GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

Part one of our Rotterdam World Championships preview, subdivision by subdivision. Are the U.S. women the team favorites after seven straight world titles, and what counts as a successful Worlds for Skye Blakely, Hezly Rivera, Claire Pease, Reese Esponda and Charleigh Bullock? We size up Japan's first real shot at a team medal in 60 years with Aiko Sugihara and breakout star Misa Nishiyama, ask whether Kaylia Nemour is the all-around favorite, preview the floor and bars finals, and run through Germany, Romania, Australia, Belgium, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Belarus, Argentina, Ukraine and the individuals you shouldn't miss. Plus: the Worlds nominative roster scare and a Ukrainian report alleging Russian money behind the FIG.

Get every episode ad-free, live Q&A after every day of Worlds and hours of extra Rotterdam podcasts with Club Gym Nerd. Want a taste first? The Worlds Bundle gets you three months of Club Gym Nerd with no auto-renewal.

Our Worlds coverage is brought to you by Sand & Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

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Live shows: Rotterdam, Saturday October 24 after event finals, with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. New York City, Friday December 4, with Katelyn Ohashi. Streaming and in-person tickets at gymcastic.com.

Win a full commissioned episode: you pick the topic, we talk about it for an hour and a half. Enter the raffle by October 9.

Worlds tools: 2026 World Championship Headquarters (schedule in your time zone and the new leaderboard), Worlds Roster Tracker and the Elite Score Explorer.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome + Full Commission raffle

00:57 Breaking news: the Worlds roster scare

02:05 Report: Russian money and the FIG

05:34 Worlds schedule and what's on the line

09:45 Live shows: NYC with Katelyn Ohashi and Rotterdam

11:09 Subdivision 1: Is Team USA the favorite?

20:48 Germany, Romania and Amanda Yap

29:39 Subdivision 2: Japan, Australia and Belgium

36:16 Floor preview

40:35 Updates: Worlds HQ leaderboard and the Worlds Bundle

43:45 Subdivisions 3 and 4: Italy, Mexico, Sweden and Belarus

49:15 Subdivision 5: Kaylia Nemour, Argentina and Ukraine

58:16 Bars preview

Part two (France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Russia, Canada, China and a Man Break) is out next week. Our daily Rotterdam podcasts start October 15.

The 2026 U.S. women's World Championships team is set: Skye Blakely, Charleigh Bullock, Reese Esponda, Claire Pease and Hezly Rivera, with Dulcy Caylor as traveling alternate and Jade Carey as non-traveling alternate. Fresh off Day Two of World Team Trials in Tennessee, Jessica and Spencer break down why the five is the team, debate Jade's Cheng and the alternate decision, and run a lightning round on Rotterdam qualification and team final lineups.

This teaser is just the beginning of our weekly Behind the Scenes live Q&A. Club Gym Nerd members get the full 83-minute episode, ad-free: Jessica becomes tech support for the judges, Shilese Jones' comeback news, Rotterdam live show plans, gymnastics' floor music "Lore Horses," the case for the comebacks and more. Join Club Gym Nerd.

You pick the topic. We make the episode. Enter our Full Commission Raffle by October 9.

Brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 The 2026 U.S. Worlds Team Is Set

01:51 Jade Carey's Cheng and No Upgrades on Concrete

04:36 Day Two Recap: Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock on Beam

07:20 Dulcy Caylor vs. Jade Carey: The Alternate Debate

13:35 Lightning Round: Worlds Qualification and Team Final Lineups

21:27 New: World Headquarters, Score Explorer and Roster Lab

24:13 The Commission Raffle, Rotterdam Tee and How to Support Us

Links

U.S. Worlds Team Announcement

GymCastic 2026 Worlds Headquarters

Elite Score Explorer | LA 2028 Roster Lab

Join Club Gym Nerd | Episode page

Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock are going to Worlds! Reporting from Tennessee, we break down Day One of the 2026 U.S. Women's World Team Trials: Pease's upgrades, Bullock's crucial bars performance, Hezly Rivera's recovery after two bars falls, Skye Blakely's standout day, and what happens next for Jade Carey, Reese Esponda and the three remaining team spots.

This teaser is just the beginning. Join Club Gym Nerd for the full ad-free episode, athlete interviews, behind-the-scenes camp stories, deeper team predictions and our live Q&A.

You pick the topic. We make the episode. Enter our full commission raffle by October 9—the only way to commission a full GymCastic episode right now.

Our on-site reporting is supported by Sand & Sea Travel.

And also: HUEL – Make healthy eating simple. Get 15% OFF Huel online with code GYMCASTIC. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show!

We preview the 2026 U.S. World Team Selection Camp, including the automatic qualification race, t; catch up on Worlds withdrawals, new team announcements and Asian Games. Then we dive into your feedback and questions about spironolactone and drug testing, a Tokyo Olympics rewatch, GymCastic lore, potential shortage of U.S. Brevet judges and more

Want to win a full commissioned episode? Enter our raffle by October 9th! This is the only way to commission a full episode. We will draw the winner at Worlds in Rotterdam!

00:00 – Welcome to Behind The Scenes

03:15 – World Team Withdrawals & Breaking News

09:45 – Asian Games Drama

23:53 – U.S. World Team Selection Camp Preview

27:12 – Automatic Spots & Team Contenders

31:52 – Jade Carey, Upgrades & Team Scenarios 4

6:11 – Gymnastics Feelings: Hengameh Hadiani of Iran

01:00:59 – Spironolactone, PCOS & Drug Testing

01:02:52 – Rewatching the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

01:08:49 – GymCastic Lore & U.S. Brevet Judges

01:12:42 – Carlos Yulo & Asian Games Feedback

01:13:23 – Women's Health & Happy Things

01:16:30 – Selection Camp Coverage & What's Next

We predict the future! It's our annual pre-Worlds rules review, where we tell you exactly what kind of accidental gymnastics shenanigans might cost someone a medal.

Plus, Flavia Saraiva is somehow the Szombathely BARS champion, Dulcy Caylor wins floor, Rebeca Andrade returns on beam, and we examine the World Cup of "does anyone actually know what a layout vault is?"

WIN A FULL COMMISSION The only way to commission a full GymCastic episode right now! You pick the topic, we make the episode, and the whole gymternet hears it. Enter by October 9: Enter the Full Commission Raffle

PRE-WORLDS RULES When can a traveling alternate replace an injured gymnast? Why vault remains the apparatus most likely to create chaos. The Cheng two-hand problem. Balked vaults: your life is apparently less important than completing the vault. When you should — and absolutely should not — inquire. The new post-Paris inquiry rules. Why springboards are lava. What happens if your coach gives you the WRONG springboard.

RELATED Gym Nerd School 101: Rules, Skills, Myths & Gymnastics Lore The Definitive Guide to the Paris Floor Bronze Medal Debacle

SZOMBATHELY WORLD CUP Flavia Saraiva wins bars and beam gold plus floor silver. Rebeca Andrade returns on beam. Dulcy Caylor wins floor. Tatum Drusch makes all four event finals. Greta Mayer wins vault. And the great Lopez/pike/layout debate continues.

2026 Worlds Roster Tracker — WAG and MAG, updated daily.

CHAPTERS 00:00 – Flavia Saraiva, Leanne Wong & Szombathely Headlines 08:02 – The Rules That Will Decide Worlds 17:04 – Vault Chaos: Chengs, Balks & Bonuses 26:28 – Good Rules: Unitards, Fall Time & Music 38:32 – To Inquire or Not to Inquire 47:54 – Dumb Rules & Springboard Sabotage 56:01 – Szombathely World Cup Deep Dive 01:14:33 – Asian Games, Paris World Cup & What's Next

UP NEXT Friday at noon PT: Behind The Scenes — U.S. World Team Preview. Next week: podcast from U.S. World Team Selection Camp in Tennessee. Then: 10 podcasts from World Championships on site in Rotterdam.

SafeSport permanently banned Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong; Arthur Akopian and Galina Marinova are facing yet another investigation; plus World Championships roster shockers and federation drama heading into Rotterdam. We also sit down with new U.S. Center for SafeSport CEO and Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley to discuss regaining trust, data privacy, case timelines, reporting, resources and what she wants to change. WIN A FULL COMMISSIONED EPISODE You pick the topic. We record a full episode about it. This is currently the ONLY way to commission a full episode. Enter the raffle by October 9. We'll draw the winner at Worlds in Rotterdam! HEADLINES • Arthur Akopian and Galina Marinova are under investigation by SafeSport AGAIN, years after the Washington Post investigation. • Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong have been permanently banned by SafeSport. • Ana Barbosu speaks out about leaving Romania, the Paris medal controversy and finding a healthier training environment in the U.S. • Oksana Chusovitina declines her Worlds vault spot. • North Korea declines its Worlds team spot; Malaysia takes its place. • Taiwan's federation faces a government investigation after allegedly rejecting Worlds invitations for apparatus specialists. • Yang Fanyuwei is left off China's Worlds team despite having one of the world's top bars scores. • Georgia Godwin is not on Australia's Worlds team. • Alice Kinsella returns to the all-around with a 53.900. INTERVIEW: SAFESPORT CEO BENITA FITZGERALD MOSLEY We discuss SafeSport's data security, case timelines, investigations, reporting, prevention and the future of the Center. SAFESPORT RESOURCES • In-Person Training Resources • Abuse Prevention Resources • Centralized Disciplinary Database Update • Extended SafeSport Hotline Hours • SafeSport Investigator Fired After Arrest GYMTERNET NEWS • Nadia Comăneci joins the judging panel of "Românii au talent." • The U.S. Classic returns to Hoffman Estates in July 2027. • Virgin Atlantic becomes Team GB's official airline for LA28. WHAT MEETS ARE ON? • Szombathely World Cup — Sept. 18–20 • Asian Games — Sept. 21–24 • Paris World Cup — Sept. 26–27, the final FIG competition before Worlds. CHAPTERS 00:00 – SafeSport Breaking News 01:40 – Akopian & Marinova Under Investigation Again 04:13 – Al Fong & Armine Barutyan-Fong Permanently Banned 07:00 – Ana Barbosu Speaks Out 09:50 – World Championships Drama 13:01 – Taiwan Federation Scandal 19:00 – China & Australia Worlds Roster Shockers 25:40 – Alice Kinsella's All-Around Return 31:39 – Full Commission Raffle & Club Gym Nerd 36:04 – SafeSport CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley 37:51 – Interview: The Future of SafeSport 01:29:00 – SafeSport Data Security Follow-Up 01:29:40 – gymternet News 01:34:47 – Upcoming Meets SUPPORT OUR WORK • Join Club Gym Nerd for ad-free episodes, weekly Behind the Scenes, our complete members-only archive, games, score tools, forum and live-show discounts. • Shop GymCastic. HUEL Make healthy eating simple. Get 15% OFF online with code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for partnering with and supporting our show! GYMCASTIC TOOLS & RESOURCES • LA 2028 Roster Lab • Elite Score Explorer • International Gymnastics Calendar • GymCastic Games • GymCastic Newsletters • Resistance Resources

Andrew Chupp — coach, queer adult gymnast, creator and joy distributor — joins us to talk about making gymnastics your own. From Britney Spears floor choreography to competing on beam, Andrew shares how returning to the sport brought him community and creative freedom.

You pick the topic. We make the episode. Our Full Episode Commission Raffle is the ONLY way to commission a full GymCastic episode. It's a fundraiser for our trip to Rotterdam for the World Championships. Enter here for a chance to choose the topic.

The GymCastic store sale is on!

IN THIS INTERVIEW

FIND ANDREW AND YOUR COMMUNITY

CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Andrew Chupp 01:42 Adult Meets & Inclusive Competition 05:01 A Different Kind of All-Around 10:26 Growing Adult Gymnastics 13:47 Britney Spears & Finding Joy Again 21:07 How to Start an Adult Class 23:20 Making Time & Finding Community 25:28 Coaching Adults & Starting Small 33:19 Rethinking Deductions 36:34 Queer Sports & Belonging 40:21 Adult Meets at Every Age 46:47 Facing Internet Hate 57:57 Courage, Accountability & Growth 1:00:58 What's Next for Andrew

RELATED EPISODES

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Join Club Gym Nerd for weekly Behind The Scenes episodes and the members-only archive. Shop the GymCastic store sale.

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

The good, the bad and the BARTA of it all - Before social media, there was GGMB—the Gymnastics Gossip Message Board. We revisit the influential, informative, bizarre and sometimes deeply toxic message board that helped shape the early gymternet—and GymCastic itself. Plus, the developing Rich Stenger/Cal gymnastics Instagram story, Suni Lee's stolen bronze bust is recovered, we fix Claire Pease's floor construction, and draft dream seven-member Olympic teams.

FULL COMMISSION RAFFLE: This is currently the only way to commission a full GymCastic episode. Entries are $10, enter as many times as you want, and other prizes will be available. Winner(s) drawn in Rotterdam. Enter here.

HEADLINES

GGMB: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BARTA

What was the Gymnastics Gossip Message Board? We revisit the scandals, gossip, insiders, bizarre word filters, genuinely valuable gymnastics knowledge and toxicity of one of the early gymternet's most influential communities. We discuss how GGMB influenced GymCastic, why our earliest episodes resembled an "audio message board," what we intentionally left behind and what we kept—including chasing down rumors to find out what is actually true.

MINI-COMMISSIONS

GYMTERNET NEWS

CHAPTERS 00:00 – Russian Lobbying, Rich Stenger & Breaking News 03:45 – Suni Lee's Head Was Found 07:30 – World Team Camp & Raffle 12:21 – GGMB: The Good, the Bad and the BARTA 36:01 – Updates & Live Show Replay 36:48 – Mini Commission Fixing Claire Pease's Floor Routine 58:21 – Mini Commission Dream 7-Member Olympic Teams 1:19:43 – Dumpster Fire & Gymternet News

HUEL: Limited Time Offer – Make healthy eating simple. Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show!

Club Gym Nerd: Ad-free episodes, Behind The Scenes every Friday, mini-commissions, immediate post-meet coverage and more at GymCastic.com/club.

The GymCastic Movie Club takes on FLASHDANCE—the runaway 1983 hit that is essentially a collection of MTV music videos held together by sparks, leg warmers and vibes. Thank you, Rose for commissioning this episode.

We discuss the stunt wigs, the film's gymnastics influence, and the gayest welder's burlesque bar in Pittsburgh.

Alex's complete lack of ballet training and the legendary final audition featuring a dive roll performed by collegiate gymnastics history-maker Sharon Shapiro. Jessica also brings us firsthand stories from Sharon about filming the scene. Commissioned by Rose.

WIN A FULL-EPISODE COMMISSION

Enter the raffle for the chance to choose the subject of an entire GymCastic episode—as long as it is tangentially gymnastics-related! The raffle helps fund our on-site coverage of the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Which one is Flashdance again?

• The true story that inspired the movie

• Jennifer Beals and Pittsburgh Ballet Versailles

• How Flashdance influenced gymnastics floor routines

• Sharon Shapiro's iconic audition dive roll

• The stunt doubles and constantly changing wigs

• The gayest welder's burlesque of all time

• Tina Tech's "Manhunt" routine

• Jeanie's disastrous skating audition

• Everything wrong with Alex's boss-turned-boyfriend

• The "What a Feeling" finale

• Casting a gymnastics remake

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to the Flashdance Movie Club

02:51 – The True Story and 1983 Phenomenon

07:05 – Why Flashdance Is Gymnastics-Related

11:37 – The Plot, Such as It Is

21:06 – The Gayest Welder's Burlesque

40:49 – Montage-a-Palooza

49:25 – Jeanie, Skating and the Supporting Characters

59:20 – Who Is Hannah?

1:02:53 – Lobster and the Horrible Boss Romance

1:14:23 – The "What a Feeling" Audition

1:18:52 – Sharon Shapiro's Stories from the Set

1:25:08 – Casting the Flashdance Remake

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GYMCASTIC TOOLS

LA 2028 Roster Lab:

https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/

Elite Score Explorer:

https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/

International Gymnastics Calendar:

https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/

GymCastic Games:

https://gymcastic.com/games/

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How "Russia" reclaimed its title to become European champion. We break down Angelina Melnikova's return, the Russian visa drama, Sabrina Voinea's D-score inquiry saga, a controversial beam-final robbery and what these results mean for the upcoming World Championships.

GYMCASTIC LIVE REPLAY

Watch our U.S. Championships live show with surprise guest Shannon Miller. Replay tickets: https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-u-s-championships/

HEADLINES

Team "World Gymnastics 2," aka Russia, topped the medal table with six medals. Angelina Melnikova led the team with three golds in the team, all-around and vault competitions, plus bronze medals on beam and floor.

Italy finished second in the medal standings, led by European floor champion Manila Esposito. France placed third, with first-year senior Elena Colas winning beam gold and finishing second in the individual medal count.

We discuss:

Sabrina Voinea's latest D-score inquiry saga and how an inquiry dropped her beam score by three tenths, knocking her out of the final

Russia's triumphant return and what its team score could foreshadow for Worlds

Melnikova's five-medal performance and how her all-around score compares internationally

Elena Colas' breakout senior European Championships

Why holding apparatus finals before the team final produced mixed results

Why Pauline Schäfer-Betz was robbed of a beam medal

Great Britain missing the medals after Becky Downie was replaced by Ruby Evans in the team-final bars lineup

Memorable skills from Estella Volkoff, Morgane Osyssek and Schäfer-Betz

Event-final victories for Melnikova, Helen Kevric, Colas and Esposito

The teams and individuals who qualified for the 2026 World Championships

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro 00:36 Sabrina Voinea's inquiry saga 04:03 U.S. national team and vault clarifications 06:33 European Championships medal table 13:48 Angelina Melnikova and Elena Colas 21:31 GymCastic updates and Club Gym Nerd 25:01 Pauline Schäfer-Betz beam robbery 30:43 Manila Esposito 33:04 Unique beam mounts and skills 35:46 Helen Kevric and the bars final 38:09 Apparatus finals before the team final? 40:19 Huel 41:37 Competition-format discussion continues 50:47 Team final: Russia, Italy and France 57:13 All-around results and Worlds comparisons 59:12 Vault final 1:04:02 Bars final 1:05:45 Beam and floor finals 1:10:32 World Championships qualifiers

SPONSOR

Limited-time offer: Make healthy eating simple with Huel. New customers receive 15% off online with code GYMCASTIC at https://huel.com/GYMCASTIC. Thank you to Huel for partnering with and supporting our show.

LINKS

European Championships results: https://results.smartscoring.com/live-results/7bbd2dc9-ea89-49c4-84a2-5009458acca0/live

AD FREE & BONUS EPISODES

Join Club Gym Nerd for ad-free podcasts, weekly Behind the Scenes episodes, our members-only archive, games, forums and live-show discounts: https://gymcastic.com/club/

Add Club bonus and ad-free episodes to your podcast player: https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/89/

LA 2028 Roster Lab: https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/

Elite Score Explorer: https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/

Gymnastics Calendar: https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/

GymCastic Games: https://gymcastic.com/games/

Newsletters: https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/

Shop GymCastic: https://store.gymcastic.com/

We're back from the 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships! Hezly Rivera is a two-time national all-around champion, Fred Richard won the men's title, the U.S. men's World Championships team is set, and we have plenty to say about the women's road to Worlds and those domestic execution scores.

Plus, Shannon Miller surprised us at our Phoenix live show, Euros began with breaking news, and Suni Lee, Shilese Jones and Jordan Chiles all have comeback updates.

LIVE SHOW REPLAY

Missed our U.S. Championships live show with a surprise appearance from Shannon Miller? Get live show replay tickets.

IN THIS EPISODE

CHAPTERS 00:00 – Breaking Euros News & U.S. Champs Recap 05:11 – Live Show Replay: Shannon Miller & Fiesty Judges 07:41 – Hezly Rivera Wins U.S. Title 14:26 – Event Champions: Carey, Pease, Rivera & Esponda 21:34 – National Team & Who's Moving Forward 24:21 – Women's Worlds Selection 26:39 – Men's World Team & Salute-Gate 30:25 – Suni Lee, Shilese Jones & Jordan Chiles

RELATED:

All podcasts and photo galleries from 2026 Championships here

European Championships Results

148: Shannon Miller Shannon discusses It's Not About Perfect, her career, compulsories, coaching, cancer and life after gymnastics.

168: Shannon Miller, Belarusgate, NED vs GB Shannon returns to discuss body commentary, adult gymnastics, Worlds, Chusovitina and more.

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Club Gym Nerd – Get ad-free podcasts, Behind The Scenes, our bonus archive, games, score tools, members-only community and live-show discounts.

GymCastic Merch

GYMCASTIC TOOLS

LA 2028 Roster Lab Elite Score Explorer International Gymnastics Calendar GymCastic Games Newsletters

The men's national champion has been crowned and more from women's at the 2026 U.S. Championships! This is our live post-meetQ&A show. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here) Join Club Gym Nerd for the ad-free extended episode, live Q&A and complete members-only archive.

GET IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL LIVE-SHOW TICKETS

WHEN: Sunday, August 9 after the Senior Women's Final podium ceremony at approximately 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Stream it online or join us in person at the Residence Inn by Marriott Phoenix Downtown, directly across the street from the arena.

WHAT: It's the post-meet debrief -enjoy a cash bar/snacks and games while Jessica and Spencer will discuss the meet immediately after it happens, and you never know who will appear at a GymCastic live show.

Members Only begins Not a member? Join here.HOW TO FOLLOW U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 — MEN'S DAY TWO 10:30 a.m. — Junior Men on USAG YouTube 4:30 p.m. — Senior Men on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube PODCAST ~8:00 p.m. — Senior Men's Final Meet Report

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 — WOMEN'S DAY TWO 10:00 a.m. — Junior Women on USAG YouTube 3:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock / NBC; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube LIVE SHOW ~6:00 p.m. — get tickets now GymCastic Live: Senior Women's Final

Build your U.S. Championships team at GymCastic Fantasy League.

The scoes were crazy during women'sn day one at the 2026 U.S. Championships! This is our live post-meetQ&A show. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here) Join Club Gym Nerd for the ad-free extended episode, live Q&A and complete members-only archive.

GET IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL LIVE-SHOW TICKETS

WHEN: Sunday, August 9 after the Senior Women's Final podium ceremony at approximately 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Stream it online or join us in person at the Residence Inn by Marriott Phoenix Downtown, directly across the street from the arena.

WHAT: It's the post-meet debrief -enjoy a cash bar/snacks and games while Jessica and Spencer will discuss the meet immediately after it happens, and you never know who will appear at a GymCastic live show.

00:00 – Women's Day One: Skye Blakely & Claire Pease Lead 03:00 – Judging Problems, Fred Richard & Salute-Gate 07:42 – WAG Scoring: Hezly Rivera, Reese Esponda & Vault Scores 09:28 – Chellsie Memmel on Judging Accuracy & Realistic Scores 12:14 – Dulcy Caylor, Charleigh Bullock & Skye Blakely

Members Only begins Not a member? Join here.18:26 – Coach Goes Off About Men's Judging 24:39 – Claire Pease, Worlds Team Math & Reese Esponda 31:05 – The Great 14.2 Vault Scoring Debate 36:14 – Jayla Hang's Return & Championships Observations 44:21 – Juniors, Vivi Crain & Athlete Safety 48:25 – Listener Questions: Vaults, Caroline Moreau & Elite Season 58:00 – Jade Carey's Competitive Drive & Oklahoma Men

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 — WOMEN'S DAY ONE Noon — Junior Women on USAG YouTube 7:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube PODCAST ~10:00 p.m. — Senior Women's Day One Meet Report

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 — MEN'S DAY TWO 10:30 a.m. — Junior Men on USAG YouTube 4:30 p.m. — Senior Men on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube PODCAST ~8:00 p.m. — Senior Men's Final Meet Report

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 — WOMEN'S DAY TWO 10:00 a.m. — Junior Women on USAG YouTube 3:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock / NBC; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube LIVE SHOW ~6:00 p.m. — get tickets now GymCastic Live: Senior Women's Final

Build your U.S. Championships team at GymCastic Fantasy League.

Let's dissect every moment from podium training at the 2026 U.S. Championships! This is our live post-training Q&A show. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Join Club Gym Nerd for the full, ad-free extended episode, live Q&A and complete members-only archive.

GET IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL LIVE-SHOW TICKETS

WHEN: Sunday, August 9 after the Senior Women's Final podium ceremony at approximately 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Stream it online or join us in person at the Residence Inn by Marriott Phoenix Downtown, directly across the street from the arena.

WHAT: It's the post-meet debrief -enjoy a cash bar/snacks and games while Jessica and Spencer will discuss the meet immediately after it happens, and you never know who will appear at a GymCastic live show.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5 — PODIUM TRAINING Watch on FlipNow.TV; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube. 9:00–11:00 a.m. — Junior Men 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. — Senior Men 2:30–5:00 p.m. — Junior Women 5:00–7:30 p.m. — Senior Women PODCAST ~8:30 p.m. — Senior Women's Podium Training Report

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 — MEN'S DAY ONE 1:00 p.m. — Junior Men on USAG YouTube 7:00 p.m. — Senior Men on Peacock /NBC; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 — WOMEN'S DAY ONE Noon — Junior Women on USAG YouTube 7:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube PODCAST ~10:00 p.m. — Senior Women's Day One Meet Report

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 — MEN'S DAY TWO 10:30 a.m. — Junior Men on USAG YouTube 4:30 p.m. — Senior Men on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube PODCAST ~8:00 p.m. — Senior Men's Final Meet Report

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 — WOMEN'S DAY TWO 10:00 a.m. — Junior Women on USAG YouTube 3:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock / NBC; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube LIVE SHOW ~6:00 p.m. — get tickets now GymCastic Live: Senior Women's Final

Build your U.S. Championships team at GymCastic Fantasy League.

It's elite national championships week. Let's break it down. Join Club Gym Nerd for the ad-free extended episode, live Q&A podcasts all week and complete members-only archive.

GET IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS LIVE-SHOW TICKETS

Times are Phoenix local time/Pacific. Podcast times are estimates.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5 — PODIUM TRAINING Watch on FlipNow.TV; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube. 9:00–11:00 a.m. — Junior Men 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. — Senior Men 2:30–5:00 p.m. — Junior Women 5:00–7:30 p.m. — Senior Women PODCAST ~8:30 p.m. — Senior Women's Podium Training Report

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 — MEN'S DAY ONE 1:00 p.m. — Junior Men on USAG YouTube 7:00 p.m. — Senior Men on Peacock /NBC; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 — WOMEN'S DAY ONE Noon — Junior Women on USAG YouTube 7:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube PODCAST ~10:00 p.m. — Senior Women's Day One Meet Report

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 — MEN'S DAY TWO 10:30 a.m. — Junior Men on USAG YouTube 4:30 p.m. — Senior Men on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube PODCAST ~8:00 p.m. — Senior Men's Final Meet Report

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 — WOMEN'S DAY TWO 10:00 a.m. — Junior Women on USAG YouTube 3:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock / NBC; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube LIVE SHOW ~6:00 p.m. — get tickets now GymCastic Live: Senior Women's Final

Build your U.S. Championships team at GymCastic Fantasy League. Use the Elite Score Explorer to compare gymnasts and choose your lineup.

Cover art and photographs © GymCastic / Steve Cooper. All rights reserved.

ON SALE NOW: GymCastic LIVE at U.S. Championships in Phoenix

WHEN: Sunday, Aug 9th after the women's final podium ceremony at 6pm-ish WHERE: Streaming online or Phoenix, AZ WHAT: It's the post-meet after party (with a bar and snacks). We will discuss the meet immediately after it happens—and you never know who will appear at a GymCastic live show. HOW: Tickets on sale now. Club Gym Nerd members get your discount (check your email).

Ellie Black (CAN) makes Commonwealth Games history as the first gymnast ever to win two Commonwealth all-around titles. We discuss the competition highlights, Gabriel Langton's frightening high bar fall, the shakeup at World Gymnastics (FIG), gymternet news and which NCAA teams would best suit today's international elite stars.

We match Rebeca Andrade (BRA), Kaylia Nemour (ALG), Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA), Kishi Rina (JPN), Manila Esposito (ITA), Flávia Saraiva (BRA), Eythora Thorsdottir (NED), Ellie Black (CAN) and other international stars with their ideal NCAA programs.

Want your own mini commission? Join Club Gym Nerd at the World Champion level.

00:00 – Ellie Black Makes History and Phoenix Schedule 01:37 – Gabriel Langton's High Bar Fall 04:00 – Nicolas Buompane out in World Gymnastics Shakeup 07:18 – Ellie Black's Historic Commonwealth Double 10:05 – Commonwealth Women's Team Final 15:21 – Club Gym Nerd and GymCastic Tools 18:54 – Women's All-Around Final 30:29 – Apparatus Finals and Opportunities for Comedy 40:34 – Canada and Scotland's Historic Men's Victories 45:38 – Rage-O-Meter: Commentary About Chinese Gymnasts 46:54 – Gymternet News and Romanian Safeguarding 54:02 – Nicola Bartolini Retires 55:54 – World Gymnastics Keeps Its Russian Policy 57:15 – Magnificent Seven and Phoenix Live Show 1:00:07 – Mini Commission: International Elites Go to College 1:28:16 – Club Gym Nerd and Behind The Scenes

Cover art and photograph © GymCastic / Steve Cooper. All rights reserved.

HEADLINES

00:00 – Ana Barbosu's Legal Fees

06:51 – U.S. Classic Debrief

12:55 – Reese Esponda's Worlds Case

21:25 – Katelyn Ohashi's Next Move

27:07 – Skye Blakely and Jade Carey

36:39 – Who We're Worried About

43:36 – U.S. International Standing

48:20 – Gymternet News

54:00 – Efficient Routine Construction

1:13:03 – Commonwealth Games and Worlds Qualifiers

Behind the Scenes, our live Q&A podcast, Fridays at noon Pacific.

Cover art photos of Skye Blakely, Jade Carey and Reese Esponda © GymCastic/Steve Cooper. All rights reserved. Katelyn Ohashi cover-art photo © Melissa J. Perenson/Cal Sport Media.

Our immediate reactions right after the meet! Everything from the 2026 U.S. Classic, including Reese Esponda's all-around victory, Katelyn Ohashi's return to elite competition, Skye Blakely's event titles, Jade Carey's upgrades, Nationals qualification, the biggest breakout performances, and historic gay TV moment.

We also discuss NBC's broadcast, routine construction, Nationals qualifying procedures, and answer Club Gym Nerd questions.

This is our live Q&A show, where we answer your questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). For the extended episode log in, refresh this page and the extended player for Club Members will appear below. Not a member? Join here.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Historic Moment in Gay Gymnastics History

01:31 – Jade Carey Takes the Long View

03:11 – Reese Esponda's Bars, Beam and Winning Floor

05:41 – Katelyn Ohashi's Successful Elite Return

06:23 – Ohashi's Beam Inquiry and Qualification Score

08:45 – The Meet's Real Winner: Smart Routine Construction

10:09 – Why Ohashi's Comeback Is Already a Huge Success

13:07 – Could Ohashi Be Invited to Nationals?

15:53 – Skye Blakely Wins Bars and Beam

16:42 – Ally Damelio's Seitz

17:20 – Were the U.S. Classic Scores Too Generous?

19:12 – Leanne Wong's Smarter Beam Composition

22:53 – BONUS FOR CLUB MEMBERS BEGINS

To listen to the full episode login or join Club Gym Nerd for the extended Behind The Scenes episode every Friday: https://gymcastic.com/club/

23:53 – Why Katelyn Ohashi and Laurie Hernandez + Jade Made Jessica Cry

26:48 – Breakout Stars: Zoey Molomo and Isabella Anzola

31:50 – Building a World Team From the U.S. Classic

33:31 – How to Watch Peacock and the International Feed Together

34:29 – Jade Carey's Full-Twisting Double Layout Technique

36:50 – Do World Team Members Have to Be Top-Five All-Arounders?

37:10 – Should Jade Carey Increase Her Bars Difficulty?

42:02 – Charleigh Bullock's Compelling Bars Score

42:28 – Izzy Stassi's Elite Potential at Oklahoma

44:30 – Is the U.S. Currently a World-Gold Team?

45:32 – Tom Forster and the Selection Committee

49:10 – Why USAG Needs a Single-Event Qualifying Score

51:02 – Suni Lee and the Case for Specialist Qualification

52:25 – Should Katelyn Ohashi Petition to Nationals?

1:00:35 – Gymnasts Still Planning Elite Comebacks

1:03:12 – Shilese Jones' Comeback Status

1:03:30 – The Broadcast's Skye Blakely Resilience Narrative

1:08:48 – The Absurdity of Mandatory "Dry Seasons"

1:09:49 – What Does "No Partying" Actually Mean?

1:10:14 – Jessica Disappears to Dance in the Street

1:10:57 – Is LSU's Injury Management a Problem?

Recorded immediately after Senior Women's podium training at the U.S. Classic.

Suni Lee officially announced her comeback documentary, Katelyn Ohashi unveiled upgrades ahead of the U.S. Classic, Jade Carey looked every bit the World Team favorite, and Spencer and Jessica break down everything they saw during senior women's podium training. Plus: behind-the-scenes stories, hot mic moments, start values, fantasy picks, and an extended Club Gym Nerd Q&A.

For the full episode login or join Club Gym Nerd. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Not a member? Join here.

Before competition begins, build your team for the 2026 U.S. Classic Fantasy Game. Lineups lock Saturday at 6:45 p.m. Eastern.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome, Hot Mics & US Classic Podium Training

00:52 Suni Lee Officially Announces Her Comeback

03:08 Should Single Event Specialists Have a Pathway to Championships?

06:28 Katelyn Ohashi's Upgraded Floor Routine

10:00 Katelyn Ohashi's Beam Changes & Strategy

14:00 Lost Luggage, AARP & Elite Warm-Up Rituals

15:10 Skye Blakely's Beam Upgrade

17:22 Leanne Wong's New Beam Composition

21:15 Beam Connection Bonus Explained

21:56 More Leanne Wong Routine Nerding

23:01 Fantasy Game, Elite Score Explorer & Roster Lab Updates

24:55 Store Sale, Referral Program & Bluesky Groups

BONUS FOR CLUB MEMBERS BEGINS

To listen to the full episode login or join Club Gym Nerd for the extended Behind The Scenes episode every Friday: https://gymcastic.com/club/

25:00 Beam Bonus Bungle Story

26:28 Final Thoughts on Leanne's Beam

28:59 Jade Carey Wins Podium Training

30:02 Jade's Upgrades & Event-by-Event Review

31:55 Izzy Stasi's Oklahoma Era & New Choreography

34:10 Zoe Molomo, Simone Rose & Dulcy Caylor Notes

36:45 Comedy Awards, Hot Mic Moments & Withdrawals

37:08 Club Gym Nerd Q&A Begins

38:00 Single-Event Qualification to Nationals Debate

43:02 Should Nationals Matter More Than Worlds Selection?

50:58 Who Was Terrible at Compulsories?

53:31 The Most Memorable Compulsory Disasters

56:40 Are Olympic Comebacks About Passion or Business?

01:01:39 Spencer's Dream Suni Lee Bars Routine

01:05:08 The Perfect Acting Role for Laurie Hernandez

01:05:58 Is Elite Gymnastics Inherently Bad for Kids?

01:08:43 Can You Reach Elite Without Early Specialization?

Hear from the Ohashi and Skye themselves while we preview the 2026 U.S. Classic and break down every major storyline heading into one of the most important meets of the elite season.

This week we discuss: • Katelyn Ohashi's return to elite gymnastics at age 29 and what she needs to qualify for U.S. Championships • Skye Blakely's first elite all-around competition since 2024 • Jade Carey's return after nearly a year away from competition • Leanne Wong's first meet since winning World all-around silver • Reese Esponda, Dulcy Caylor, Charleigh Bullock, Simone Rose and other gymnasts to watch • Laurie Hernandez's official official coming out • Shilese Jones calls out USA Gymnastics leadership • Romania updates • Tiana Sumanasekera will represent Sri Lanka • Qatar's recruiting of young French gymnasts • NCAA eligibility changes • World Championships qualification updates

HOW TO WATCH THE 2026 U.S. CLASSIC

Friday, July 17 -Senior Women's Podium Training – 2:00 p.m. ET on FlipNow

Saturday, July 18 - Jr– 2:00 p.m. ET, Senior Women – 7:00 p.m. ET on Peacock/NBC

GYMCASTIC LIVE FROM CLASSIC IN HARTFORD

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CHAPTERS

04:35 U.S. Classic: Qualification Scores & What's at Stake 06:26 Katelyn Ohashi's Elite Comeback 13:13 Should There Be an Ohashi Wild Card? 17:22 Skye Blakely on vault plan and Nemour 20:37 Leanne Wong Revenge Era 23:23 Jade Carey's Return Plan 26:46 Who to watch at U.S. Classic 31:04 Gymternet News 31:22 Laurie Hernandez Officially Comes Out 34:34 The "Unfinished Business" Comeback Narrative 37:48 Romania Drama Update 40:14 Philippines Federation & Levi Jung-Ruivivar 43:56 Qatar Recruiting French Gymnasts 46:19 Doping Ban & Coach Arrest 47:20 Russia, Belarus & Olympic Eligibility 49:06 Shilese Jones Speaks Out About USA Gymnastics 49:40 NCAA Adopts New Eligibility Rules

GYMCASTIC TOOLS

LA 2028 Roster Lab

Elite Score Explorer

International Gymnastics Calendar

Games

Newsletters

The Balance Beam Situation

Gymnastics History & Code of Points Archive

Resistance Resources

Three-time Olympian Becky Downie is here and opens up about the difficult years between Tokyo and Paris, why she never officially retired after the Olympics, recovering from multiple surgeries and two Achilles ruptures, competing without a permanent gym or coach, and why she believes British Gymnastics has finally begun to change. We also discuss the future of uneven bars, athlete autonomy, trauma-informed coaching, and the equipment issue Becky says is holding back bar specialists around the world.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Cold Open – "I Wasn't a Functioning Human" 00:25 Introduction: Becky Downie's Journey to Paris 05:27 Life After Paris: Retirement, Fibroids & Starting Again 08:08 Discovering the Fibroids That Changed Everything 14:42 Dating, Family & Wanting Children 15:27 Paris Olympics: New Coaches, New Team Dynamic 20:00 Trauma, Lilleshall & Recovering After Tokyo 31:19 Learning to Heal & Process Trauma 37:39 Training Without a Coach or Gym 40:12 Why LA 2028 Is Still the Goal 44:07 Sponsor: Huel 45:37 Body Maintenance, Strength Training & Supplements 51:30 Has British Gymnastics Really Changed? 54:22 Equipment Injustice: The Uneven Bars Problem 57:03 Why Gymnova Bars Need to Change 01:01:08 Two Achilles Ruptures & Learning to Trust Your Body 01:08:25 Athlete Autonomy & Speaking Up 01:11:17 Athlete Representation & The Future 01:12:34 The Book Becky Wants to Write 01:15:33 Looking Ahead to LA 2028 01:15:43 Update: Coach, New Gym & Commonwealth Games Decision

GET MORE FROM GYMCASTIC

Join Club Gym Nerd for weekly Behind the Scenes episodes, extended interviews, live Q&As, exclusive commissions, our members-only forum, fantasy gymnastics, and more: https://gymcastic.com/club/

Elite Score Explorer: https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/

Roster Lab: https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/

Gymnastics Calendar: https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/

Live Shows: https://gymcastic.com/live-shows/

GymCastic Store: https://store.gymcastic.com/

Newsletter: https://gymcastic.com/

Becky Downie Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJwVDDnyD6Ig

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Everything is at GymCastic.com.

The History of Italian Gymnastics traces the remarkable rise of one of the world's most successful gymnastics nations—from Italy's early Olympic champions and circus acrobatics roots to the Vanessa Ferrari revolution and today's powerhouse led by Alice D'Amato and Manila Esposito. We explore the forgotten pioneers, iconic eponymous skills, the dominance of Jury Chechi on rings, the 2019 breakthrough World medal, the unforgettable Paris Olympics, and whether Italy has what it takes to defeat Team USA during the Los Angeles quad. Along the way we revisit Vanessa Ferrari's controversial Olympic floor finals, the MTV series that made Italian gymnasts celebrities, and the innovations that changed the Code of Points forever.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The History of Italian Gymnastics 01:40 Why Italy Is a Gymnastics Superpower Today 06:40 Italy's First Olympic Champions & Circus Origins 12:58 Which Gymnastics Cities Would Win Olympic Gold? 17:05 Italy's First Women's Olympic Medal 19:00 Laura Micheli: The Lady of the Rings 23:05 The Rome Olympics at the Baths of Caracalla 26:26 The Sexism Era & Why Italy Stopped Winning 29:50 Jury Chechi & The Return of Italian Dominance 33:05 Italy's Most Innovative Skills 38:03 Italian Skills Still in the Code of Points 44:35 GymCastic Updates & Community News 46:16 The Ferrari Revolution Begins 50:34 Vanessa Ferrari Wins the 2006 World Title 56:10 Should Ferrari Have Medaled in 2012 & 2016? 01:01:00 Did Vanessa Ferrari Deserve Olympic Gold in Tokyo? 01:07:10 MTV's Italian Gymnastics Reality Show 01:14:35 The Next Generation: 2019 World Bronze 01:19:40 Nicola Bartolini & Italy's Men's Revival 01:22:48 Paris 2024: Team Silver & Beam Gold 01:28:59 Can Italy Beat Team USA?

NEW! GymCastic Tools

LA 2028 Roster Labj

Elite Score Explorer

International Gymnastics Calendar

Welcome to Behind the Scenes! Every Friday, Club Gym Nerd members join us live for our unfiltered Q&A, breaking gymnastics news, behind-the-scenes stories, hot takes, and all the conversations that don't fit into the main show. This public episode is just a preview—the full conversation continues after 37:07 with our extended discussion, listener questions, NCAA rule changes, Asian Championships, the new GymCastic Roster Lab with special guest, Scott Bregman (Spencer is on vacation).

Support independent gymnastics journalism and unlock the full episode every week by joining Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/club/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Katelyn Ohashi Is Back!

01:18 Why This Comeback Is Such a Big Deal

03:00 How Katelyn Ohashi Changed Gymnastics Coverage Forever

05:29 The Biggest Challenge Facing Her Return

08:01 Why Veteran Gymnasts Have an Advantage

10:35 Do Specialists Still Have a Chance?

13:06 Pan Am Dengue Fever & Why Team Depth Matters

13:55 Should NCAA Stars Represent Other Countries?

17:24 Can Ohashi (or Riley McCusker) Make Team USA?

19:42 NEW! GymCastic Roster Lab Preview

23:24 USA Championships Preview

26:12 Is FlipNow Worth It?

28:05 What Happened to USA Gymnastics Live Scores?

37:07 Behind the Scenes Continues for Club Gym Nerd Members

Rebeca Andrade is back—and people are confused...did she come out with her girlfriend or not? We break down Andrade's long-awaited return at the 2026 Pan American Championships, Claire Pease's all-around title, the controversial one-point vault run deduction that cost Charleigh Bullock gold, and why the mixed MAG/WAG competition format deserves a bigger stage. We also discuss the latest U.S. team injury updates, World Championship qualification, and how to get out of pap smears for life!

This is the weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A show, where we answer your questions live. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Tip: After logging in, refresh this page and the extended episode player will appear below. Not a member? Join here.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome / Rebeca Andrade Returns 01:56 Monday Update: People are confused, did Andrade come out or not? 4:10 Event finals recap 06:15 Rebeca's comeback: Why she already looks ready for Worlds 11:14 Claire Pease wins the Pan American all-around title 12:34 Charleigh Bullock's controversial one-point vault deduction 15:35 Pan American Championships qualify teams to Worlds 22:03 U.S. injury updates: Hezly Rivera & Lila Richardson 26:13 Thais Fidelis, Hillary Heron & other Pan Am standouts 28:50 Men's World Championship qualifiers & Canada's historic finish 31:07 Mixed MAG/WAG competition: Should more meets use this format? 36:41 Why Rebeca Andrade was allowed to warm up floor 40:59 Members-only Behind the Scenes begins

Club Gym Nerd Extended BTS - for the full episode Join here

40:59 Updated cervical cancer screening guidelines & HPV testing 44:23 Nastia's famous "butt shelf" beam choreography 50:38 Becoming a Gym Nerd: Listener story 52:06 Simone Biles inspires contemporary art 53:26 Should gymnastics allow lyrics in floor music? 1:00:00 Pokémon GO privacy & app permissions 1:02:22 Rebeca Andrade vs. Simone Biles: Who has the greatest Cheng? 1:09:15 Modern Pentathlon, obstacle racing & Olympic oddities 1:14:42 Resistance Corner

What are the greatest gymnastics routines ever performed? This commissioned episode takes on an impossible challenge: building the Pantheon of Gymnastics. Jessica and Spencer debate the most iconic vaults, bars routines, beam masterpieces, and floor exercises across every era—from Olesia Dudnik, Yang Bo, and Kim Gwang Suk to Simone Biles, Rebeca Andrade, Kaylia Nemour, and Sunisa Lee. Along the way they revisit the artistry of 1989 Worlds, the greatest NCAA floor routines ever performed, and the unforgettable performances that defined generations of gymnastics fans.

00:00 Introduction & Commission Brief 02:12 VAULT: Greatest Vaults Ever 07:16 Simone's YDP 09:29 Andrade's Cheng 10:56 The Amanar Debate 12:12 Best DTYs 15:27 Shannon Miller's Yurchenko Full 16:18 Greatest Rudis 17:38 Yang Yun's Flying Jesus Vault 18:13 Produnova, Yulo & Davtyan 23:11 BARS: Greatest Bars Routines Ever 25:47 Kim Gwang Suk 28:04 Amy Chow Appreciation 29:04 He Kexin's Beijing Masterpiece 32:06 Beth Tweddle 34:00 Mustafina 42:35 BEAM: Greatest Beam Routines Ever 42:42 Dudnik & Yang Bo 44:10 Li Li & Ke Qinqin 46:39 Gutsu & Lysenko 48:43 Kui Yuanyuan 50:30 Fan Ye 53:01 Soviet Beam Greats 56:04 Anna Pavlova 59:40 Komova & Flavia 01:03:07 Sanne Wevers 01:06:10 Zhou Yaqin & Zhang Qingying 01:09:01 Why Simone isn't the beam GOAT

01:11:12 FLOOR: Greatest Floor Routines Ever 01:11:29 Podkopayeva & Omelianchik 01:14:16 Dominique Moceanu 01:16:39 Mo Huilan's Typewriter Routine 01:17:01 Elena Produnova 01:18:03 Jesús Rivera 01:20:45 Céline van Gerner & Eythora 01:23:02 The Legendary 1989 Worlds Floor Session 01:30:17 Simone Biles 01:31:18 Vanessa Ferrari 01:33:22 Rebeca Andrade 01:33:56 Pain of a Nation: Greatest Choreography 01:38:21 Dobre, Filatova & Petrik 01:41:34 NCAA Floor Pantheon

Elite summer is officially here and GymCastic is breaking down the state of the art in gymnastics heading into the 2026 season. We discuss Simone Biles revealing she "almost died," Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos' emotional return to competition in France, and the gymnasts currently setting the global standard on vault, bars, beam and floor. From Kaylia Nemour's historic bars work to Hezly Rivera leading the all-around rankings, we analyze what it actually takes to contend for World medals in 2026. Plus: French Nationals artistry deductions, NCAA news, and the latest gymternet controversies.

Simone Biles shared that she "almost died" in what she called one of the scariest experiences of her life.

Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos returned to exhibition competition at French Nationals for the first time since the Paris Olympics, performing floor and discussing her recovery and renewal in Martinique.

French Nationals introduced separately listed artistry deductions in live scoring — the future is now.

Elena Colas won the French all-around title with a 54.250 and continues her rapid rise as one of the top new seniors in the world.

We break down the current world leaders on every apparatus and discuss: • Why Kaylia Nemour is redefining bars • Why Hezly Rivera is currently the all-around world leader • What makes beam composition "state of the art" • Why vault scoring may be changing • What separates a 14 floor routine from a 13 in 2026

GYMTERNET NEWS • Utah gymnastics Ghana trip controversy discussion • NCAA age-rule proposal update • New proposed NIL restrictions in Congress • Texas abortion laws and athlete healthcare concerns • Sam Oldham's charity comeback routine • Jackson Harrison Achilles injury • Emma Slevin transfers to Arkansas • Coaching updates across NCAA • Gymnastics Australia concussion investigation

00:00 Simone Biles' scary health news 01:21 Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos returns at French Nationals 08:30 French Nationals artistry deductions revolution 09:25 Elena Colas wins French Nationals 17:02 Elite Summer 2026 begins 18:08 All-Around World Leaders: Hezly Rivera vs Kaylia Nemour 27:12 Vault world leaders and why vaulting has changed 35:30 Bars: Why Kaylia Nemour is redefining gymnastics 49:05 Beam world leaders and Chinese beam excellence 1:02:02 Floor exercise: what makes a 14 in 2026? 1:10:18 Gymternet News 1:16:04 NCAA age rule proposal explained 1:19:08 New NIL bill and athlete pay debate 1:21:29 Texas abortion laws and athlete safety concerns 1:23:00 Sam Oldham's charity comeback routine 1:24:01 Jackson Harrison injury and Emma Slevin transfer 1:24:33 NCAA rules and laws limiting athlete income 1:25:58 Australia concussion investigation

Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade are two of the greatest gymnasts in history. Yet they competed against each other just five times in nine years! In this episode, we tackle what may be gymnastics' biggest structural problem: the world's best athletes rarely get the chance to face each other. We propose a complete overhaul of the competition system, including world rankings, federation-free qualification pathways, athlete-controlled careers, an elite season, and fan-voted wild cards. We also explore how sports like tennis, the WNBA, and other professional leagues handle competition, athlete compensation, data rights, and fan engagement—and what gymnastics can learn from them. Plus, we discuss real-time scoring technology, VR and AR viewing experiences, digital-twin technology, and other innovations that could modernize the sport and make gymnastics easier to follow for fans around the world.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro: Revolutionizing Gymnastics

01:01 – HEADLINES Texas State Adds D1 Gymnastics

03:13 – Canadian Championships & Ellie Black

07:07 – Koper Cup Chaos

14:04 – Behind The Scenes: Sharks, Dysentery & Club Gym Nerd

16:32 – Gymternet News: Texas Coach Indicted, DA looking for suvivors

17:38 – Simone Biles Is Still 50/50

21:18 – Ukrainian Gymnastics Protest Campaign

22:23 – Denver's Achilles Injury Research

24:09 – Florida's Singapore Tour

25:35 – Nadia's 50-Year Perfect 10 Celebration

26:54 – Michigan Men Get a New Facility

27:28 – Gymnaestrada Comes to Las Vegas

28:59 – New Pakistan Gymnastics Documentary

30:25 – 1984 U.S. Men's Team Documentary

33:08 – Iranian Women Win Historic Medal

33:47 – Melanie & Rebeca Return Updates

34:25 – Revolutionizing Gymnastics: How We Fix The Sport

34:45 – The Problem: The Best Gymnasts Never Compete

37:19 – Simone vs Rebeca: Only 5 Times in 9 Years

39:17 – When World-Class Athletes Get Left Home

42:06 – Why Federations Have Too Much Power

47:02 – Borrowing the Tennis Model

50:34 – Rankings, Injuries & Athlete Autonomy

54:24 – Wild Cards System

56:26 – Fixing Judging with Technology

58:26 – Make Scores Understandable

01:01:12 – Real-Time Skill Tracking & Data Visualization

01:01:39 – AR, AI & Digital-Twin Technology

01:03:29 – VR Front-Row Seats for Every Fan

01:09:01 – Alternative Broadcasts & Fan Engagement

01:14:06 – How Gymnasts Should Actually Get Paid

01:16:39 – Athlete Unions, Data Rights & Ownership

01:22:40 – The WNBA Model for Athlete Bio Data

01:24:38 – Designing the Perfect Competition System

01:27:12 – Turning Olympic Viewers Into Real Fans

01:34:15 – Listener Question: Biles I vs Dos Santos

BONUS Welcome to Behind The Scenes: Secrets of The Podcast

We are enjoying a well earned break this week. But we'd never leave you without the news. Here is a little bonus of our weekly Q&A show for Club Gym Nerd members, where we answer your questions live. To listen or watch the full episode login here. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Not a member? Join here.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Behind the Scenes Intro & Che Campbell Replay 01:28 – Georgia News: Laurent Landi Officially Joins Cecile 01:53 – Joscelyn Roberson Transfers to Georgia 05:02 – Which WCC Gymnast Could Follow to Georgia? 07:42 – Konnor McClain's Post-NCAA Season Health Update 11:47 – Chuso at Tashkent & World Gymnastics Score Problems 13:11 – Japan's Worlds Team Heartbreak 15:09 – Worlds Qualification Rules & Rotterdam Tickets 17:00 – U.S. Pan Ams Team Announced 19:06 – Claire Pease's Cheng: Real or Not Yet? 20:42 – GymCastic Updates: Games, Referrals & Merch Sale 22:52 – Liverpool Gets 2030 Worlds 23:21 – Melanie de Jesus dos Santos Returns 25:33 – Melnikova's U.S. Gym Tour 26:14 – Chinese Nationals Beam Queen News 27:35 – Kidney Transplant Update & Sam Oldham Spy Database Follow-Up 30:15 – Goodbye to Regular Listeners / Club Gym Nerd BTS Begins 31:24 – Jessica's Graduation Trip to Boston 32:47 – Tufts Graduation Week & Boston Pops 33:57 – Baccalaureate, Jumbos & Tufts Civic Duty 36:17 – AI as a Weapon & Graduation Speeches 38:22 – Plane Seat Hell & Back Row Bathroom Life 40:43 – The Overmedicated Seatmate 42:45 – Cape Cod, Jaws & Great White Shark Warnings 45:59 – Provincetown, Mayflower Money & Gayborhood History 47:04 – The Giant Ship Inside the Library 47:42 – Airbnb Disaster: Wet Dog Smell, Mold & Mineral Deposits 50:54 – Eurovision, Sweden & Body-Part Grammar 54:12 – New Zealand Gymnastics Jail Explained 56:36 – Can College Gymnasts Train Year-Round? 58:42 – What Happens to Competition Equipment? 60:00 – EVO Gymnastics, Men's Training Centers & Funding 62:40 – Does Florida's Elite Focus Hurt NCAA Titles? 64:20 – Why WAG Needs an EVO-Style Model 65:03 – Resistance News & Legal Wins 67:02 – Wrap-Up, Sam Oldham Extended Interview & Memorial Day Sign-Off

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Olympic bronze medalist Sam Oldham joins Jessica for a conversation about his personal Japanese Gymnastics Spy, mental health, ADHD, grace and letting coaches learn rather than be cancelled, sports science failures, NCAA gymnastics, and life after the 2012 Summer Olympics. From injury prevention and athlete autonomy to judging politics and storytelling in gymnastics media, this episode dives deep into how the sport is changing — and where it still falls short.

Club Gym Nerd members, login for the extended version almost 2 hrs long. Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Tip: After logging in, refresh the podcast page and the extended player will appear. Not a member? Join here.

00:00 – Intro & Why Sam Oldham's Story Matters 02:15 – The Reality of Funding Men's Gymnastics 06:40 – Building Relationships That Save Careers 10:12 – Live Show Replay & Club Gym Nerd Perks 16:11 – Sam Oldham on Coaching Wisdom & Sergei's Influence 22:45 – Why Gymnastics Breaks So Many Athletes 28:33 – Neurodiversity, Burnout & Life After Elite Sports 36:20 – The Pressure of Being "Perfect" as an Athlete 44:08 – Mental Health, Identity & Retirement from Gymnastics 52:14 – British Gymnastics Culture vs NCAA Energy 01:01:32 – Training Through Pain & Learning to Fuel Properly 01:08:45 – Eating Disorders, Fasting & Dangerous Training Culture 01:15:24 – Has Gymnastics Culture Actually Changed? 01:22:50 – Why Athletes Need Control of Their Own Narrative 01:30:57 – Speaking Out Against Harmful Coaching 01:33:44 – Cancel Culture, Grace & Learning in Coaching 01:40:10 – Why Storytelling Changes Gymnastics Culture 01:44:59 – The Japanese Gymnastics "Spy Network" Story 01:48:18 – FIG Studying NCAA Gymnastics & the Future of Pro Leagues

UP NEXT

Ana Bărbosu has been provisionally suspended for whereabouts violations, the IOC has cleared Belarus restrictions, and USA Gymnastics is disputing claims from fired men's program manager Lisa Mendel. Plus: could NCAA stars like Selena Harris-Miranda, Avery Neff, Anna Roberts, and Nikki Smith make the leap to elite? We draft our dream NCAA-to-elite teams and answer a mini-commission on acro's Olympic future.

00:00 – Cold Open: Judges, Eat Your Pencils 00:33 – Headlines: Mendel, Bărbosu, Belarus & Mini-Commissions 01:23 – Corrections: Kara Eaker & Tabea Alt 04:08 – Ana Bărbosu Provisionally Suspended for Whereabouts Violations 09:05 – IOC Clears Belarus Restrictions, Russia Still Suspended 12:45 – Lisa Mendel Firing & USAG's SafeSport Statement 18:32 – Chae Campbell Live Show Replay Trailer 21:52 – Club Gym Nerd, BTS & Merch Updates 24:18 – Meet News: Michele Pineda, Oceania & Worlds Qualification 27:01 – Georgia Godwin's World-Medal-Pace Scores 29:47 – Courtney McGregor's Worlds Qualification Path 31:33 – Liechtenstein Makes World Cup History 33:08 – Gymnastics Greatest Stars of the Week 38:22 – Floor Slooff's Beam Sorcery 41:51 – Brazil Trophy Feelings, Tears & Dance Cam 44:22 – Level 10 Nationals, Raeya Linton & Broken Floors 53:08 – Gymternet News: Washington, France, Nebraska & Lynx Fire 58:18 – Gymdle, Gym Bee & Referral Program 59:40 – Mini-Commission: Could NCAA Stars Go Elite? 01:12:57 – Drafting the NCAA-to-Elite Dream Team 01:24:14 – Mini-Commission: What Happened to Acro? 01:32:04 – Olympic Program Cuts & Acro's Olympic Chances 01:38:43 – What's Coming Next: Chinese Championships, NHK & Sam Oldham

GymCastic Live: Featuring Chae Campbell - Watch the Trailer HERE Replay tickets available → Get tickets here

Olympic champion Jade Carey is officially BACK, Jordyn Wieber steps away from coaching, and the NCAA transfer portal is chaos. Meanwhile, Algeria makes history, Japan's team selection system is already causing stress, and the road to World Championships just got way more complicated.

We break down:

👀 Stay to the end for a BTS preview you won't hear anywhere else.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open: Postseason Chaos, Jade Carey Returns & Wieber Leaves

00:59 – Jade Carey Comeback & Elite Impact

02:56 – Joscelyn Roberson Transfer Portal & NIL Strategy

05:07 – Cecile Takes Over Georgia + Coaching Power Shifts

06:18 – Jordyn Wieber Steps Down at Arkansas

10:40 – Algeria Makes History: First Women's Worlds Team

13:16 – Coaching Carousel: Auburn, Nebraska, Georgia Shakeups

16:55 – Transfer Portal With Strong Bite Me Vibes: Cal → Stanford Fallout

20:03 – Ana Bărbosu Whereabouts Violation Update

24:06 – Live Show Promo + Chae Campbell

27:34 – African Championships Deep Dive & Nemour Dominance

31:26 – Bars Arms Race: Nemour vs. Yang Fanyuwei

33:18 – Worlds Qualification System Explained (No Auto Spots!)

36:17 – Oceanic Champs Preview & "Sponsor Courtney McGregor" Campaign

39:32 – StoryWorth Ad

42:21 – New Uneven Bars Skills (Finally Named!)

50:12 – Russian Cup Results + Neutral Athlete Controversy

52:17 – Russian Broadcast Goes Full Video Game Mode

57:04 – Japan Rising Star Nishiyama Misa + Beam Artistry Masterclass

59:05 – Japan Team Selection Heartbreak Incoming

01:01:21 – Upcoming Meets to Watch (NHK, Pan Ams, Euros, Worlds Path)

01:03:26 – Gymternet News: Surveillance Cameras in Gyms

01:05:48 – Dumpster Fire News: Criminal Case & Coaching Abuse

01:07:47 – Hall of Fame + Olympic Trials 2028 Announcement

01:10:51 – Nadia, Simone & Laureus Awards Moment

01:12:33 – Fantasy League Winner + What's Next

01:13:26 – Outro + Weekly BTS Reminder

01:13:41 – BTS Teaser: How the Chae Campbell Interview Really Happened

The weekly Q&A episode where we answer your questions and talk about what's it's like to do this for a living.

This Behind the Scenes episode dives into everything we couldn't fully unpack on the main feed — from major NCAA coaching shakeups and transfer portal chaos, ranking debates, and the questions everyone's asking but no one is answering clearly.

We're breaking down:

The latest coaching moves across NCAA gymnastics

What's actually happening in the transfer portal (and why it's so confusing)

Misconceptions about our live show process

Ranking inconsistencies that still make no sense

Big-picture issues like access, money, and who gets to do gymnastics

Plus: your questions, hot takes, and the conversations that don't make it into the main version of the show.

Want the FULL episode (1 hour 15 minutes) + the members-only BTS conversation?

Join Club Gym Nerd and get access to extended episodes, live show replays, behind-the-scenes Q&As, and all the unfiltered takes:

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You're not getting the whole story unless you're in the club.

Welcome to The Original College Gymnastics Post-Meet Show!

We recored this episode live immediatly following Team Finals between Oklahoma, LSU, Florida and Minnesota at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth. Scores and watch links. Members watched the recording live and asked questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro: Oklahoma Wins Again (8th NCAA Title) 00:40 – Did the Right Team Win? LSU vs Oklahoma Debate 01:04 – LSU vs Oklahoma: Beam Falls, Margins & What Decided It 02:02 – Scoring Controversies: Overscoring on Bars & Floor 03:23 – Skye Blakely & Routine Credit Questions 04:03 – Beam Camera Angles & Judging Visibility Issues 05:05 – Live recording moment when the arena turned our power off 05:12 – NCAA Not Following Credential Rules 06:10 – Security Failures 07:16 – Konnor McClain MVP Case: Competing Injured & Delivering 08:09 – Beam Dismounts: The Real Difference Between LSU & Oklahoma 08:39 – Florida Breakdown: Why They Underperformed Again 10:15 – Bars Equipment Issues & Athlete Feedback 11:05 – Coaching Carousel: Florida, Auburn, Nebraska Speculation 12:29 – Minnesota's Historic Finish & Program Rise 14:07 – Emotional Reactions & What This Finish Means for Minnesota 15:39 – Facilities Impact: New Gym vs Old Training Conditions 16:39 – Behind the Scenes: Arena & Chalk Spewing Vaccumes 17:37 – LSU Highlights: Freshmen, Vault Power & Floor Struggles 18:10 – The "Sliding Mat" Problem & Safety Concerns 19:04 – Coaching Decision Debate: What To Do When A Coach Fails To Do Their Job? 20:05 – Event Winners & Individual Standouts 21:54 – Vault 10 Controversy: Was It Actually Perfect? 23:00 – Bars, Beam & Floor Champions Breakdown 24:03 – Equipment Fix Ideas & Gym Nerd Solutions 25:09 – LIVE SHOW RECAP 25:45 – Favorite Moments from the Live Show 26:32 – STORYWORTH AD 29:24 – Exclusive Live Show Content: UCLA, Culture & Coaching Discussion 31:03 – Coaching Experience vs Hiring Decisions Debate 32:03 – Oklahoma Lineup Strategy: Should They Have Changed Beam? 33:19 – Mental Toughness: Handling Delays & Pressure 36:21 – LSU Perspective: Why This Still Counts as a Huge Success 38:47 – LSU Coach Reaction & Athlete Resilience Stories 41:34 – Alternate Scoring Scenario: What If All Scores Counted? 43:27 – Should NCAA Format Change? 5 Up 5 Count Debate 44:00 – Oklahoma Difficulty Strategy: Smart or Boring? 47:06 – OSHA & Safety Issues: Blood, Trainers & Protocol 47:54 – Wild Story: Team Drives Into Tornado 49:01 – MVP Picks: Ella Murphy Clutch Beam Routine 50:17 – Judging Analysis: Mary Jo's Role & Broadcast Improvements 52:53 – Diversity in Judging: Who's Missing? 54:15 – Coaching Rumors & Job Movement Speculation 55:35 – Who's on the Hot Seat? Coaching Pressure Debate 56:42 – Final Thoughts & Thank You to Fans 57:09 – Post-Show Plans: Vacation & Celebration

Minnesota forced the favorites to hit and made the NCAA team final, Oklahoma looked like the clear title favorite, Faith Torres won the all-around, and Jordan Chiles finished her NCAA career with another floor title. We break down both semifinals, the event champions, the teams moving on, and the biggest judging and podium storylines from Fort Worth. Then in the members-only Behind The Scenes portion, we get into the arena shennanigans, Oklahoma podium-training injury news, DJ choices, puppies, and all the weird little details you didn't see on the broadcast.

MEMBERS-ONLY BEHIND THE SCENES: This episode also includes a Behind The Scenes section for Club Gym Nerd members, with extra reporting from the arena including the Oklahoma podium training injury discussion, LSU's arena music moment, the fan fest, puppies, and other live-show chaos you didn't see on TV. Join Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/join-the-club/

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Teams Advance to the NCAA Final 00:40 – Event Champions: Faith Torres, Kira Wells, Riley McCusker, Brooklyn Roray, Jordan Chiles 02:23 – Live Show Preview with Chae Campbell 03:54 – Minnesota Breaks Through in Semifinal Two 06:37 – UCLA Misses Its Chance on Vault 08:15 – Jordan Chiles' Bars Fall and Floor Title Redemption 10:45 – Arkansas Falls Short 12:18 – Oklahoma Dominates the Day 12:45 – Faith Torres Wins the All-Around 14:17 – Oklahoma Injury / Lineup / Podium Questions 16:29 – End of Public Show 16:53 – Members Only: BTS Begins 17:39 – LSU Arena Music Discussion 18:38 – Oklahoma Gymnast Injury in Podium Training 20:31 – Recovery, Catsuits, and Arena Noise 24:20 – Semifinal One Vault Debate: Kaliya Lincoln vs Kailin Chio 28:37 – Why NCAA Judging Drives Everyone Insane 32:08 – Chio's Recovery and LSU Team Mentality 35:03 – Florida and LSU Advance, Georgia Misses Its Opening 38:35 – JaFree Scott's Beam Miracle 42:05 – What Florida and LSU Need to Do for the Final 45:36 – Can Minnesota Beat LSU? 47:26 – UCLA's Underperformance and Jordan's Beam Response 50:27 – Proposed Beam Rule Changes 52:25 – FanFest, Food Trucks, and NCAA Atmosphere 54:43 – Event Winners and All-Around Follow-Up 57:16 – Maggie Slife and the Air Force Story 59:38 – Puppies, Fan Experience, and More BTS 01:01:41 – Event Specialists: Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor 01:04:25 – Is Podium Good or Bad for Nationals? Live show tickets https://gymcastic.com/ More from GymCastic: https://gymcastic.com/

GymCastic Live: Featuring Chae Campbell at NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL 17) — in person and streaming tickets are limited → Get tickets here

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open: Etsy Witch & Breaking the Curse

00:36 – Live Show Announcement + ChaeCampbell Guest

02:17 – Headlines: Fisk Documentary + HBCU Impact

02:55 – Black Monday Coaching Updates (BYU, Utah, MSU)

04:48 – Kerri Strug Biopic Drama + Casting Fallout

06:30 – NCAA Nationals Format Explained (Semis + Finals)

08:38 – What "Winning" Actually Means at Nationals

11:26 – Florida: No More Excuses (Title or Bust)

14:34 – The Etsy Witch Ritual Explained

18:23 – Oklahoma: Why They'll Probably Win Again

22:00 – LSU: Contender or Chaos Candidate?

26:51 – UCLA: Jordan Chiles + Floor Magic Factor

32:22 – Georgia: The Ultimate Spoiler Team

36:31 – Stanford: Cinderella with Real Upside

40:49 – Arkansas: Program History Already Made

42:21 – Minnesota: The Surprise Team That Delivered

45:31 – Individual Title Contenders (AA, Events)

47:52 – Dark Horse: Avery Neff for All-Around Title?

53:15 – Event Finals Breakdown (Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor)

01:02:05 – Judging Accountability Crisis

01:07:01 – NCAA Response + Lack of Transparency

01:10:04 – Why Oversight Matters (Big Picture)

01:12:37 – Listener Question: Bracket Draw Fairness

Minnesota shocks the field, Utah misses nationals, and Oklahoma reveals its final boss mode. We break down every NCAA Regional—upsets, judging drama, coaching shakeups, and the real reason sticks aren't contagious.

00:00 – Cold Open: Are Sticks Contagious? The Data Says No 00:19 – NCAA Championship Teams Set + Fort Worth Preview 00:50 – Show Intro + Spencer Survives Regionals Weekend 01:10 – GymCastic Live Show Details + Past Guests 02:35 – BREAKING: Auburn Head Coach Out After 16 Seasons 03:38 – Who's Next? Coaching Carousel Speculation (Utah, Kentucky) 05:05 – Equipment Fail: Floor Out-of-Bounds Set Wrong 06:24 – Regionals Results: Who Advanced & Biggest Upsets 07:17 – Minnesota Stuns: Eliminates Alabama & Utah 08:21 – Stanford Survives + Arkansas Over Missouri 09:09 – Judging Controversy Returns + Oversight Debate 11:18 – Iowa State Fallout: Athletes Transfer En Masse 12:16 – Romania Abuse Investigation Stalls 12:41 – Club Gym Nerd + NCAA Bonus Content Preview

13:12 – Deep Dive Begins: Minnesota's Breakthrough Strategy 15:53 – Alabama's Vault Lineup Cost Them Nationals 18:29 – Rotation Strategy + Why Vault Hurt Utah 20:51 – Sticks vs Steps: How Landings Decided Regionals 22:53 – Celebration Chaos + Teams Party Together 24:13 – Sticker Strategy Theory (Yes, Really) 24:49 – Biggest Lesson: Stick Celebrations Causing Deductions 27:06 – Rules Myth Busted: It's NOT a 3-Second Hold

29:36 – Biggest "Almost" Upset: Clemson Nearly Advances 31:48 – Clemson's Rise + Coaching Impact 32:22 – Arkansas vs Missouri: Margins & Landings 34:10 – Most Exciting Semifinal: Ohio State Upsets Kentucky 35:07 – Beam Pressure & Clutch Performances 37:25 – Rutgers Turnaround Story 40:11 – Iowa's "Valiant Loss" + Orally Tran's 10

42:00 – What We Learned: Oklahoma Still Holding Back 44:25 – Routine Construction: Why Leaps Matter More Than Ever

46:08 – Listener Research: Sticks Are NOT Contagious 50:01 – Broadcast Review: What Worked & What Didn't 53:20 – Judging Confusion Exposed On-Air 55:08 – Production Issues: Camera Angles & Coverage Problems 56:42 – Why Regionals NEED to Be on TV 58:01 – Missing Individual Standings Coverage

01:00:21 – Regional 10.0s Breakdown + Controversies 01:02:19 – Standout Skills & Moments (Van Frayen, Beam Work) 01:03:45 – Injury Moment: Chesney Bennett Finishes Routine 01:06:21 – NCAA Rule Advantage: Injury Evaluation Period

01:10:58 – Oregon Regional: Individual Qualifiers Breakdown 01:12:39 – Arizona State Regional: Michigan State Dominates Individuals 01:15:47 – LSU Regional: Clemson, Stanford & Key Storylines 01:19:57 – Kentucky Regional: Ohio State Upset + Qualifiers

01:22:20 – NCAA Championship Predictions 01:24:45 – Final Four Debate: Florida vs Oklahoma vs Field

01:28:13 – Gymternet News: Romania, Canada, Cornell Donation

Welcome to The Original College Gymnastics Post-Meet Show!

We'll start around 7pm PT after the Florida, Georgia, Cal, MSU Regional Final at Arizona (full schedule and links here) with a very special guest, Reema Zakharia! This is the weekly Q&A show, where we answer your questions live. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

Not a member? Join here to listen to the full epsiode. Log in here, refresh the page and the extended player will appear below.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro: College & Cocktails + Guest Rima Zachariah 02:30 – Georgia Ends 7-Year Nationals Drought 08:15 – Regionals Pressure: What It's Really Like Competing 14:00 – Nationals Qualifiers: LSU, Florida, Stanford, Georgia 18:45 – Stanford vs Clemson: Fair Result or Robbery? 24:30 – Judging Controversies & Score Inconsistencies 31:00 – Equipment Issues: Vault Height Error + Setup Problems 36:20 – Beam Wobbles, Floor Chaos & Scoring Debates 43:10 – Injury Scare: Connor's Bars Fall Explained 49:00 – Leaps, Form & "Just Do Better" NCAA Rant 55:30 – Broadcast Breakdown: Rules Analyst Controversy 01:02:00 – Rest vs Strategy: Why Stars Aren't Doing All-Around 01:07:30 – Kaliya Lincoln's Perfect 10 & NCAA Standouts 01:11:30 – Team Culture, Coaching & Mental Pressure 01:16:30 – Live Meet Experience & Fan Stories 01:20:00 – LA Olympics Ticket Drama + Pricing Shock

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The judges association continues to block attempts at transparency and accountability. Florida, UCLA, Utah, LSU, Oklahoma and the rest of the NCAA field are heading into Regionals with huge questions around judging, qualification, and who can actually make nationals. We discuss the latest judging response, preview the biggest Regionals debates, and interview Ireland's Emma Slevin about NCAA, elite gymnastics, and her Olympic plans.

LIVE SHOW: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL — LIMITED TICKETS) The only place to hear what's NEVER said on the podcast. Get your tickets now before it sells out: https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-ncaa-championships/

INTERVIEW Emma Slevin of Minnesota and Ireland on: - Gymnastics Ireland's pathway system - Why she chose NCAA gymnastics - Adjusting from elite to college gymnastics - Whether FIG should allow safety mats - Her future goals in NCAA and elite

REGIONALS DEBATE CLUB - Is Utah in real danger of missing nationals? - Is Florida the national title favorite? - Is home advantage actually bad for LSU? - Is SEC dominance real or overhyped? - Which individuals must qualify to nationals?

GYMTERNET NEWS - Rebeca Andrade plans to return in 2026 - Iowa State transfer news - All-Americans released - Fisk competed its final meet - SafeSport and abuse case updates - Simone Biles opens a restaurant at Houston airport

CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold Open: FIG Rules and Mats Debate 00:32 Intro: Emma Slevin, Judging Response and Regionals 01:38 Judges Respond to Interview 10:49 Jesolo Highlights 14:06 Emma Slevin Interview 30:47 Live Show, Fantasy and Updates 33:30 Regionals Debate Club 35:13 Oregon State Regional: Utah in Trouble? 45:36 Arizona State Regional: Is Florida the Favorite? 56:01 LSU Regional Debate 1:08:26 Kentucky Regional Debate 1:14:39 Must-Watch Individual Qualifiers 1:20:17 Gymternet News 1:26:49 Outro

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"They're guessing."

A judge reveals what's really happening behind NCAA gymnastics scoring — plus a brutal Regionals draw (UCLA, Utah & Alabama in the same bracket).

LIVE SHOW – NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL 17) Limited tickets: Get tickets

THIS EPISODE:

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Judges Are Guessing? Cold Open 00:00:12 – Intro: Conference Champs, Regionals & Judge Interview 01:40 – Voinea Family Back in the News 03:47 – British Championships: Becky Downie, Ruby Evans & Joe Fraser 09:48 – Conference Championships Recap: Florida on Top, Clemson Makes History 12:17 – Regionals Selection Show Reactions 15:27 – Why This Year's Regionals Draw Actually Makes Sense 18:18 – LSU Regional Drama: Clemson vs Auburn 19:39 – BTS, Club Gym Nerd & Live Show Updates 22:26 – Fantasy Update: KJ Kindler's Horse Farm Wins 23:44 – Rage-O-Meter: Backless Leos and Breast Health 25:07 – Full Regionals Draw Breakdown 28:39 – Stanford vs Michigan, CMU vs Rutgers & Regional Reactions 31:38 – Emergency Therapy Session: Who Got Screwed by the Draw 38:24 – New Rule: Teams Pick Their Starting Event 41:15 – Gymternet News: Amanda Yap, Lily Smith, Doha Cancelled, D'Amato Surgery 45:17 – Judge Jason Buttons Interview Begins 46:00 – "They Don't Know What They're Doing" 47:03 – Skill Recognition Problems at the Judges' Table 48:46 – Why Club Judges Can Talk and College Judges Can't 50:17 – Why Judges Need Replay and Slow Motion 51:11 – Why So Many Top Judges Avoid College Meets 53:09 – Accountability, Testing & Why Bad Judges Shouldn't Stay 56:18 – How Often Judging Errors Happen 57:52 – Deductions Judges Are Getting Wrong 01:00:06 – Why Routine Summaries Don't Really Explain Enough 01:05:34 – How Judges Are Evaluated and Why It's Not Working 01:07:15 – Why NCAA Judging Pay and Conditions Are a Problem 01:08:35 – Are Judges Actually Biased? 01:10:03 – Is There Any Real Data on Who the Best Judges Are? 01:11:16 – How Jason Would Fix the Entire Judging System 01:14:42 – Why Most Judges Still Love the Sport 01:16:24 – Judging Pay, Travel Time & Dry Cleaning Reality 01:20:24 – Interview Wrap-Up 01:20:47 – Perfect 10s Update: Selena, Faith Torrez & Jordan Chiles 01:22:14 – Feedback and Letters Begin 01:23:14 – Muriel Grossfeld Stories 01:24:33 – Why Stanford Looked Off at ACCs 01:26:30 – Equipment Horror Stories 01:29:13 – Iowa State's Unsafe Gym Conditions 01:33:22 – Courtney McGregor, Stuttgart & Germany's Scoring Mess 01:36:15 – Score Mystery Solved: Tonya Paulsson's Beam Fall 01:38:03 – Margarita Theater & Outro

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Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 12 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 12 Lineups lock on Friday, March 20 at 10:45am PT 00:00 Intro 00:58:22 Roster Bargains 01:16 Roster Bargains - All-Around 03:26 Roster Bargains - Vault 05:50 Roster Bargains - Bars 07:40 Roster Bargains - Beam 09:53 GymCastic Updates 11:33 Roster Bargains - Floor 14:51 League Leaders 15:16 10.0 Deals 16:05 League Stats This Week's College & Cocktails: March 21 after Conference Championships. Join us at 7:00pm PT

British Gymnastics has suspended its trampoline high performance program amid athlete safety concerns—Jessica sat down with new USA Gymnastics President Kyle Albrecht to talk about athlete safety, the future of the sport, and the GAGE suspension.

00:00 – Cold Open: GAGE Decision & Athlete Safety 00:00:29 – British Gymnastics Suspends Trampoline Program 00:05:21 – Iowa State Gymnastics Fight to Reinstate Program 00:06:25 – LA28 Ticket Lottery Deadline + Jessica's Event Picks 00:07:45 – Aimee Boorman Leaves German Program 00:09:26 – US Championships Tickets + McClenaghan Wins Gold 00:10:22 – Livvy Dunne Joins Baywatch 00:10:39 – Interview: New USAG President Kyle Albrecht 00:12:45 – Vision for Growing Gymnastics Beyond the Olympics 00:15:12 – Athlete Safety, SafeSport & Learning from Nassar Era 00:17:44 – Adult Gymnastics Expansion & Retention 00:20:02 – GAGE Ban Explained + Accountability in USAG 00:23:04 – NCAA Update: Conference Championships Preview 00:26:17 – Why Conference Championships Are Chaos (and Fun) 00:28:08 – Oklahoma vs LSU vs Florida Showdown Preview 00:30:00 – Regionals Bubble Teams: Washington, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn 00:33:00 – Utah Can't Make Top 8: Chaos Incoming 00:36:06 – Kentucky as the Ultimate Regional Spoiler 00:38:24 – Selection Show Details + Regional Drama Incoming 00:40:18 – 10.0 Explosion: Senior Night Scoring Madness 00:41:29 – Chio's 3 Tens + Gym Slam Watch 00:43:48 – LSU NIL Strategy & Athlete Marketing Shift 00:49:05 – Best Gymnast Debate: Chio vs Chiles vs Roberts 00:53:46 – More Perfect 10s: Harris, Ostrom, Smith 00:55:23 – Rankings Battle: Oklahoma vs LSU for #1 00:56:45 – Fan Story: "GymCastic Creating World Peace" 00:58:51 – Konnor McClain Beam Controversy (9.925 Breakdown) 01:02:07 – Mixed Team Format Debate: Missing Events? 01:05:00 – American Cup Equipment Scare (Bar Collapse!) 01:06:06 – Code Questions: Up-To-Level (UTL) Deductions Explained 01:12:40 – Athletes Turned Coaches: Eligibility & NCAA Rules 01:14:58 – Head Injury Protocol Rant (Hockey Example) 01:17:23 – College & Cocktails + Weekend Watch Guide 01:18:59 – Outro: Live Show, Merch & Final Thoughts

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 11 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 11 Lineups lock at noon on Thursday, March 12 at 3:15pm PT

00:00 Intro 00:38:28 Roster Bargains 00:52:19 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:43 Roster Bargains - Vault 04:38 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:50 Roster Bargains - Beam 08:28 GymCastic Updates 10:03 Roster Bargains - Floor 12:02 League Leaders 12:17 10.0 Deals 13:33 League Stats

This Week's College & Cocktails: March 14 after Utah @ UCLA. Join us at 9:30pm PT

China wins the first-ever Mixed Team American Cup using the new LA28 Olympic format—and the result might reveal a major flaw in the event design.

We break down how the three-round elimination format worked, why some teams advanced despite falls, and what strategies teams used when choosing apparatus.

Plus, data analyst and figure skating official Dr. Elliot Schwartz joins the show to explain the strategy behind the format, whether teams should be allowed to change lineups mid-competition, and what gymnastics could learn from figure skating's scoring system and judging transparency.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open: Why This Mixed Team Format Was Built for China 01:11 – USAG Pulls Out of Turkey and Cairo World Cups 03:23 – Iowa State Cuts Gymnastics + KJ Kindler Fires Back 08:45 – Jessica on New USAG President Kyle Albrecht 10:02 – American Cup Mixed Team Format Debuts at the Reborn American Cup 11:42 – China Wins + Why This Format Favors China 13:01 – Round 1 Chaos: Brazil and the Philippines Are Eliminated 14:15 – Round 2 Drama: Asher Hong Falls and the U.S. Barely Survives 17:45 – Final Round Recap: U.S. Gets Silver, Japan Takes Bronze 19:00 – Club Gym Nerd Updates: College & Cocktails, Live Shows and More 20:05 – American Cup Deep Dive: Did It Actually Feel Like a Team Competition? 21:35 – Could Fans Follow the Meet? Arena Confusion and Missing Scores 23:23 – Peacock vs In-Arena Experience 25:43 – Should This Have Been a Head-to-Head Bracket? 28:54 – Debate Club: Should Teams Be Allowed to Change Lineups Mid-Meet? 31:17 – Event Selection Debate: Too Much P-Bars, Not Enough Chaos 33:55 – Comedy Highlights: Claire Pease High-Five Fail + Nastia Clip 35:16 – Broadcast Problems: NBC, U.S.-Only Focus and Missed Routines 41:17 – Interview: Dr. Elliot Schwartz on Strategy, Scoring and Figure Skating Lessons 44:01 – Could Gymnastics Use a Plus/Minus Scoring System? 47:52 – Planned Routines, Improvisation and What Figure Skating Does Better 52:01 – Specialist Strategy: What's the Ideal Team Construction? 55:55 – Is Saving Your Biggest Difficulty for the Final Round the Best Strategy? 59:24 – NCAA Update: UCLA vs Stanford Bronze Medal Reunion Meet 01:00:44 – Florida vs LSU: Historic 198.450 and Scoring Chaos 01:07:00 – Perfect 10 Update 01:08:45 – NCAA Rankings Update 01:10:06 – Listener Feedback: American Cup Broadcast Frustrations 01:16:29 – Tim Daggett Back on Air 01:18:15 – American Cup Right, Wrong and How to Improve It 01:23:47 – Outro: College & Cocktails After Utah at UCLA 01:25:01 – End

Live from Vegas: Team Bronze Reunion Meet starring Ana Barbosa and Jordan Chiles. And notes from American Cup podium training. Welcome to The Original College Gymnastics Post-Meet Show! It's UCLA at Stanford (2pm PT on ACC+ scores here): See you after the meet around 4:00 PT for a group debrief and American Cup Preview from Jessica who is at the meet. Here's how to ask questions live. Full season mocktail menu here

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Every week we pick a college meet to watch, then go live,right here on this page to discuss our immediate thoughts about the meet. Our superstar, bar tender Linzers, creates a bespoke themed mocktail and cocktail recipe for each meet.

College & Cocktails combines our weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A live podcast with a college meet of the week. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who support our work year around. For more info on how to watch your favorite elites, Olympic and World medalists in college and all year long, check out The Balance Beam Situation's schedule with links.

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 10 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 10 Lineups lock at noon on Thursday, March 05 at 1:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 00:39:10 Roster Bargains 00:57:25 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:52 Roster Bargains - Vault 04:47 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:58 Roster Bargains - Beam 09:27 GymCastic Updates 11:04 Roster Bargains - Floor 12:55 League Leaders 14:05 10.0 Deals 14:40 League Stats This Week's College & Cocktails: March 07 after UCLA @ Stanford. Join us at 4:00pm PT

In an unprecedented move, USA Gymnastics has terminated GAGE's membership. We break down the letter sent to parents, the revolving door of suspended "owners", and what this means for the elite athletes caught in the middle. A preivew of the new Mixed Team format at the American Cup, discuss if the US is violating the Olympic Charter, and celebrate Stanford joining the 198 club in spectacular fashion. Plus, we answer tons of letters.

College & Cocktails had a full GAGE Rage update on Saturday.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro 1:13 GAGE Membership Terminated: The Unprecedented USAG Decision 2:55 Impact on Athletes: History Lesson via Jordan Chiles and Lessons on Consequences 4:46 The Ownership Mystery: Karla Grimes & Tiffany Davenport Suspensions 11:05 SafeSport Rules: Why the GAGE Termination Happened Now 23:20 American Cup Preview: The New LA 2028 Mixed Team Format 35:19 Broadcast Strategy: Should We See Every Routine in 2.5 Hours? 50:04 The Olympic Charter: Should the US Be Banned from the Olympics? 59:25 Feedback: Front Attitude Turns & The Gymnastics Rage-O-Meter 1:18:10 Simone Biles' Future Training: Tropical Islands vs. New Elite Bases 1:22:01 Life Lessons: Stick Crowns & Participation Trophies in the Gym 1:29:59 NCAA Update: Stanford's Historic 198 & The Race for #1 1:40:09 The Grace McCallum Model: Finding Perfection in College Bars 1:41:48 Closing: Join Us for College & Cocktails

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 9 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 9 Lineups lock at noon on Friday, February 27 at 2:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 00:51:10 Roster Bargains 01:07 Roster Bargains - All-Around 03:03 Roster Bargains - Vault 05:12 Roster Bargains - Bars 07:49 Roster Bargains - Beam 10:22 GymCastic Updates 12:47 Roster Bargains - Floor 16:18 League Leaders 16:50 10.0 Deals 17:15 League Stats This Week's College & Cocktails: February 27 after Georgia @ Kentucky. Join us at 5:00pm PT

Morgan Price makes history again with the first-ever perfect 10 for Arkansas! Another coaching suspension at GAGE, Simone Biles' advice to Winter Olympians, and the start of the 2026 Elite season. From Nemour's new skill in Cottbus to Hezly Rivera's dominant Winter Cup performance, we've got your full gymnastics elite and NCAA update.

0:00:00 – Intro: Morgan Price Makes History & 2026 Elite Season Begins

0:01:07 – Simone Biles at the Winter Olympics: Counseling the "Quad God"

0:02:22 – Morgan Price's Historical 10: From Fisk to Arkansas

0:03:12 – Headline News: More GAGE Coaching Suspensions & New SafeSport Investigations

0:04:03 – Cottbus World Cup: Individual Apparatus World Championships Qualifications

0:06:20 – Floor Routine Debates: Should Gymnasts Have to Get New Routines Each Year?

0:10:48 – Flying Banana Jesus: Dramatic Vaults at Cottbus

0:12:31 – Nemour's New Bars Skill & The In-Bar Arms Race

0:18:35 – GymCastic Award for Elegance: Lea Marie Quaas & "Cherish the Beam"

0:37:14 – Winter Cup: Did they not get the memo that Winter Cup is supposed to be bad?

0:43:05 – Winter Cup Senior Analysis: Hezly Rivera's Dominant Performance

0:56:09 – Gymnasts in the Winter Olympics: Recruiting "Fast Twitch" Athletes for Bobsled

0:59:43 – NCAA Update: Avery Neff & The Race for the First Gym Slam

1:22:12 – Feedback: Tallest Gymnast in NCAA

1:23:58 – Closing & Upcoming College & Cocktails: Georgia at Kentucky

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 8 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 8 Lineups lock at noon on Friday, February 20 at 2:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 01:05 Roster Bargains 01:26 Roster Bargains - All-Around 03:13 Roster Bargains - Vault 04:48 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:59 Roster Bargains - Beam 09:03 GymCastic Updates 12:02 Roster Bargains - Floor 14:30 League Leaders 15:20 10.0 Deals 15:44 League Stats

This Week's College & Cocktails: February 20 after LSU @ Oklahoma (ESPN2). Join us at 7:30pm PT

The Iowa State season cancellation mystery finally has an answer—at least from the administration. We dive into the internal conflicts, the AD's letter to families, and why the "safety" claims don't add up. Plus, we compare the Winter Olympics to gymnastics: what should we steal from Figure Skating's judging and NCAA updates

0:00 Intro: The 2026 Elite Season Begins

1:14 The Bileses: Jonathan Owens Theft Attempt in Milan

3:53 Iowa State Scandal: Why the Season Was Really Cancelled

10:43 Breaking: Ana Barbosu Under Investigation (Whereabouts Violations)

14:25 2026 Elite Kickoff: Winter Cup & Cottbus World Cup Preview

18:35 Winter Olympics: A Gymnast's Perspective

21:01 What Gymnastics Must Learn From Figure Skating

35:42 The Case for a "Grade of Execution" (GOE) Judging System

50:15 Why Gymnastics Needs Live Technical Scoring Boxes

1:05:10 Commentary & Artistry: We Need "Johnny Weir Energy"

1:14:25 Olympic Traditions: Throwing Stuffed Animals & Logistics

1:25:40 NCAA Update: The Race for Perfect 10s & Regional Rankings

1:38:15 Comedy Award of the Week: The Beam Save

1:41:34 Join Us for College & Cocktails: LSU vs. Oklahoma

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 7 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 7 Lineups lock at noon on Wednesday, February 11 at 2:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 00:35:08 Roster Bargains 00:58:23 Roster Bargains - All-Around 03:22 Roster Bargains - Vault 04:59 Roster Bargains - Bars 07:17 Roster Bargains - Beam 09:17 GymCastic Updates 12:31 Roster Bargains - Floor 16:37 League Leaders 17:14 10.0 Deals 17:46 League Stats

This Week's College & Cocktails: February 13 after Oklahoma @ Florida (ESPN2).

Join us at 6:00pm PT

Iowa State just cancelled the rest of its season!? We discuss the implications of this. Plus our interview with former Oregon State gymnast, Risa Perez on her college career, her switch from ASU (where the coach would be fired soon after) to Oregon State, and her TikTok about her college experience that gained lots of attention.

If there were one word to describe Risa Perez's gymnastics, it would probably be energy. From her spunky floor choreography and unique beam elements (hello there, front aerial to one-armed back handspring!) to her ability to engage and interact with the crowd, her gymnastics stood out. Perez began her collegiate career at Arizona State before transferring to Oregon State for her junior year in 2014. The 2016 Pac-12 beam champion hit 102 out of 110 total routines throughout her collegiate career. Perez qualified as an individual to the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Championships. Today we talk about her career, her move from ASU to Oregon State and the TikTok about her college experience that got lots of attention. References:

00:00:00 – Cold open: Cortisone shot + "that's not a coach's decision" 00:00:29 – Intro: Iowa State cancels the rest of the season 00:02:38 – How does a team compete with no lineup? (ASU suspension flashback) 00:04:30 – Iowa State statement: "not enough student-athletes to safely compete" 00:04:58 – Alumni demand answers + rumors swirl 00:06:23 – Updates: American Cup ticket giveaway 00:06:42 – Merch drop: Team Bronze tee 00:07:07 – College & Cocktails plug: Oklahoma at Florida watch party 00:07:28 – Interview begins: Risa Perez (ASU → Oregon State) 00:08:34 – The TikTok that blew up: 'college gym' reality check 00:13:32 – Locker room culture + boundaries (why this matters) 00:15:28 – Message boards + rumor mill as a weapon 00:15:56 – Rene Lyst era: name placards, power plays, intimidation 00:29:25 – Puberty, periods, and what nobody warns gymnasts about 00:31:43 – Crippling cramps, hormones, and C-section recovery talk 00:32:41 – Hip dysplasia: pain you normalize until you can't 00:38:07 – The 'party' accusation read aloud (WTF moment) 00:41:51 – Team meeting confrontation + medical privacy 00:43:04 – 'Canary in the coal mine': how programs spiral 00:48:10 – Food/weight control + "you can't" rules 00:52:31 – College Mocktails teaser: Ondine Achampong on Cal vs Clemson 00:56:01 – Get more: Club Gym Nerd bonus + where to find everything

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Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 6 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 6 Lineups lock at noon on Friday, February 6 at 2:45pm PT

00:00 Intro 0:36:16 Roster Bargains 01:01 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:32 Roster Bargains - Vault 03:53 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:14 Roster Bargains - Beam 07:45 GymCastic Updates 08:52 Roster Bargains - Floor 11:27 League Leaders 12:08 10.0 Deals 12:36 League Stats This Week's College & Cocktails: February 07 after Cal @ Clemson (ACCN).

Join us at 5:00pm PT

Will Jordan Chiles get her Olympic bronze medal back? The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has sent the Paris floor final dispute back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport — we read the legal tea leaves because the details matter.

In this episode, we break down exactly what went wrong in Paris, why the Swiss court ruled the way it did, and what clues in the decision suggest about what could happen next. We also explain how FIG quietly rewrote the inquiry rules after the Olympics, what those changes fix (and what they don't), and whether this strengthens Jordan's case.

Plus:

• American Cup mixed team roster reaction

• What really happened with the floor final inquiries

• Why CAS lost jurisdiction under the new FIG rules

• Updates on College & Cocktails, fantasy, live shows, and Club Gym Nerd

• NCAA rankings shakeups, 10s, and Week 5 controversies

• Gymternet news, Olympic payments, LA 2028 qualification changes

• And an important update involving Al Fong and SafeSport

00:00 – Intro 02:45 – Swiss Court Sends Jordan Chiles Bronze Case Back to CAS 05:40 – Recap of the Paris Floor Final debacle (Full Breakdown) 15:10 – CAS Decision: Why Romania Won and Jordan Lost the Bronze 22:40 – Swiss Supreme Court Ruling: What the Judges Really Said 30:05 – Will Jordan Chiles Get Her Medal Back? Reading the Legal Tea Leaves 35:10 – FIG Quietly Rewrites the Inquiry Rules After Paris 41:20 – What Could Still Go Wrong With the New Inquiry System 43:00 – Al Fong Update: SafeSport Suspension, USAG Response, What It Means 52:10 – NCAA Rankings Shakeups & Week 5 Takeaways 01:06:20 – Gymternet News: IOC Rules, Athlete Pay, LA 2028 Qualification Changes 01:20:40 – American Cup Roster, Andrade Flag Honor 01:26:40 – College & Cocktails, Fantasy, Live Shows & Outro

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 5 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 5 Lineups lock at noon on Thursday, January 29 at 02:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 00:36:01 Roster Bargains 00:59:26 Roster Bargains - All-Around 03:05 Roster Bargains - Vault 05:27 Roster Bargains - Bars 07:37 Roster Bargains - Beam 09:05 GymCastic Updates 10:51 Roster Bargains - Floor 12:30 League Leaders 13:45 10.0 Deals 14:09 League Stats 14:45 Byes & Injuries This Week's College & Cocktails: January 30 after Arkansas @ Florida (ESPN2). Join us at 6:00pm PT

The age falsification database is live—and it confirms what many suspected: this wasn't isolated, it was systemic. We break down what the data shows, why it matters, and how it reshapes gymnastics history.

Plus, gymnasts speak out amid civil rights concerns, Oklahoma overtakes Florida for the #1 ranking, LSU breaks 198, and we unpack the most controversial judging moments of Week 4—including bars-gate and that Alabama vs Missouri finish.

00:00 – Intro: Priorities & Jan 27, 2026 00:31 – Headlines: Spencer Won Fantasy (Breaking News) 01:33 – The Age Falsification Database: It's Everyone 03:21 – Gymnasts Speak Out: ICE, Minneapolis & Civil Rights 05:25 – Minnesota's UCLA Social Equity Meet Ideas (Feb 7) 10:17 – NCAA News: Week 4 Results & Storylines 12:36 – Rankings Shake-Up: Oklahoma Overtakes Florida 15:56 – Updates: Support Independent Journalism + Show/Club Notes 18:46 – Two More 10s This Season (Chio Beam, Chiles Floor) 19:29 – Jordan Chiles: 10.0 + All-Around Dominance Talk 22:15 – Controversy: Bars Feet-on-the-Mat Gate (Pederson vs Smith) 29:26 – Alabama vs Missouri Ending: The Floor Score Debate 34:13 – PSA: Etiquette for Guests at Meets (Don't Sit on Mats) 39:16 – One Month In: NCAA Season Surprises (Happy & Sad) 59:12 – Gymternet News + Letters Begin (British Gymnastics Rebrand) 1:02:53 – Feedback: "How's the Trident?" + Why Not More Podium Time? 1:06:48 – Give Minnesota Some Props (and why they need it right now) 1:09:10 – Fan Fic Corner: Gay Gymnastics Romance Incoming 1:11:54 – What Happens if a Judge Misses a Meet? (Travel Chaos) 1:16:10 – Rosen's Bars Dismount: What's Going On Mechanically? 1:18:24 – Why Don't We Like Oklahoma's Floor? (Paper Dolls Theory) 1:22:08 – Everyone's So Orange (Spray Tan, NIL, and Citrus Crimes) 1:27:25 – Outro: C&C Preview + Live Show Season Pass + Thanks

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What is the crazy tape job, why didn't Jordan Chiles get the same score as last week on VT? We dig into lineup choices, judging inconsistencies, and the performances that actually mattered (not just the scores that flashed on screen). What does this result say about UCLA's trajectory? Where does Michigan State stand right now? And which moments raised bigger season-long questions?

Then, for Club Gym Nerd members, we go fully behind the scenes — the context you don't get on TV, the conversations you can't have on the main feed, and the honest reactions that happen after the broadcast ends.

If you like your gymnastics analysis sharp, opinionated, and paired with a cocktail (or mocktail), this episode is for you.

Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan Complete checkout — your site account is created. Log in here → /my-account/ Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically.

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 4 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ Week 4 Lineups lock at noon on Friday, January 23 at 02:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 00:31:01 Roster Bargains 00:55:11 Roster Bargains - All-Around 03:17 Roster Bargains - Vault 04:59 Roster Bargains - Bars 07:13 Roster Bargains - Beam 09:17 GymCastic Updates 10:53 Roster Bargains - Floor 13:29 League Leaders 14:05 10.0 Deals 14:27 League Stats 15:15 Byes & Injuries This Week's College & Cocktails: January 25 after UCLA @ (FOX) Join us at 12:00pm PT

In this listener-commissioned bonus episode, we break down the internet's favorite hockey romance through a gymnastics lens — rivalry, pressure, secrecy, slow burns, and why elite athletes are like this. It's an adult conversation with minor spoilers, wheeze giggles, and Oscar's for butt.

Commissioned by Karla. This is her fault. Thank you, Alyssa for proving our point with her Ilya speech.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Kentucky Gymnastics Recreates the Heated Rivalry Pump-Up Speech 00:00:17 – Welcome to GymCastic (Bonus Episode) 00:00:45 – You Don't Need to Know This Show (We'll Explain Everything) 00:01:04 – Adult Conversation Warning (Minor Spoilers) 00:01:38 – What Is Heated Rivalry? 00:03:05 – Hockey the Way Jade Carey's Floor Is Choreography 00:04:40 – Why Are We Doing a Podcast About This? 00:06:10 – The Books: Game Changers Series by Rachel Reid 00:07:05 – Why People Are Obsessed With This Show 00:10:00 – Secret Romance, Gay Panic, and Years of Tension 00:13:25 – The Stairs Scene, Chirping, and Competitive Flirting 00:17:05 – Gay and Bi Representation That Feels Real 00:20:20 – From Coco Gauff to SNL to Massive Fan Edits 00:25:40 – Casting Heated Rivalry for Gymnastics 00:29:30 – Greatest of All Time Criteria (Hot, Dominant, Iconic) 00:33:40 – If Not Russian, then who? 00:37:10 – Why a Lesbian Version Wouldn't Work (Sue Bird Was Right) 00:40:20 – Khorkina for Maximum Chaos Casting 00:43:30 – Why Sports Movies Are Never Realistic (And That's Fine) 00:46:40 – The Gym Mom vs Kip's Dad: Loyalty and Support 00:49:50 – Secret Relationships vs The Closet 00:53:10 – Panic, Fear, and Being Recognized 00:56:10 – Complications of Secret Hookups (Spring Break Story) 00:59:50 – Sub Dom Dynamics in Elite Sports 01:06:40 – Is This a Turning Point for Sports Fan Fic Smut?

Infamous national team coordinator Tom Foster voted onto selection committee, NCAA gymnastics full of upsets (Georgia beat LSU!?), Winter Cup and American Cup tickets are on sale, and Buckeye rehires Kittia Carpenter and Charlie Tamayo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CVI0Y4W9No

00:00 – Intro

00:44 – A Happy Correction & Tom Forster Is Back?

02:20 – Heated Rivalry Gymnastics podcast coming

04:10 – Headlines: NGA Membership Rule Correction

06:02 – Who Is Barred from NGA Membership (Including Gym Owners)

07:48 – NCAA Upsets Everywhere This Week

09:55 – Georgia Defeats LSU & Jay Clark Storyline

12:05 – Rankings Shake-Up Explained

14:18 – Jordan Chiles 10

15:40 – Winter Cup & American Cup Tickets on Sale

17:05 – American Cup Mixed Team Format - Japan, Brazil, Spain & Great Britain

21:05 – USAG Leadership Questions Begin

22:10 – Tom Forster Voted Onto Selection Committee

24:55 – IEC Minutes & How This Decision Was Made

27:30 – Athlete Complaints & Business Conflicts

30:05 – "It Won't Come Down to Tenths" Revisited

32:20 – Why This Pick Raises Red Flags

34:40 – USA Gymnastics Response Explained

37:15 – Were Conflicts Properly Reviewed?

39:50 – Bad Optics for a New USAG CEO

43:05 – College & Cocktails Brunch & A Show. UCLA @ Michigan State Preview (FOX)

52:30 – Buckeye Gymnastics Rehires Tamayo & Carpenter

57:40 – USAG Policy on Leaders Under Investigation

01:05:40 – GAGE Clarifications

01:14:30 – Outro: College & Cocktails Brunch & A Show

01:15:45 – See you at the Cottage for Heated Rivalry podcast next

01:16:55 – Final Thought: Choose Love

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Welcome to College & Cocktails! The Original College Gymnastics Post-Meet Show

This is our weeklycollege post-meet Q&A episode. This week we are watching lasts year's NCAA Champions, Oklahoma vs. third place, Missouri (scores, watch on SEC Network). Tonight's Cocktail / Mocktail: Angry Beam. Full season cocktail menu here.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to College & Cocktails

00:07 – Oklahoma vs Missouri: The Reign vs The Rising

01:05 – Breaking News: SafeSport Responds to Al Fong inside GAGE

02:31 – Why Appearing in the Gym Is Not Allowed When Suspended

05:17 – Oklahoma vs Missouri Meet Begins

06:15 – Vault vs Bars Judging: Two Different Sports?

06:58 – When Was the Last Time Oklahoma Went 49.1 on Bars?

07:56 – Missouri Vaults, Depth Questions & Early Momentum

08:55 – Bar Dismounts, Landing Position & "Landing Erect"

10:10 – The Hamilton Floor Routine Debate; Derr vs. Tanskanen vs. Lacoursiere

Psst… members get another 60+ minutes of this exclusive episode (and the live Q&A) on this page. Join to unlock · Already joined? Log in. Here's what's in the rest of the episode...

13:56 – Oklahoma Too Angry For Bars

15:51 – Floor Scores, Split Positions & Judging

16:53 – Missouri's Integrity on Beam and Floor

17:53 – Superlatives: Kimarra Echols & Horton Vault Height

18:25 – Most Improved Commentator: Anastasia Webb

19:55 – Georgia vs LSU Breakdown

20:23 – Assassin of the Meet & Artist of the Meet Awards

22:22 – Heritage Floor Themes

24:19 – Kentucky's Beam Meltdown & Rebuilding Year

25:49 – Lowlights: White Leos, Missed Vaults & Ribbons

26:46 – Highlights: Camera Angles, Height & Pregnant Positioning

28:06 – Missouri Supporting Athletes Literally (Bras)

29:34 – "Goddess and Glasses" Era & Athlete Marketing

30:14 – Is Oklahoma Too Perfect?

32:03 – The Robot Army Debate

34:13 – Choreography Burnout & Butt Wiggle Disco

35:31 – Floor Themes: Destroyed London Streets & Commitment Issues

37:04 – The Angry Beam Cocktail Breakdown

38:11 – Live Show Updates & Season Passes

39:00 – Georgia Upsets LSU: What Went Wrong

40:27 – LSU's Second Meet Letdown

41:13 – Georgia Beam Survival Mode

43:56 – Heated Rivalry Tease & Gymnast Casting Debate

46:26 – Listener Questions Begin

47:04 – Lineup Changes & Touch Warmup Controversy

50:21 – Is the National Title Race Wide Open?

53:08 – Olympic Travel & Where to Stay in LA

56:47 – NCAA Vault Rules: No Hands, No Feet, Still Scored

59:52 – Weekly Awards Idea: Coaching Attire Excellence

01:02:59 – Music Copyright in NCAA Gymnastics

01:04:15 – Oklahoma Coaching Tree Takeover

01:06:05 – SEC Travel Weekends: Stanford, Cal & UCLA

01:09:02 – Minnesota Gym Nerd Resistance & Safety Concerns

Every week we pick a college meet to watch, then go live,right here on this page to discuss our immediate thoughts about the meet. Our superstar, bar tender Linzers, creates a bespoke themed mocktail and cocktail recipe for each meet.

College & Cocktails combines our weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A live podcast with a college meet of the week. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who support our work year around. For more info on how to watch your favorite elites, Olympic and World medalists in college and all year long, check out The Balance Beam Situation's schedule with links.

Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan Complete checkout — your site account is created. Log in here → /my-account/ Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically.

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 3 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/

Week 3 Lineups lock at noon on Thursday, January 15 at 03:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 00:31:10 Roster Bargains 00:52:20 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:14 Roster Bargains - Vault 03:36 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:08 Roster Bargains - Beam 07:51 GymCastic Updates 09:02 Roster Bargains - Floor 11:53 League Leaders 12:20 10.0 Deals 12:14 League Stats 14:01 Byes & Injuries T

his Week's College & Cocktails: January 16 after Oklahoma @ Missouri (SECN) Join us at 7:45pm PT

Why did LSU lose the tiebreaker — and what does it reveal about NCAA gymnastics scoring? The judging decisions behind LSU vs. Oklahoma, explain how tiebreakers actually work, and analyze Florida's rise to #1 after the first full week of competition. We also cover Anna Barbosu's historic NCAA debut, notable scores and trends across the country, and why GymCastic is leaving Twitter/X.

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Chapters

00:00 – Headlines: LSU Loses the Tiebreaker + Anna Barbosu NCAA Debut

00:29 – Sprouts Quad "January Nationals" + How the Tie Happened

01:29 – Lexi Zeiss Beam Score Controversy (Start Value Mess)

06:32 – The Tiebreak Explained: Why Oklahoma Wins

08:50 – College & Cocktails Promo: "Angry Beam" + Weekly Shows

11:23 – Gymternet News: Romania Hires Nikolai Forminte (Again)

13:01 – Chow's Gym Lawsuits + SafeSport Named in Suit

14:00 – Adult Gymnastics Book: Broken to Unbreakable

15:02 – NCAA Week Recap: Utah Beam Disaster + Rankings

18:45 – Florida #1: Kayla DiCello Returns + Skye Blakely Adds Events

25:12 – Jenny Rowland's Silver Pants + Coaches Blocking Judges on Bars

27:20 – Florida "Documentary" = 15-Minute Sponsored Ad (Wells Fargo Vibes)

33:30 – Week's Big Scores: 10.0 + 9.975s Breakdown

40:08 – Vault Trend Watch: More Yurchenko Double Fulls

42:01 – Favorite Things: Cadence Gormley's 6-Second Beam Save

43:22 – Stick Crowns + UC Davis Giant Hat Comedy

45:01 – Anna Barbosu Debuts at Denver + "Stomach Stab Lipstick" Choreo

50:23 – Scary Vault: No Hands Contact… Why Wasn't It a Zero?

53:31 – Listener Feedback: Florida Commentary Was Brutal

55:51 – Scoreboard "Tower" Question: Why Scores Change On Screen

57:14 – GIFs of the Week Pressure Campaign + Parking Trauma Follow-Up

58:53 – Can Al Fong Switch Federations and Keep Coaching?

01:00:15 – GymCastic Leaving Twitter/X (Why We're Done)

01:02:43 – Where to Find Us Now + This Week's Schedule

Welcome to College & Cocktails! The Original College Gymnastics Post-Meet Show

This is our weeklyBehind The Scenes Q&A episode. This week we are watching number Sprouts Quad Session One: Oklahoma, UCLA, Utah, LSU (scores, watch on ABC)

+60 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, and answering your questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Tip: After logging in, refresh this page and the extended player will appear below. Not a member? Join here.

00:00 – Welcome to College & Cocktails: January Nationals 01:11 – Meet Overview: Oklahoma 197.5 tie with LSU, UCLA, Utah 01:29 – Tonight's Drink: "If the Judges See It" 01:41 – The Tie-Breaker Nobody Needed (Why Oklahoma Won) 02:35 – Konnor McClain Beam Confusion Explained 03:26 – Lexi Zeiss Start Value Review & Score Change 04:03 – Can Coaches Talk to Judges? NCAA Rules Breakdown 06:17 – Why Konnor's Beam Was Never the Issue 07:09 – First 10 of the Season: Avery Neff Vault 07:43 – Why Utah Should Have a Gymnastics-Specific Arena 08:21 – The Legendary Flip-Off Tie-Breaker Explained 10:27 – Event Judging Breakdown Begins (Vault & Beam) 12:18 – Podium Seating, Fan Experience & Ticket Sales 13:47 – Where Florida Would Have Finished in This Meet 15:08 – Comparing Florida vs Oklahoma vs LSU 16:41 – Utah's Lowest Beam Score in 26 Years 17:39 – January Floor Syndrome (No One Is Ready) 18:30 – Jordan Chiles: Scoring Without Being at 100% 19:59 – Jordan's Conditioning, Fatigue & Schedule Reality 21:35 – Best Routines of the Meet (Caitlin, Avery, Execution) 23:12 – Avery Neff Beam Series: Will Judges Take It Away? 24:37 – Utah's Choreography Renaissance (Despite Falls) 25:16 – Faith Torrez Vault & Oklahoma Lineup Choices 26:06 – Oklahoma Freshman Spotlight: Ella Murphy Bars 26:40 – Hannah Burleson Return & Turn Technique 27:34 – UCLA Beam Improvements & Coaching Impact 30:19 – Why Faith Torrez Didn't Do Floor 30:29 – Injury Update: Macy McGowan 31:18 – "Most Decorated Gymnast" Claims & Broadcast Caveats 32:35 – Florida Commentary Problems Explained 34:11 – Florida Documentary First Impressions 35:14 – Heated Rivalry, Hockey & Why It Works 36:24 – Fantasy Gymnastics, Live Shows & Merch 37:40 – Fan Q&A Begins: Quad Format & Broadcast Structure 38:30 – West Virginia Finger Guns Debate 39:43 – Sports Bras, Leotards & Athlete Health 41:30 – Music Copyright, NCAA vs Elite Rules 43:19 – International vs NCAA Leotard Regulations 45:57 – Breast Injuries & Why Support Matters 46:50 – Sibling Gymnasts Competing at the Same Time 48:21 – Bent-Arm Catches on Bars Controversy 49:19 – Extreme Taping: Injury or Aesthetic? 51:25 – Weekly Awards: Meet Assassin & Artist 55:58 – Most Controversial Score of the Meet 57:42 – Salutes, Control & NCAA Finish Rules 58:10 – Commentators vs The Code of Points 59:09 – Yellow Cards: Still Not Being Enforced 01:02:07 – Minnesota Violence Statement, Resistance Resources

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Join GymCastic Fantasy League!

Every week we pick a college meet to watch, then go live,right here on this page to discuss our immediate thoughts about the meet. Our superstar, bar tender Linzers, creates a bespoke themed mocktail and cocktail recipe for each meet.

College & Cocktails combines our weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A live podcast with a college meet of the week. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who support our work year around. For more info on how to watch your favorite elites, Olympic and World medalists in college and all year long, check out The Balance Beam Situation's schedule with links.

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 1 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more.

Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/

Week 2 Lineups lock at noon on Friday, January 09 at 02:45pm PT

00:00 Intro 00:28:11 Roster Bargains 00:52:19 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:33 Roster Bargains - Vault 03:55 Roster Bargains - Bars 05:50 Roster Bargains - Beam 07:46 Roster Bargains - Floor 11:33 League Leaders 12:02 League Stats 13:38 Byes & Injuries

This Week's College & Cocktails: Saturday, January 10, 3pm PT

SafeSport has suspended Al Fong for five years after a nearly six year long investigation, Melanie de Jesus dos Santos confirms her return ''to the gym'', and all the NCAA news to kick off the 2026 season.

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RESISTANCE Submitted by our listeners.

College & Cocktails: Iowa and Minnesota at Utah

College gymnastics is back, and College & Cocktails returns with its live post-meet breakdown of the Canadian Excellence showdown featuring Utah, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Recorded immediately after the meet, this episode covers early-season judging trends, start value controversies, standout performances, and what January scoring can (and can't) tell us about the rest of the NCAA season.

In this episode:

Did the right team win?

Avery Neff's breakout meet and a start-value judges' conference

Utah's depth, Minnesota's beam strength, and Iowa's returning veterans

Superlatives: Simone of the Meet, Artist of the Meet, Assassin of the Meet

Early-season judging inconsistencies and ...dun dun dunnnn altitude effects!

Fantasy gymnastics implications and lineup strategy

Audience Q&A on winter break training, international eligibility, and college gymnasts with named skills

Corrupt or Correct: re-judging controversial routines

College & Cocktails is GymCastic's live, behind-the-scenes NCAA gymnastics show — recorded in real time, rated TV-14, and fueled by strong opinions, expert analysis, and the Spencer with a cocktail.

This episode is part of our weekly Friday night College & Cocktails series.

Full episode with live Q&A are available to Club Gym Nerd members. Join here.

Recorded in 2023 pre Antwerp World Championships AA final, where Simone finally beat Larisa Latynina's record. We update and revisit some of our favorite busted gymnastics myths—and bust some new myths as well

College & Cocktails: January 2nd around 8pm Pacific after we watch Minnesota, Iowa @ Utah (ESPN+)

00:00 – The Myth: Our Work Busting Gymnastics Myths is Done

00:17 – 2025 Simone Most Decorated Update

01:01 – The Myth: The Beam Is Four Inches Wide

01:24 – The Myth: Gymnastics Myths Are Already Settled

02:13 – The Myth: No One Has Ever Competed Naked at a Meet

04:53 – The Myth: An Active Ceiling Leak Would Stop a World Championship

06:21 – The Myth: Gymnasts Don't Get Periods

08:44 – The Myth: You Have to Be Short to Succeed in Gymnastics

11:22 – The Myth: Tall Gymnasts Have "Better Lines"

15:18 – The Myth: Power Only Comes From Being Small

16:38 – The Myth: The Beam Is Four Inches Wide

18:17 – The Myth: Nadia Was the First Perfect 10 Ever

21:24 – The Myth: Shannon Miller Has Multiple Skills Named After Her

24:08 – The Myth: The "Candle Mount" Has Always Been Required

28:24 – The Myth: The Onodi Is Named for the First Person to Do It

30:01 – The Myth: The Liukin Skill Is What the Code Says It Is

32:31 – The Myth: Removed Skills Were Never Valuable

34:39 – The Myth: The FIG Likes Gymnastics

43:53 – The Myth: Chellsie Memmel Beat Nastia Liukin in 2005

47:45 – The Myth: Gymnastics Careers End After High School

49:30 – The Myth: College Gymnasts Can't Make Olympic Teams

52:05 – The Myth: Elite Gymnasts Peak as Teenagers

54:28 – The Myth: Olga Korbut Was First to Do a Back Tuck on Beam

56:27 – The Myth: Korbut Was the First to Do the Korbut

58:08 – The Myth: The Sydney Vault Was Set Incorrectly

01:02:50 – The Myth: Scores Were Changed in Mexico City 1968 for a Soviet Victory

01:06:08 – The Myth: Simone Biles Held the All-Time Medal Record pre Antwerp Worlds

01:09:14 – The Myth: Obsolete Events Don't Count Historically

01:15:47 – The Myth: All Gymnastics Myths Are Already Busted

01:16:02 – Other Myth Busters Episodes

So good you asked for it again. In the summer of 2025, we welcomed Katya Zamolodchikova to the show. We discuss Katya's gymnastics origin story, ponder the legacy of Svetlana Khorkina's existence as a human being, thoughts on elite vs. NCAA gymnastics, and whether Nellie Kim or Nadia Comaneci would win in a bar fight.

WATCH REPLAY HERE : Buy a ticket now or buy it as a gift! If you purchased a ticket to the live show with Cecile Landi and Levi Jung-Ruivivar benefitting The National Eating Disorder Foundationyou can still watch the replay. Watch highlights before you buy here.

Ladies and gentlemen, girls, gays, and theys, it's the episode you've all been waiting for; this week we welcome drag queen, actor, host of one of the funniest YouTube channels on the internet, and certified Gym Nerd, Katya Zamolodchikova to the show! In this episode we discuss everyyttthinggg you have ever wanted to know about Katya's gymnastics background including:

LIVE SHOW: Featuring Cecile Landi and Levi Jung-Ruivivar is this Sunday, December 14th at 3 Pacific/6 Eastern. Get your tickets now to ask questions live!

The NCAA unveils major rule changes for 2026, and coaches are going to get so many more yellow cards. We break down the new NQS math, the Georgia Collective's NIL lawsuit, Romania's latest retaliation crisis, Mélanie De Jesus Dos Santos clarifying exclusively to Jessica that she is not in financial distress, plus more info on the American Cup's new mixed-team format.

by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Aimee coached Simone from day one in gymnastics to three back to back World All Around titles, 14 world medals and an unprecedented 5 medals at the Rio Olympics. Get your copy now. And if you loved it, please leave a review

Relive the ridiculous wonderful, and deeply influential 1997–1999 International Team Championships, the friendly meets that defined pre-Sydney Olympics quad. We break down the biggest moments from Vanessa Atler, Dominique Moceanu, Simona Amanar, Ling Jie, Maria Olaru, Kristen Maloney, Elise Ray, and more—plus China's bars innovation, Romania's beam dominance, and the USA's rising queens. From NBC's fingerpainting fluff pieces to vault disasters, age-rule drama, and iconic routines, we revisit the meets that shaped an Olympic generation.

by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Aimee coached Simone from day one in gymnastics to three back to back World All Around titles, 14 world medals and an unprecedented 5 medals at the Rio Olympics. Get your copy

Emma Webb, author of Historic, exposes the untold history of Olga Gymnastics club and the Phelps family legacy. We break down the abuse scandal, the Whyte Review, Gymnasts for Change, and how survivors pushed British Gymnastics to finally reform.

We talk with Emma Webb (pseudonym), author of the new book Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport - The Book Every Parent Needs to Read, a memoir detailing the trauma and abuse she endured under convicted child sex offender Brian Phelps, plus the aftermath of how the British legal system chose to protect abusers over children

CHAPTERS (pre-auto inserted ads)

00:00 – Trigger Warning SA

01:03 – Brian Phelps' criminal charges and conviction

01:39 – The broader British gymnastics abuse reckoning

02:01 – Gymnasts for Change and the Whyte Review

02:36 – Restorative Program & the £15,000 split survivor offer

03:28 – How Emma first contacted GymCastic

03:44 – The long-term psychological and medical impact

04:10 – Doctors discovering internal injuries from childhood abuse

06:10 – Phelps' police interviews and his admissions

07:26 – Why survivors didn't pursue further prosecution

08:05 – Brian and Monica's life in France & public exposure

10:19 – Mapping all Olga locations & survivor triggers

11:05 – The pandemic pause and worsening mental health

11:33 – Discovery of the Phelps Legacy Club in 2022

12:10 – Multiple Phelps family members and their roles

12:22 – The "new" Renascence club operating despite convictions

12:28 – Timeline of Phelps fleeing & survivor disclosures

13:01 – A disturbing encounter: the club near Emma's son's bus stop

14:20 – Emma's decision: "Enough." Why she wrote Historic

15:06 – Reporting to the Whyte Review & British Athletes Commission

16:30 – Why reporting in the UK is a bureaucratic nightmare

17:36 – How reporting was mishandled & why systems fail

18:22 – How British Gymnastics and the council were complicit in Brian Phelps crimes

19:24 – Employment history: Phelps employed by the government & BBC

21:00 – Coaches and community "knew something was wrong"

21:14 – Other roles Monica and Brian held despite accusations

21:23 – The name "Renaissance" and why it matters

22:03 – How the club reopened after his release

22:45 – A fully avoidable tragedy: Phelps' first arrest in 1966

23:31 – Commonwealth Games cover-up to protect his career

24:34 – Royal audiences for Phelps & protected reputations

25:05 – The 10-year gap between his arrest and Emma meeting him

26:09 – How court attitudes toward sexual abuse haven't changed

27:03 – The Nik Stuart Foundation honoring Monica Phelps

28:13 – British Gymnastics leadership celebrating the Phelps family

29:29 – Video clip from the ceremony: denial of the Whyte Review

30:23 – Widespread knowledge in diving and gymnastics

32:03 – Comparing the Whyte Review to US investigations

33:25 – How the Whyte Review minimized sexual abuse

34:00 – Abuse in British Gymnastics: a larger pattern

35:55 – Non-sexual forms of abuse and lifelong harm

36:20 – Warning signs parents should not ignore

37:04 – Why the culture enables predators

38:17 – Parents' responsibility & due diligence

39:26 – Closed-door clubs & lingering dangers

40:39 – Male survivors vs. female survivors: unequal response

41:13 – How BG acted quickly for boys, not for girls

42:06 – Phelps' public statement denying Emma's reporting

43:29 – No mandatory reporting for the public in the UK

44:33 – Comparison to mandatory reporting vs good samaritan laws

45:05 – The UK protects money better than children

45:46 – How political leadership minimizes child abuse

46:12 – British boarding school culture & abuse

47:10 – What reforms are needed: national banned list & ombudsman

48:05 – Name changes allow offenders to disappear

48:14 – Hundreds of convicted offenders now untraceable

48:18 – How many survivors have come forward

49:01 – How many survivors known before the book

49:27 – Realizing past abuse only after adulthood

50:07 – Childhood context and normalization of abuse

51:01 – "Trust and Obey" culture at Olga and British school

52:53 – The moment Emma became a survivor, not a victim

53:30 – Returning to Olga decades later

54:01 – Parental responses and guilt

55:05 – What acknowledging PTSD unlocked

56:02 – How the trauma resurfaced during the pandemic

57:23 – Complex PTSD and real recovery work

58:07 – Finding effective PTSD support

TOPICS

The history of Doping in women's gymnastics staring East Germany, part two of Patrick Kiens and Daymon Jones' interview, USA Gymnastics' new CEO hire, the return of the American Cup, 2027 college signings and a LA 2028 comeback wish list mini-commission. youtube link

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00:00 – Steroids Disguised as Candy (Cold Open) 01:35 – HEADLINES: New USAG CEO Kyle Albrecht 04:41 – American Cup Returns as Mixed-Team Event 07:07 – College Signings: 2027 Class Breakdown 12:11 – United States of Romania: Romanian Stars Announce NCAA Plans 14:14 – More 2027 Signees: UCLA, Oklahoma, Utah, LSU, Georgia, Cal 16:52 – Elite Paths, Injuries & Why Some Elites Skip NCAA Signing 17:26 – DOPING DEEP DIVE (Part 1): East Germany's System Exposed 20:21 – How the GDR Program Worked: State-Run, Double-Blind, Children Targeted 22:31 – "Candy Steroids" & Personality-Based Doping Assignments 23:36 – What Drugs They Used & Why They Worked in Gymnastics 24:36 – Growth-Plate Closure, Neuro Drugs & Long-Term Damage 26:04 – Cadaver-Gland HGH & CJD Risk 27:41 – Reactions in 1989–1990 When the Stasi Files Were Opened 29:06 – IOC Refuses to Strip GDR Medals 29:47 – Missy Marlow Responds: "Where Did All the East Germans Go?" 30:34 – Should Medals Be Corrected or Re-Awarded? 34:13 – Abuse vs. Doping: Who Should Be Punished? 35:36 – Why These Lessons Still Matter for Today's Gymnastics 36:15 – ROMANIA UPDATE: Responses to Patrick & Daymon Interview 37:19 – Maria Holbură Speaks: "I Had to Stand Like a Soldier" 38:24 – NEW Abuse Video of Sabrina Voinea Surfaces 39:00 – Why Romanian Athletes Are Going to the Press 39:54 – INTERVIEW: Patrick & Daymon Part 2 Intro 40:06 – Jakarta Worlds: Overall Impressions 40:26 – Judging Shoutout: Silvia Brescia Nails It 41:47 – Artistry Judging Finally Taken Seriously 42:37 – Floor Choreography Evolving: "You're a Director Now" 43:18 – Consistency Across Subdivisions & Post-Olympic Judging Trends 44:18 – Should US Team Selection Use International Judges? 45:20 – Category Bias: Why Outside Eyes Matter 46:23 – Storyworth Ad Read (Spencer's Mom's Skirt Story) 49:54 – Huel Ad Read (Daily Greens + Peach Flavor Stan Club) 51:55 – Should Trials Use the Same Equipment Brand as Worlds? 53:22 – Equipment Access Inequities: US vs Europe 54:17 – Training Camps & Jet Lag Protocols 55:57 – "Survival of the Fittest": US System vs Small-Nation Systems 56:09 – Should Worlds Allow Traveling Alternates? 57:04 – Why Alternates Need the Experience 57:35 – Daily Logistics in Jakarta: Hotel, Volunteers, Food, Illness 59:07 – Only One Training Time per Day: The Reality 01:00:51 – FIG Cost-Cutting & Why Fewer Trainings Exist Now 01:02:04 – FIG Understaffing Concerns 01:03:12 – White Landing Mats: Visibility & Safety Issues 01:03:52 – Coaches' Round Table: No Questions Allowed?! 01:04:12 – Fujitsu 3D Judging System: Still Vaporware? 01:06:02 – What the Athletes Learned from Jakarta 01:07:31 – Dulcinea's Experience: Making Finals & Next Steps 01:08:32 – Upgrades, Code Exploration & Smart Routine Building 01:10:20 – Why E-Score Matters as Much as D-Score 01:11:03 – Routine Construction in the U.S.: A Long-Standing Problem 01:12:18 – Why International Judges Should Be Involved in Routine Design 01:14:12 – Long-Term Vision for Building a Program 01:14:46 – MINI COMMISSION INTRO: Comeback Wishlist for LA28 01:15:05 – Christy's Brief: "Who Should Come Back for 2028?" 01:15:25 – Spencer Prepares Emotionally 01:16:22 – Jessica's #1 Pick: Casey Jo Magee on Beam 01:17:56 – Spencer's #1 Pick: McKayla Maroney (All-Around Queen) 01:18:25 – Also Spencer: Brenna Dowell Comeback Campaign 01:19:10 – Jessica's #2 Pick: Vanessa Atler 01:20:04 – Spencer's 2009–2016 Alt Universe Superteam 01:21:00 – Pre-Paris Retirees: Who Should Return Now? 01:21:28 – JJ Marshall + Bailey Key + More Forgotten Talents 01:22:00 – The Gabby Douglas Rule ("No Today Show Comebacks") 01:23:04 – Why Gymnasts Need Real Meets Before Announcing 01:24:00 – College Head Coach Comeback Team?! (Casey Jo, Wieber, Preece, Tabitha) 01:25:10 – Cecile as Beam Queen? Citizenship Questions 01:26:07 – Tabitha Yim as the Secret Weapon 01:26:50 – Shawn Johnson? Nastia? Maybe Not. 01:27:03 – Chelsea/Alicia Self-Selecting Themselves for Paris (Chaos Edition) 01:28:32 – Join Club Gym Nerd / Fantasy Notes 01:29:11 – GYMTERNET NEWS: NCAA Schedule + ABC/ESPN Slate 01:30:03 – All-Japan Results + Aurora Tribute Routine by Kenzo 01:31:18 – FEEDBACK: Obi Cam Praise + Cocopuff the Pomeranian 01:32:38 – YouTube Subscriptions & Comment Rules 01:33:35 – Junior Worlds Preview: "It's in a Ballroom!"

Former Romanian head coaches Daymon Jones and Patrick Kiens join us to unpack the turmoil inside Romanian gymnastics — from new accusations to decades-old coaching culture and leadership struggles. Plus: what we learned from the 2025 Jakarta World Championships and our wish list for future World Championships. And a happy message from Rings World Champion, Donnell Whittenburg. Find Resistance Resources here.

CHAPTERS - pre auto-ad insert

00:00:00 – Intro Cold Open: Romania abuse reports surface

00:03:36 – Headlines: Romania context (Golgota, Voinea, leadership turmoil)

00:10:02 – Interview: The Romanian Situation with Daymon & Patrick 00:10:34 – Abuse allegations and what coaches witnessed firsthand 00:20:15 – Old-school culture, leadership failure, and bad press

00:31:13 – Federation power dynamics, elections, and fallout

00:41:28 – Updates & programming notes

00:45:17 – Jakarta Worlds Debrief: Overall medal table (WAG/MAG highlights)

00:49:16 – China's event-specialist strategy (7 routines, 3 medals) 00:51:54 – Judging parity: Melnikova's AA score & floor 14 club

00:55:51 – Selection & pipeline fixes (camp vs real meets)

01:06:44 – Who needs a reset? USA, Italy & Brazil post-Olympics

01:24:11 – FIG talk: host selection, logistics & equipment issues

01:32:02 – Gymternet News: Canada CEO, Arthur Gander results, Liverpool 2030 bid

01:36:56 – Listener feedback & notes

Cover Art & Photos: Steve Cooper ©Gymcastic

We revisit the U.S. 2000 Olympic Trials where the selection committee's athlete rep REFUSED to certify the team and USAG announced the team anyway!

This week, we have a group commission from Brianna, Stephanie, Atwood, Laura, Karla, and Emma, all about [deep breath] the collective nightmare that was the 2000 Olympic Trials. We discuss:

Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta while Spencer analyzes every detail from GymCastic headquarters on the second day of event finals.

Get all Jakarta Worlds videos, interviews, podcasts, fantasy, and guides there.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes stories, and listener questions. Ask questions live. After logging in, refresh this page to see the extended player below.

00:00 – We have World Champions! Carlos Yulo, Sugihara, Zhang, Zo, Brody Malone 00:40 – Day Two Recap: Beam, Floor, Vault, High Bar, Parallel Bars 01:42 – Rain, Bats, and PG-14 Warnings 03:10 – Women's Beam Final 03:42 – Zhang Is Beam World Champion 04:25 – Chinese Beam Precision Explained 06:45 – Nemour & the Artistry Revolution 09:12 – Leaps, Rhythm & Scoring Deep Dive 11:33 – Favorite Beam Moments 12:05 – Women's Floor Final 12:42 – Sugihara Wins Floor Gold 14:15 – Execution vs Difficulty 16:40 – Dance Deductions & Music Choices 18:27 – Crowd & Celebration Moments 19:10 – Men's Vault Final 19:52 – Carlos Yulo Vaults to Another Gold 22:14 – Power vs Form 24:38 – Surprise Podium Finishers 26:05 – Parallel Bars Final 26:48 – Zou Jingyuan Dominates P-Bars 28:17 – His Technique & Difficulty Explained 30:12 – Why It Still Shocked Everyone 31:10 – High Bar Final 31:44 – Brody Malone Repeats as World Champion 33:12 – Form, Amplitude, & Why He's Unbeatable 35:18 – American Men's Medal Recap 37:02 – Team Moments & Athlete Stories 39:20 – Behind the Scenes: Travel & Interviews 41:35 – Jessica's Notes from the Arena 43:10 – BTS Teaser – "So Listen to This…" 47:59 – Dinner Plans & Jakarta Stories 49:20 – Spencer's Restaurant Review 51:45 – VIP Banquet, Athlete Sightings & Card Games 01:16:22 – Wrapping Up Jakarta Coverage

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Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta while Spencer analysis every detail from GymCastic headquarters on the first day of event finals!

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, and answering your questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Tip: After logging in, refresh this page and the extended player will appear below.

Headlines

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Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta while Spencer analysis every detail from GymCastic headquarters on women's AA final!

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, and answering your questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Tip: After logging in, refresh this page and the extended player will appear below.

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Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta while Spencer analyzes every detail from GymCastic headquarters on men's AA final!

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

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Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta on all the details from day two of women's qualifying.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

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Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta on all the details from day one of women's qualifying. Plus who made men's finals.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

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Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta on all the details from day two of women's podium training.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

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Jessica reports LIVE from Jakarta on all the details from day one of women's podium training. Plus what happened at men's podium training? Vault attacked. And updates on Indonesia's decision to deny visas to Israeli athletes.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

[wcm_restrict] https://www.youtube.com/live/5oZ8Shb4nrg [/wcm_restrict] Everyone Version

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This week, we dissect who's in the hunt for individual event medals, obviously the most important phase of the competition. Who are the favorites? Who could pull off an upset? And how can you watch like an expert?

Indonesia has denied all Israeli athlete visas.

Chapters

00:00 Intro 01:02 Show Open – Welcome to the Worlds Event Finals Preview 02:14 Update from Singapore – Israeli Visa Controversy & FIG Rules 05:53 How to Watch Worlds – BBC & Broadcast Info

06:25 Vault Preview 07:19 Pre-Meet Favorites – Wong, Roberson, Deng Yalan 10:13 Wide World of Spoilers – Melnikova, Navas, Georgieva 13:20 DTY/Lopez Group Questions – Fontaine, Martin & Co. 17:03 How to Watch Vault Like an Expert – Hand Support & Deduction Drama

22:33 Bars Preview 23:02 Pre-Meet Favorites – Nemour, Yang, Roshchina 25:05 What Is an Inbar Skill & Why It Matters 26:17 Wide World of Spoilers – Italians, Blakely, Dutch Contenders 27:34 Questions – Can You Succeed Without Connections? 29:14 How to Watch Bars Like an Expert – Handstands, Kips, & Deductions

31:45 Beam Preview 32:11 Sam Peszek Promo – Beam Queen Fear & Confidence 32:53 Pre-Meet Favorites – Zhou, Zhang, Hwang 35:04 How the Chinese Score 15s on Beam 37:19 Wide World of Spoilers – Nemour, Flavia, Okamura, Blakely 42:22 Coping with No Manila Esposito – Giulia Perotti 45:04 Team Layout Full – Ossysek & Voinea 46:10 Does Big Difficulty Pay Off? 47:02 How to Watch Beam Like an Expert – Why E-Scores Are "Crimes" 50:28 Beam Deductions Explained – Rhythm, Pauses, and Artistry

53:01 Floor Preview 53:22 Pre-Meet Favorites – Roberson, Voinea, Kalmykova 54:44 Why There Are No Clear Favorites This Year 55:36 Wide World of Spoilers – Moerz, Sugihara, Kishi, Ruby Evans 56:13 Who Doesn't Belong in Dance Prison – Fontaine, Marta Pihan-Kuleza, Petisco 58:03 The 3-Pass vs 4-Pass Debate 58:44 How to Watch Floor Like an Expert – Inquiry Rules Explained 01:01:08 When to File a Floor Inquiry & What's Changed

01:02:05 Show Close & Updates 01:02:36 Thank You Gifts & Travel Blessing from Vicky 01:03:21 Worlds Coverage Schedule & Club Gym Nerd Live Access 01:04:00 Sign-Off – "Take off and split on rights!"

Cover Art & Photos by Steve Cooper © Gymcastic

The 2025 World Championships are next week! What do you need to know before the first ever Southeast Asian world championships? Who are our top all-arounders? We look at the data and tell you subdivision by subdivision

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00:00 Show Intro – Why This Worlds is Different (No Teams!) 05:19 Individual Worlds Stories – Deng Yalan ; Misha Koudinov 09:55 Roster by the Numbers – Record Entries, Age Trends & Veterans 16:37 All-Around Preview & Draft – Jessica & Spencer Pick Their Lineups 30:00 Subdivision 1 – Japan Beam Standard, Fun Floor, Dutch Bars 30:30 Subdivision 2 – Canada Legends & Newbies, South Korea Beam Challenge 31:00 Subdivision 3 – Kaylia Nemour, Beam Nerd Session, Germany's Glow-Up 31:30 Subdivision 4 – USA & Great Britain, Marta PK's 13th Worlds 32:00 Subdivision 5 – Italy & France, Asia D'Amato Returns, Charpy Revenge Tour 32:30 Subdivision 6 – Romania, Ruby Pass & Australia, Jade Vansteenkiste 33:00 Subdivision 7 – Philippines Team, Host Indonesia, Mexico Veterans 33:30 Subdivision 8 – Brazil with Flavia, South Africa, Chile, Norway 34:00 Subdivision 9 – Neutral Russians, Vault Specialists 34:30 Subdivision 10 – China Anchors, Spain's Petisco, Hungary's Mayer 38:27 Updates – Live Podcasts, Raffle & Scholarships 45:00 Ad Break – Club Gym Nerd Bonus Coverage 54:45 Gymternet News – Russia's Scoring Experiments & Clemson Scandal 1:08:00 Show Close – What's Next from Jakarta

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Experience GymCastic live! ✨ Replay: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd

Let's talk about the highest scoring team and clear up Skye's UB score controversy live after day two. TEAM IS: Skye Blakely, Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong. Jayla Hang and Ashlee Sullivan non-traveling replacement athletes.

This is our weekly live Q&A podcast. Today we are chatting at 10am Pacific after day two of World Team Trials. We'll be back Friday at noon Pacific/ 8 GMT to discuss the team announcement and after every medal day live from Jakarta at World Championships. Login to reveal extended full show. Here's how to ask questions live.

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00:00 – Show Intro & Day 2 We have a team

04:20 – Naming Your Team & Lineups

07:35 – Highest Scoring Team After Day One

10:15 – Updated Team with Day Two Scores

13:00 – Headlines: Dulcy's AA spot, Skye's UB score review from USAG, Falls & Highlights

15:00 – Updates: Podcast schedule, Raffle, GymCastic Scholarship

40:25 – Feedback: Floor skills values & proposed changes and the Dutch-East India company's legacy in Jakarta

55:10 – Show Close & What's Next (Selection Camp wrap, Worlds preview)

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Team Photo USAG, cover art Steve Cooper, Dulcy Caylor Photo by Steve Cooper © GymCastic

Rolled Ankle-Gate rocks the U.S. Women's World Championships Selection Camp as Hezly Rivera and Claire Pease withdraw. With the team now down to 8 gymnasts, who's in the best position to make Jakarta World Championships team? Plus: huge surprises from Italian Nationals, Szombathely World Cup highlights, and the latest gymternet news.

Experience GymCastic live!

Replay: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd

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00:00:00 Intro – Selection camp + Italian Nationals hype

00:01:12 Rolled Ankle-Gate: Hezly Rivera & Claire Pease out 00:04:19 Selection Camp Preview – field down to 8

00:22:58 Spencer Team Prediction Calculator: why this helps Ashlee Sullivan

00:27:29 Win Club Gym Nerd membership or Commissioned episode

00:28:34 Kerri Strug biopic tangent 00:30:16 Italian Nationals – we aren't ok

00:30:39 Esposito & Alice D'Amato not going to Worlds

00:38:58 Who Italy is sending: Perotti, Fioravanti, Barzasi, Asia D'Amato

00:49:20 Martina Maggio returns on bars

00:51:40 Sideline comedy: Giorgia Villa & Angela Andreoli

00:52:15 Szombathely World Cup highlights

00:59:47 Favorite Routine: Tisha Vollman's Erceg mount

01:01:59 Gymternet News: Paralympic sanctions lifted for Russia/Belarus

01:03:28 Tragedy: Indonesian gymnast Al Bari

01:05:05 $350M foam pit lawsuit

01:10:26 Next show Oct 1st after U.S. Trials

Jakarta World teams announcments are coming fast! We preview the U.S. World Team Trials plus Britain, France, China, Canada & AIN Russia rosters. Also: SI Women's Games "postponed", 2026 Rotterdam Worlds tickets, and Austria's Charlize Moerz shines on floor.

Guest: Sho Nakamori on men's code changes, artistry & judging.

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Club Gym Nerd Scholarships: https://gymcastic.com/scholarships/

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Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – World teams, U.S. Trials preview, special guest Sho Nakamori 00:38 Headlines – USAG's new training facility in Noblesville, IN 02:00 SI Women's Games postponed – refunds, ticket issues & history 03:56 Rotterdam 2026 tickets on sale 04:09 British Worlds Team named – Gadirova out, new faces in 05:00 Chinese & French Worlds Teams reaction 06:33 Nominative rosters – Canada jail, Brazil's $1,200 fine, Russia's neutral asterisk 08:00 Favorite Routine of the Week – Charlize Moerz (Austria) FX 13.833 09:39 Jakarta 2025 Worlds preview – 8 days of live podcasts, extended Club coverage 12:13 Raffle – win a full commissioned episode for $10 13:32 Scholarships – 10 free Club Gym Nerd memberships donated by listeners 14:54 U.S. Women's Worlds Trials – format, schedule & how to watch (FlipNow) 16:17 Core Four Gold Medalists – Rivera, Wong, Blakely, Roberson analysis 20:24 Selection drama – who could disrupt the "in-pencil" team? 25:41 Root for Chaos – Jayla Hang & Claire Pease's shot 28:50 Depth & back-pocket vaults – Simone Rose, Sullivan, others 32:00 Gymternet News – retirements, lawsuits, coaching scandals 33:30 Interview – Sho Nakamori on judging, men's code changes and new gym, Infinite Sports in San Mateo44:00 Closing & What's Next – Szombathely World Cup + Trials streaming info

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Let's discuss the Chinese World Team!

Bonus hour long episode for Club Members https://gymcastic.com/club/

00:00 Intro – Behind the Scenes preview

00:42 China's World Team confirmed

01:15 Why this is a "specialist team" for specialist Worlds

01:45 Zhou Yaqin – back-to-back beam silvers

02:00 Yang Fanyuwei – Layout Jaeger full

02:20 Zhang Qingying – National AA champ

02:36 Deng Yalan – 26 years old

03:26 Team strategy – medal chances with event specialists

03:49 Snub: Zhang Yihan – 2024 Olympian & bars finalist left off

04:13 Why this team is the right call for Worlds

06:07 Timing of China's team selection – too early or just right?

07:22 Training, peak performance, and recovery before Worlds

07:48 Jessica's Jakarta prep – health gear & travel hacks

10:04 Cultural etiquette research for Jakarta

11:04 Jordan Chiles on Dancing with the Stars

Raffle: https://gymcastic.com/raffle/

Scholarships: https://gymcastic.com/scholarships/

Club: https://gymcastic.com/club/

Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/

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Don't miss new episodes — subscribe, auto-download, and get your fantasy picks in before Worlds!

Photo credits: © Gymcastic / Filippo Tomasi for GymCastic

Paris World Cup 2025 recap report from art critic Laura Capelle 🇫🇷 — Melnikova returns, Nemour's bars gold, Abi Martin vaults, Voinea floor redemption, plus Ukraine's protest & Jakarta Worlds mascot 🌸.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:10 – Headlines: Paris World Cup Champions (Abi Martin, Nemour, Melnikova, Voinea)

02:25 – Ukraine Withdraws in Protest

03:05 – Jakarta Worlds Mascot Reveal – "Stinking Corpse Lily"

04:30 – Updates: Live Worlds Podcasts & Raffle

07:00 – GymCastic Scholarship Announcement

08:00 – Interview with Dr. Laura Capelle – Paris World Cup Report

12:40 – Melnikova's Return & Neutral Athlete Status

15:00 – Tchaikovsky Anthem Debate

17:00 – Nemour's Training Changes & Bars Podium

21:30 – French Team Healing Moments

24:00 – Ireland & Beam Highlights – Emma Slevin & Hallie Hilton

27:00 – Floor Artistry: Ming's Wings & Disco Comeback

30:00 – Favorite Routines: Bake-Off Challenge Edition

34:15 – Vault Final Recap – Abi Martin, Schoenmaier, Navas

38:00 – Bars Final Recap – Nemour, Serber, Charpy

42:30 – Beam Final Recap – Melnikova, Bickel, Osyssek-Reimer

46:00 – Floor Final Recap – Voinea, Melnikova, Tanskanen

50:00 – Chinese Trials Update

55:00 – Gymternet News – Worlds Tickets, Spain PM Sports Ban, NCAA Updates

59:00 – Closing & What's Next (Szombathely, U.S. Selection Camp)

Why the Top Gymnast in France Is Competing for Algeria: A bitter fight with the French gymnastics federation threatened the Olympic hopes of Kaylia Nemour. Dual nationality offered a way out by Laura Cappelle for the New York Times

History of Western Dance graphic novel by Laura Cappelle

Episode - Nemour Speaks Up

Episode - Paris Teams Taking Shape & Artistry with Dr. Laura Cappelle

Episode - Paris World Cup 2022 with Laura Cappelle

Behind the Scenes - all episodes

Experience GymCastic live!

✨ Replay: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd

by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Aimee coached Simone from day one in gymnastics to three back to back World All Around titles, 14 world medals and an unprecedented 5 medals at the Rio Olympics

Jessica and Spencer cover the biggest headlines: Rebeca Andrade's new documentary, Jordan Chiles joining Dancing With the Stars, update on Chow's coach arrest, and a chat with fan favorite, Nola "Angst Queen" Matthews.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:16 Headlines: Andrade documentary, Jordan Chiles on DWTS

07:23 Gymternet news: SafeSport & coaching updates

10:45 Paris World Cup preview & Headstand game

12:45 Morgan Hurd live show replay announcement

13:00 Nola Matthews Interview – artistry, UCLA, pets, travel stories

29:00 Skills talk & beam mount wishlist

45:24 Brazilian Championships Recap – Flavia Saraiva, Julia Soares, Gabriela Barbosa

56:30 Team Brazil Worlds selection discussion

59:19 Andrade sabbatical & rehab updates

1:03:08 Mixed men's & women's format at Brazilian Nationals 1:05:36 Brazil's Worlds team strategy

1:09:19 More Gymternet News – Worlds tickets

1:13:16 Dream gym features (viewing areas, plants, ninja course)

1:17:10 Athlete wellbeing studies & abuse impacts

1:18:48 NCAA News: Southern Utah to Pac-12

1:20:17 Canadian sports abuse report & new book "Historic" by Emma Webb

1:21:06 Coaching updates, Alice Kinsella baby, Maggie Nichols engagement

1:22:41 Closing: Paris World Cup preview & BTS reminder

2012 Olympics Gymnastics Team Final Rewind

Behind The Scenes: Back from New Orleans Championships

Russia is Back

Behind The Scenes: Pre-Holiday Rage

Behind The Scenes: The Go Light

Behind The Scenes: Team Indoctrination

Submitted by our listeners.

2012 Women's Olympic Team Final Rewind 🏆🇺🇸🇷🇺🇨🇳🇷🇴 We're diving deep into one of the most legendary nights in gymnastics history — the London 2012 Women's Artistic Gymnastics Team Final. From McKayla Maroney's iconic vault to the pink podium and the Fierce Five sealing gold, this commissioned episode looks back with fresh judging goggles and a critical E-score panel.

We cover the vault rotation that changed everything, NBC's commentary, Russia's near-miss, China's decline, and Aly Raisman's unforgettable floor routine. Join Jessica and Spencer for this epic rewatch!

👉 More rewinds, breaking news, and behind-the-scenes: https://gymcastic.com

Come see us LIVE — because the chalk bowl is full of secrets! Relive the Championships Live Show featuring: All Around World Champion Morgan Hurd Tickets & info: https://gymcastic.com/2025-gymcastic-live-show-in-new-orleans/

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Fantasy Challenge: https://gymcastic.com/2025-u-s-championships-fantasy-challenge/

Forum: https://gymcastic.com/community/

Submitted by our listeners.

This week Angelina Melnikova is set to make her return to the international elite scene after four years; Australian gymnastics prison release program is alive and well; plus upcoming meet information and plenty of dumpster fire news.

Thank you to World Champion level Club Gym Nerd member Stacey Tovino (law professor at the University of Oklahoma!) Club Gym Nerd members help us pay our bills and in return get thank you goodies from us in return. See details at gymcastic.com under the "Join Club" tab.

RESISTANCE Submitted by our listeners.

Travel stories from New Orleans, things you didn't see on the stream and which national champions have never won an event title.

Check out a little video teaser of what happened at the Morgan Hurd Live Show. REPLAY tickets here

This is our weekly live Q&A podcast. We start every week at noon Pacific/ 8 GMT. Club Members login to reveal the full bonus podcast.Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add BTS to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

Not a member? Join here. We have a weekly Behind The Scenes live Q&A podcast and post-meet live exclusives all year long. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who supporting our work year around.

Take Action

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Immigrant Rights

The most impressive gymnastics, stories, highlights and controversies of the 2025 U.S. Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

October 19-25 in Jakarta, Indonesia Taylor Burkhart — Arvada, Colo./Stanford University^ Brandon Dang — San Jose, Calif./University of Illinois Asher Hong — Tomball, Texas/Stanford University Patrick Hoopes — Lehi, Utah/U.S. Air Force Academy Brody Malone — Aragon, Ga./EVO Gymnastics Kameron Nelson — Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University Donnell Whittenburg — Baltimore, Md./EVO Gymnastics

2025 Senior Men's National Team

RESISTANCE Submitted by you. Take Action

Donate or volunteer for organizations suing the administration for illegal actions

Stay Informed:

Immigrant Rights

2025 U.S. Championships Day Two!

This is our live coverage from New Orleans. We'll start about an hour after the meet ends. Login to reveal the extended episode. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add BTS to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

2025 Senior Women's National Team Presented by Xfinity

October 19-25 in Jakarta, Indonesia Taylor Burkhart — Arvada, Colo./Stanford University^ Brandon Dang — San Jose, Calif./University of Illinois Asher Hong — Tomball, Texas/Stanford University Patrick Hoopes — Lehi, Utah/U.S. Air Force Academy Brody Malone — Aragon, Ga./EVO Gymnastics Kameron Nelson — Columbus, Ohio/Ohio State University Donnell Whittenburg — Baltimore, Md./EVO Gymnastics

RESISTANCE Submitted by you.

State your name and zip code or district Be concise with your question or demand (i.e. What specific steps is Senator X taking to stop XYZ) Wait for answer Ask for action items - tell them what you want then to do (i.e. draft articles of impeachment immediately, I want to see you holding a press conference in front of...etc.)

2025 U.S. Championships Day One WAG!

This is our live coverage from New Orleans. We'll start about an hour after the meet ends. Login to reveal the extended meet report. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add BTS to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

Rivera - 55.600 and beam with 14.350. Roberson - 55.400, leading FX with 14.150 and tied for first on UB with Zhou for 13.650. Wong - 55.100 and leading VT with 13.675

Not a member? Join here.We have a weekly Behind The Scenes live Q&A podcast and post-meet live exclusives all year long. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who supporting our work year around.

RESISTANCE Submitted by you.

State your name and zip code or district Be concise with your question or demand (i.e. What specific steps is Senator X taking to stop XYZ) Wait for answer Ask for action items - tell them what you want then to do (i.e. draft articles of impeachment immediately, I want to see you holding a press conference in front of...etc.)

2025 U.S. Championships Podium Training!

This is our live coverage from New Orleans. We'll start about an hour after the podium training ends. Login to reveal the full show. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add BTS to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

RESISTANCE

Submitted by you.

State your name and zip code or district Be concise with your question or demand (i.e. What specific steps is Senator X taking to stop XYZ) Wait for answer Ask for action items - tell them what you want then to do (i.e. draft articles of impeachment immediately, I want to see you holding a press conference in front of...etc.)