Gymcastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. HEADLINES Jessica talks about the Alyssa Beckerman episode Gymnast Alliance: Ellie Downie's weight-shaming complaint was "not upheld" and multiple gymnasts disclose issues at Cincinnati under MLT. Kensley has some thoughts on MLT's Bible defense. Gymnastics is Coming Back! Spencer previews what we're excited for at the upcoming Japanese Championships, Chinese Championships, and Szombathely World Cup. Meanwhile, Anastasia Motak's beam from Ukrainian Nationals is the new president. Spencer watched the Andreea Raducan documentary Golden Girl and is bursting to tell you everything about it The latest on men's NCAA gym and its slow march toward death: The Long Brewing Crisis in High Education.  Higher education as hedge fund luxury brands Cutting sports to steal endowments: The myth of football-funded athletics GYMTERNET NEWS The weekly "Chellsie Memme

This week, it's the commissioned episode you've all been waiting for...the FLUFFCAST! We jump into all the most insane, hilarious, horrifying, sexist, perfect, amazing, diva-tastic, butterfly-gazing, Romanian candle-holding fluff pieces in the history of gymnastics broadcasts. Thank you so much to Fluff Feels for commissioning the episode we were born to do, and thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions! Jessica and Spencer dissect: 2000 Olympic All-Around fluff  NBC's Living-Parents Championship, starring Russian daddy issues and soldiers kidnapping Zamo. Prod's shaved eyebrow Prod's convertible flexing fluff, the only verifiably true fluff ever The legendary Romanian candle cups Elise Ray and the butterfly NBC's weird obsession with 1950s-style nuclear families 2000 Atler v. Dantzscher v. Beth Rybacki's tears How much resentment and blame? ALL OF IT! What's the deal with that wild west picture? And that helicopter-parent one? 1996 Kerri Strug lives in everyone's shadow fluff  Is this the mo

Originally aired in June 2017 BEST OF GYMCASTIC Originally released in June 2017. Vanessa Atler is an American treasure and fans have loved her from the moment they first saw her elegant power. She's a multi-time national champion, multi-World Cup champion, Goodwill Games event champion. She would probably have made the 1996 Olympic team had she been age eligible. She was one of those gymnasts for whom nothing ever worked out the way it should have and fans hearts broke along with her through the 1996-2000 quad. We discuss: Why she requested the interview with us Her thoughts on age limits and specialists (13:10) Elements she worked on but never competed (19:25) Dealing with emotions and tears of frustration The Comaneci-Salto & The Rybackis - (22:34) Why didn't she just take the Comaneci out of her routine and win all the things?  Beth and Steve's differing opinions on bars  What worked and didn't work with the Rybackis  How being at Charter Oak effected her own coaching Did she seek counseling or ther

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. HEADLINES Alyssa Beckerman penned a Google Doc about the emotional manipulation, ostracism, pettiness, and mishandling of weight and injury that she experienced at UCLA under Miss Val What lessons other coaches can learn about the best ways to help athletes who experienced abusive club careers Does this change how we look at Miss Val's positive coaching tour? Thoughts on Miss Val's response and whether she should have said anything at all Discussed: International Socio-Cultural research group on Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (ISCWAG) research and interview Jenny Pinches  explanation on August 7, 2020 before Alyssa's letter) of the #AthleteAlliance movement re coaches One Face: Project Gravitas Related articles on Beckerman :  Beckerman questions dismissal Team supports Beckerman's dismissal Out of Balance: A look inside USA Gymnastics' culture of abus

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. HEADLINES Texas Dreams Fallout Statements from more athletes about their Texas Dreams experiences, including Ragan Smith and Macy Toronjo Discussion: What responsibility do college coaches have to speak out about abusive coaching in the elite world? ESPN article on racism in college gymnastics The details on Alabama's Title IX investigation, and...Dana what are you doing? "Skin-tone" and the NCAA demographics database D-D Breaux retired Her epic legacy at LSU and what's next for the team MINI-COMMISSION Last week, Kennedy Baker discussed her experience with racism at Florida and mentioned the much-discussed history of Florida floor lineups. We use that as a lens for this week's mini-commission, in which Sophie asked us to discuss NCAA lineup strategy, what each of our strategies would be if we were making lineups, and whether there's a program t

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubbubbs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. TEXAS NIGHTMARES Before we get to this week's commission, a few...erm...rage thoughts on what we've heard about Texas Dreams this week from Ashton Kim and Kennedy Baker. 2000 TEAM FINAL This week's episode was commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Casey because "it's all fun and games until Russia goes to beam." We discuss: Vault conspiracy theories. Was the vault also set incorrectly in the team final? Everything on beam is a Shushunova. We fight about it. The US team getting locked out of the arena and what it symbolizes Support, refute, or qualify: "Romania wins with boring gymnastics." The concept of Maria Olaru Khorkina's vaulting, Leonardo Da Vinci, and pumpernickel The importance of Liu Xuan and Ling Jie on floor Russia. Beam. It happened. We need to talk about it Dong Fangxiao's age and the stripping of China's bronze JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join C

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. THIS WEEK Mark Alesia, formerly of the Indy Star and part of the team that reported the Criminal Ex-Doctor story, joins us to discuss Athlete A and #GymnastAlliance The Dutch federation has shut down the women's elite program to conduct an investigation into coaching abuse. What does it all mean? Terin Humphrey is a survivor. We discuss reconciling that with her...other behavior and why her complaints about USAG removing her don't really add up. What Terin has to say about Steve Penny trying to influence team selection Chellsie's comeback – it's officially official! We talk about her skills and her interview with the Olympic Channel Sam Mikulak says he will retire after the Olympics, citing a chronic wrist injury and a desire to preserve his mental health MINI-COMMISSION Desirae asked us to come up with a gymnastics coaching qualification system for th

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. GYMTERNET NEWS #GymnastAlliance is growing: We discuss the latest news out of Belgium and the Netherlands We have some THINGS to say on what we've now learned about Ellis O'Reilly's health How do we handle abusive coaches who admit their mistakes? SIGHx100000. Khorkina. Reflections on the Heavy Medals podcasts and what Geza Pozsar has been saying lately The Human Rights Watch report on sports in Japan MINI-COMMISSION We have been commissioned to add two events to women's gymnastics. Let's go. PLUS Wearing tights in gymnastics competition Riley's new bars dismount Feedback on majoring in gymnastics, smoking while tumbling, Sarah Jantzi and Rhonda, Spencer needing to figure skate, Jane Allen, and Khorkina things JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too!

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubbubbs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. COMMISSION!  No, Spencer didn't self-commission this episode. Instead, an anonymous patron asked us for an episode all about the "professional" "gymnastics" "competitions" to "rock music" that populated the "1990s." And we are more than happy to oblige. We discuss: Queen Kristie Phillips, the only one who understood. Like when she did a Gianni Versace/Princess Diana tribute beam routine. Or when she did a Vietnam War protest routine. Or when she did a different Vietnam War protest routine. Or that time her genie pants came off during floor. Being too 90s to function: Dominique Moceanu's Titanic beam routine, and Chris Waller doing the Macarena Men taking their shirts off. Like all the time. And sometimes Alexei Nemov took his pants off. The award for most awkward – Shannon Miller's virginity floor routine, Valentin Moguilny's alcoholism floor routine,

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. GYMTERNET NEWS #GymnastAlliance British Athletes, like our queen Catherine Lyons and co-queen Lisa Mason, are speaking out about the coaching abuses they've suffered and culture of fear in British gymnastics. We discuss what makes this moment different. Athlete A Aftermath The influence of this documentary and Dave Tilley's must-watch reflection and analysis Moving the women's age limit to 18—how do we feel about it now? OK. But. We really need to unpack this narrative that Maggie was snubbed for a spot on the 2016 team. Spencer made a spreadsheet. Because of course. Feedback on what we make of Geza Pozsar, whether Sarah Jantzi bears the same responsibility as Rhonda Faehn, and how sportsball boyfriends reacted to the documentary Copenhagen withdraws Denmark will not host worlds in 2021. Jessica and Spencer are currently in different stages of gr

Club Gym Nerd member, Gym Coach Diana, has commissioned an episode all about the glorious leotard! Spencer, Lauren, and Jessica chat about leos leos leos; biggest leotard fails, the most patriotic, custom theme leos, Australia, cut outs, crushed velvet, rules for leotard design, technology, sewn in underpants, leotard deductions, controversies and the most notorious leotards of all time. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LEOTARDS WE DISCUSS IN ORDER: https://gymcastic.com/?p=61421&preview=true  This episode originally aired in November 2016.

This episode was commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Jasmine, who asked for an episode all about the 2003 worlds team final. Hollie's number. "Oh, that's too bad." Warming up on the podium. "So little talent." A truly iconic choice! WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and watch the videos of the routines we're discussing right along with us. BUT FIRST A little breaking news nugget: We discuss Shawn Johnson's latest YouTube video about being given Adderall for weight loss, not an approved therapeutic exemption, for this banned substance, and what the potential fallout could be, if any. 2003 TEAM FINAL US injury drama – and more questions about the US team medical care Jessica's behind-the-scenes story about Khorkina interacting with children! The birth of the legend of Chellsie Freaking Memmel A frame-by-frame dissection of Tasha trying to block Martha's head smack "So little talent" and what Shevchenko herself thinks of that comm

Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW Jennifer Sey became the US national champion in 1986, just seven months after breaking her femur at the 1985 world championships, an injury that led to a change in rules about bars spotting. In 2008, she published her groundbreaking memoir Chalked Up and has since been an advocate for survivors and those fighting against abuse in gymnastics. She produced the documentary Athlete A about the failures of USA Gymnastics to deal with the criminal ex-doctor, which premieres on Netflix this week. We talked with her about what she hopes the general public learns about gymnastics culture from the film, whether the Maggie Haney suspension represents progress or not, why watching Kerri Strug vault in 1996 didn't feel like a glorious moment to her, and balancing the horror of Athlete A with hope by focusing on the triumphs of Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denho

THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW John Orozco is here and ready to blow it up. In this interview, he discusses the Black Lives Matter movement and the racism he experienced from leadership in the US men's program, different standards applied to white and black athletes in national team selection and drug/alcohol enforcement, favoritism and score changing, the reality of a family situation that was far from what was painted by NBC, what really happened in the 2012 Olympic team final, the lawlessness of the post-Olympic tour, his nationality switch to Puerto Rico, and so much more. You don't want to miss this one. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 72: John Orozco (January 2014) 241: The Pittsburgh Incident (Legendre's accuse OTC coach of assault) 428: Black Lives Matter This Week Too 427: The Gymnast Who Kneeled During The National Anthem 420: Jamie Dantzscher 319: Aly and Lynn Raisman 187: McKayla

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. HEADLINES Kurt Thomas, 1978 and 1979 world champion, died of a stroke at age 64. We discuss his legacy. More athletes detail stories of racism in college gymnastics—what Alabama's Tia Kiaku, Auburn gymnasts Kennedy Finister and Telah Black, Florida's Kytra Hunter, and Nebraska's Ashley Lambert said this week Why the aggressively empty platitudes from coaches like Dana Duckworth and Courtney Kupets-Carter bother us so much—and why we love the statement from Sac State Plus, do we need to change our outro? And what should it be? GYMTERNET NEWS European Championships have been rescheduled for December in Baku. Jessica is concerned for COVID reasons. Spencer is concerned for rule-consistency reasons. Kensley is optimistic. No one is surprised by any of this. The FIG published the new, official Olympic qualification rules for 2021 The retirements of Cou

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW Alexis Brown was a UC Davis gymnast, is the co-program record holder on beam, and knelt during the national anthem in the 2017 and 2018 NCAA seasons. We caught up with Alexis to hear her thoughts on kneeling now—two years on—and how she feels about the current protests against police brutality of black Americans. She tells us whether she feels more hopeful or disheartened about the experience in retrospect, what she makes of the NCAA programs who haven't made statements, and what she would like to see from white members of the gymnastics community. Resources For Action: https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234 https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/media-center/dismantle-white-supremacy https://www.obama.org/wp-content/uploads/Toolkit.pdf https://w

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubbubbs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss.  GYMTERNET NEWS USAG cancels elite events for the remainder of 2020. Inevitable sigh. Some THOUGHTS about these new garbage Title IX regulations The latest steps toward NCAA athlete compensation and what it means for gymnasts NCAA gymnastics news, in which we discuss the sprouting of Long Island University and whether or not Nebraska is...OK? How various nations are handling a return to elite training Jessica has some feelings about priorities and the re-opening of gyms in the US Dumpster fire developments on the suspension of Amy Nyman, the dismissal of charges against Lou Anna Simon, and USOC getting sued for fraud Finally, how bad was the FIG's decision to use the qualification results from Baku as final? Score For Score has the numbers MINI-COMMISSION A mini commission from Nico T.L. asks us to go deep on three...shall we say remarkable?..

This week's episode has been commissioned by an anonymous Club Gym Nerd member and current gymnastics judge who said, "You complain about judging all the time." (WHAT, US??? NEVER!) "Tell us what you would do if you were in charge of women's officials for NCAA and JO meets." We shall gladly oblige! Surprise, surprise, we're not short of opinions. We tackle nasty problem areas like transparency, the Old Girls Network, "reputation," judging consistency, bias, and subjectivity, while answering questions about whether having been a gymnast makes you a better judge, appropriate processes for judge selection and evaluation, and how judges should get the $$$$$$$. We also make a list of the problems with college judging and what to do about them. So basically, we fix everything that's wrong with everything. You're welcome, gymnastics. GYMTERNET NEWS We couldn't not talk about the latest harrowing details on Maggie Haney's 8-year suspension, so we take a moment to be horrified about that as well. BECOME A CLUB GYM NE

THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEWS This week, Jessica speaks with attorney and Olympic Champion, Nancy Hogshead-Makar of Champion Women about emotional abuse (A.C.E score) and SafeSport rules, the 8-year ban for Maggie Haney, whether this counts as progress, what a culture of silent obedience looks like, and a new bill pending before Congress. Learn more usopu.info  She also speaks with Robert Andrews, therapist and founder of the Institute of Sports Performance in Houston, about the long-term effects of childhood trauma and emotional abuse and what needs to change for USAG to be able to prevent abuse.  As a child. Andrews was inspired by the book They Fought Back. His series Champions Mental Edge is available here. GYMTERNET NEWS We won the COVID-19 Feeding America fundraiser. Still time to donate if you can. Watch here. 8 Years: Maggie Haney has been suspended for 8 years. We discuss what Laurie said about her experience, the details of the suspension, the information we'd still like to know, why now and why her (b

LIVE VIDEO PODCAST FUNDRAISER Attention! Dave Tilley of Shift Movement Science is hosting a FREE online gymnastics summit on Saturday May 2 to benefit Feeding America's COVID-19 hunger relief, and we're going to be part of it! The all-day video marathon will feature a bunch of people who know what they're talking about and then also us, with the GymCastic segment starting at 5:00pm ET sandwiched between Jordyn Wieber, Chris Brooks, Colin Van Wicklen, Kyla Ross, Madison Kocian, and Miss Val. Just like we were meant to be. Check out full details at the Event Info page and the Feeding America fundraising part at the GoFundMe page. THIS WEEK Gymternet News: Morgan's gym needs your help, the Netherlands and Italy are moving toward reopening gyms, there was a "calendar error" in the Maggie Haney ruling, and the Argentinian federation may have stolen USAG's dumpster title. Less Is More: We're taking a red marker to the rules and crossing out the things we don't like. Mini-Commission on Inbars: Why are they consider