles with gambling, addiction, depression and anxiety; how he found help and what he thinks can be done to prevent the suffering he endured in the future; why he left the club he had grown up in; why he spoke out against British Gymnastics; his plan to value athletes, literally, by helping them earn what they are worth in the sport's marketplace; owning his own gym and why he loves adult gymnastics. Winter Cup Men's Preview Jessica and Kensley discuss who's competing, the senior debut of junior legend, Asher Hong; who's retired or injured or busy, the requisite drama around national team and selection procedures and funded spots, and BUM BUM BUM forbidden headphon

Important Updates Konnor McClain's former coaches respond to her accusations of racism Fisk University will launch the first HBCU college gymnastics team Fart sabotage. That's right: fart sabotage. That whole figure skating thing gets us talking about changing the age limit in gymnastics. Some context: "Because she is younger than 16, Kamila Valieva is considered a “protected person” by the World Anti-Doping Agency  and therefore could receive a lesser punishment than an adult who could receive a maximum two-year suspension." "The panel said Monday that it would be unfair and cause “irreparable harm” to Valieva if she were barred from the Olympic competition." College Gym Update The National Collegiate Achilles Apocalypse claimed more victims this week. What will it take to stop the madness? Thoughts on the midseason blues, NQS, and the college gymnastics schedule Do DIII teams really get higher scores when they go away at DI schools? SURE DO. Not an urban myth, it's a study from Spencer.  Using data

Important Updates We discuss the Peggy Liddick suspension (read the full tribunal decision here), Konnor McClain's allegations against her former coach and the Game Over Commission's final recommendations. College Gym Update A midterm report card: Thoughts, reflections and lessons learned so far in the college gymnastics season, 10s, and these broken live scoring pages Without a real choreographer, are pose-a-thon teams denying gymnasts a chance to go viral and therefore maximize their NIL profit potential? 10.000S FOR EVERYBODY. We discuss the weekend of 11 perfect scores in college gymnastics and to devise a plan to differentiate between ideal and simply not-a-deduction Anyone who's anyone got a 39.825 in the all-around, and we take on a new routine that we need to fix to make it a 10. Michigan's historic score, and what other teams would need to do to reach that level We desperately try to make SABOTAGE happen Plus, history made in men's college gymnastics while Reyna Guggino  (VT, Michigan) got the s

Important Updates USAG compliance investigator job Welcome to Beijing: The Song! Calling for an NCAA-funded study on Achilles tears in college gymnastics and weeping for the Achilles we lost this week. UCLA: Marz Frazier and Sekai Wright gave an interview about what's happening at UCLA. We discuss what they said, the broad leadership failures that led to this point, and what should be done now. College Gym Update Leanne Wong won the freshman 10.000 sweepstakes How Florida's 198.250 was all Spencer's doing and not the gymnasts Suni Lee made her all-around debut, and we talk about the power of pickles Jade Carey hasn't scored under 9.9 all season Jordan Chiles made her beam and floor debut and isn't shirking the difficulty Spencer blows a gasket about Brooklyn Moors' floor score Plus, the saga of Georgia's beam, Auburn defeating Alabama, the best team vaulting performance in gymnastics history, and the most college gymnastics ailment of all time GYMTERNET NEWS Why Artur Dalaloyan's fake social media retir

COLLEGE UPDATES The unitard revolution comes to college gymnastics from Naimah Muhammad. Jade Carey sets an Oregon State all-around record while Jordan Chiles cheers her on. Checking in on the Baumann Family Olympics Georgia has five straight falls on beam What we actually know—and don't know—about the UCLA situation Crooked or Correct: Leanne Wong gets 9.825 for this Podkopayeva Plus, we fix all the routine composition (you're welcome) and discuss Jordan Chiles' vault change and Brooklyn Moors' beam debut Rage-o-Meter triple-header: This week, we're not having ANY of these BS "program records," free-range children on the loose, and crooked floor lines Must-watch routines from Lex Ortega and Sam Phillips An update on the greatest freshman college gymnastics class of all time  from Suni Lee to Grace Mcusker and Ana Padurariu. GYMTERNET NEWS Injury updates, gymnasts making the $$$$$$$, new US men's funding, and more JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to Behind the S

COLLEGE UPDATES In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a "Must Do Better" update on racism in gymnastics Thoughts on Florida's Equality Meet on ABC, what the broadcast did right and did wrong, and some interesting 10s that may or may not have been given out What happens when 4-year-olds have questions about gymnast butt cheeks and when Jessica gets VERY confused about miniature backpacks Most Decorated Class of All Time Report: Debuts from Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Brooklyn Moors and Ana Padurariu, routine changes from Suni Lee, and the Morgan Hurd injury situation Plus, UCLA had an icky-no-good first meet, Superman failed us, Utah destroyed Oklahoma, and a 10.000/9.800 judges split for the ages GYMTERNET NEWS Kohei officially announced his retirement. We debate what he will most be remembered for. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES College & Cocktai

COLLEGE UPDATES Why Jessica has already declared Michigan the repeat national champion, and why all the cool kids are talking about San Jose State How Oklahoma and Florida committed to chaos in their opening meets The latest news in COVID cancellations and injuries Most Decorated Class of All Time Report: How Suni Lee, Leanne Wong, Riley McCusker, Grace McCallum, and Kara Eaker fared in their college gymnastics debuts The non-basic floor routines we love right now From tripping, to tripping, to more tripping, the best comedy of the week GYMTERNET NEWS It's all bad! We discuss the gymnastics dads we lost at the end of 2021, meet cancellations and gym closures, and the latest arrests and dumpster fire news out of Michigan But also, athletes getting PAID (including a team-wide NIL deal at Alabama), Nellie Kim judging in NCAA, and new jobs for Syque Caesar and Wendy Bruce-Martin. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing

Normally, Friday podcasts are just for Club Gym Nerd members, who can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss. In celebration of the greatest freshman class in the history of college gymnastics, today’s episode was live for everyone.  The greatest freshman class of all time start their college gymnastics careers tonight! The freshman competing this season have 25 World/Olympic medals combined. Join GymCastic for the first Friday night post-meet podcast of the season. We will discuss Olympic AA Champion Sunisa Lee's debut for Auburn; Olympic medalist Grace McCallum with World medalist Kara Eaker at Utah; the stacked university of Florida freshman AA World Champion Morgan Hurd with fellow team World Champion Riley McCusker. and world medalist Leanne Wong. 

Dr. Uncle Tim PhD, Spencer,  Jessica and very special guest, 1992 U.S. Olympic medalist, Wendy Bruce Martin chat about the 1992 Olympics Games in Barcelona: The pre-Olympic Climate: How the end of the Cold War shaped the Games The media pressure on Kim Zmeskal and the heartbreaking life of Svetlana Boginkaya after the 1988 Olympics. Kim Kelly and the shadiest U.S. Olympic Team selection of all time. (6:00) Wedgie-gate, was it fair to punish three athletes for ill-fitting leotards? (16:00) Uncle Tim's 1992 Code of Points and Competition Rules Quiz-Mageddon! (23:00) The magic of the 1992 broadcast that included interviews with every controversial figure. The Competition (42:00): Compulsories that took our breath away and should we still have them? Exhibit A: Vanda Hădărean (ROM) or Gruneneva (Unified Team). Eastern Bloc beauty.  The judging crack epidemic of 1992. Exhibit B: Christina Bontas's 9.9 beam routine. Kim Zmeskal fell on beam and the world didn't actually end.  The glory of North Korea, Kim Gwang

GYMTERNET NEWS in 2022, USAG will hold women's camps at Stars in Katy TX, the gym owned by current developmental program coordinator Dan Baker. Is that a conflict of interest? And is that OK? We discuss, with a response from USAG. The survivors and USAG reached a $380 million settlement, which also contains critical nonmonetary reform commitments. Plus, all the awards Simone and Suni are racking up, a whole bunch of hirings and firings, gymnastics being totally big-time business now, and vital musical and gymnast-boyfriend news. HAPPY NEW CODE Next time we speak, the new women's elite code of points will be in effect. We run through the hottest topics like: They're finally coming for your wolf turns! They're finally coming for your candle mounts! Side jumps on beam are getting a full renovation Artistry "now becomes important" The vault value massacre The dawn of the age of rolls And a whole lot more JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to Behind the Scenes episod

SPITFIRE This episode has been commissioned by Cathleen, who told us we could do whatever we wanted, so obviously...it's Spitfire time. We recap the 1995 straight-to-VHS spy-nastics classic, complete with commentary from special guest, movie star Kristie Phillips! Why Spencer thought we actually got sent porn for a second Dying of a suitcase? How this movie definitely doesn't know the difference between Russia and Romania "Some girls hit back, asshole" Expert chalk bucket cocaine sabotage! "Five giants into a BRANDY." Kristie discusses the epic accidental double Kovacs. THE LAUNCH CODES ARE ON THE AMERICAN GYMNASTICS TEAM A lengthy discussion of time travel and this bonkers competition schedule. It's so stressful. You're going to miss Worlds! Spying is loudly telling people exactly what you plan to do in public Things that appear by magic when needed: Grips and full repelling equipment Flying a plane directly to a gymnastics meet EVIL COMMUNIST HAND TOXINS And much more...

This episode has been commissioned by the Courtney Bumpers Fan Club, where we discuss the college gymnastics things we don't talk enough—past, present, and future (?) Vault: Elites Could Never Edition, starring Kendall Whitman and Allison Zuhlke GymCastic Mythbusters: "Increasing difficulty requirements makes smaller teams less able to contend" A Moment in History: The single best beam routine in the history of college gymnastics, the single best mount in the history of college gymnastics, and the single best movement quality in the history of college gymnastics On the importance of one-knee elements, backspins, and Korbuts Elizabeth Culton: When is she getting a 10? The viral gymnastics routine --a discussion on race and black excellence. Discussion: Leotard bonus, is it real, why does it happen, and what do we do about it? QUIZ: Gymnasts, firsts and records you should know about More important than the Gym Slam, the QuadraDiva: A gymnast who has won four or more of the five individual college gymnastics

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded. [wcm_nonmember]Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. THE HISTORY OF ROMANIAN GYMNASTICS This episode has been commissioned by Nico T.L., who requested an episode on the history of Romanian gymnastics, from the pre-Nadia era (huhhhh?) to the present. We discuss: Mythbusters: Romanian gymnastics started with Nadia The 60s: Boycotts and Romanian Gymnastics Jail How Nadia changed the difficulty game Scandals: The Romanian walkout at 1977 Euros, the 1981 Agache/Szabo identity swap, and most shocking of all, floor routines choreographed by Martha The age of Silivas, Dobre, and the single greatest Romanian team of all time URGENT: Ballet Beats WATCH ALONG: Popa, Voinea, and Potorac "Romania does boring, safe gymnastics guaranteed to win." Fact, fiction, or depends? WATCH ALONG: Marinescu and Olaru On Top of the World: Romania 2000-2004 Did the open-ended code kill Romanian gymna