Gymcastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

GYMTERNET NEWS First, Jessica has two op-eds out, one in HuffPo and one in the LA Times—which you MUST read otherwise we can't be friends anymore. Also, we explain why you might see that Nassar interview showing up in your feeds this week. BUT THEN: Clarifications about the February verification at LSU regarding chaperones, compensation, and reimbursement WOGA is in trouuuuuuuuble for its handling of sexual abuse complaints Aly says Geddert might have known in 2011. He's also facing a criminal investigation. Oh, look how that worked out.  The House of Representatives is initiating an investigation into all the major players. Spencer and Jessica have dreams about what comes next.  GUH. FRAN. COME ON.  MSU might actually fire someone. Whaaaaaaa? The FIG president issues a plan to address sexual abuse. What Jessica thinks his fashion choices tell us about his intentions. The Oleg Verniaiev interview that must be read to be believed. MEET NEWS Is UCLA for real? Is Florida...going to be for real? Ivy L

GYMTERNET NEWS (03:28) Valeri Liukin has RESIGNED as National Team Coordinator! Our reactions Was Valeri forced out, or did he decide this himself? Who should succeed him as NTC? The state of the current WAG program We discuss the new verification competition being held at LSU ...and the ensuing, totally predictable NCAA coach freak out The 180 USAG just did on the family chaperone issue, along with our concerns #WST Larry Nassar's FINAL sentencing (37:33) We might never have to look at him again! The dad who lunged at him in court. Yea or Nay? Michigan State offices raided by law enforcement The USOC failed to act on Nassar's abuse for a full year (Shock! Surprise!) Senator Gillibrand calls for the DOJ to investigate the USOC The New York Times says at least 40 people were abused by Nassar AFTER the FBI already knew about him. What an ACTUAL FBI agent told Gina Nichols, and why it sort of blows up USAG's party line THE. SIMONE. MOVIE. (52:38) Ironically amazing or actually amazing? WHAT

GYMTERNET NEWS Our weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet include: Victim Impact Statements and why everyone should go to USAG meets dressed as Judge Rosemarie Aquilina. Mattie Larson made a big impact talking about how USAG created an abusive environment.  McKenzie Wooford backed her up.  Rachael Denhollander gave a speech to go down in the history books, "What Is A Little Girl Worth?" Who should play her in the Oscar-winning movie? We explain why Judge Aquilina was legally allowed to be partial so everyone can calm down. USOC cracking down...now...suddenly. We have feelings.  Why the Daniels Report wasn't enough. Aly Raisman hit the USOC back with her own demands for an independent investigation. We want a Truth and Reconciliation hearing with Valeri Liukin. Congress passed Senate Bill 534 Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act. Next step is Trump's signature.  These three voted against the bill. Feel free to vote them out of office:

IN THE NEWS Victim impact statements in the sentencing for Larry Nassar began last week and continue this week. You can continue to watch it live here. Update: Upon order of USOC, Paul Parilla resigns. John Geddert suspended ! Kyle Stephens: “Little girls don’t stay little forever. They grow into strong women that return to destroy your world.” Lindsey Lemke: “Larry, I hope you, Lou Anna Simon, Kathie Klages, John Geddert, and all of USAG are scared, because you have pissed off the wrong army of women.” The awfulness of Geddert, quote by quote, story by story 14 were warned of Nassar abuse at MSU, at least one of whom is still working with the gymnastics team! WHAT?! Jordyn Wieber: "Larry Nassar is accountable. USA Gymnastics is accountable. The U.S. Olympic Committee is accountable. My teammates and friends have been through enough and now it's time for change." Aly Raisman: “Imagine feeling like you have no power and no voice. Well, you know what, Larry? I have both power and voice, and I am only beginn

GYMTERNET NEWS Jessica and Spencer discuss Simone Too Shutting down the ranch and options for an athlete and parent association Karolyi Ranch PTSD is real Maggie Nichols is Athlete A Maggie and her coach Sarah Jantzi reported Nassar to USA Gymnastics in June 2015 Complaint states that Steve Penny discouraged her parents from reporting to law enforcement Nassar was allowed to see patients for two years while under criminal investigation by MSU USAG's awful reaction statement reveals not a web of lies, but a web of stupid We break down USAG's commitment to "well, actually"-ing the survivors, while simultaneously admitting misdeeds The trouble with Fran. When is an "investigator" actually an "investigator"? USAG claims it did not identify interviewed athletes by name. Really, though? At what point is it time to close down USAG and start over? Geddert In motion to dismiss, he claims Rachael should really be suing her own mom Survivor statements indicate he knew as early as 1997 A listener asks why

MAGGIE NICHOLS IS ATHLETE A 2015 US Team World Champion, floor bronze medalists and 2017 Oklahoma NCAA Team Champion, Maggie Nichols has come forward as a survivor sexual abuse by Larry Nassar. "Up until now, I was identified as Athlete A by USA gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee and Michigan State University. I want everyone to know that he did not do this to Athlete A, he did it to Maggie Nichols." OC Register: Maggie Nichols, first Nassar whistle-blower, goes public Time: He Violated Our Innocence.’ Maggie Nichols Says She Was Abused by Team Doctor Larry Nassar Sports Illustrated: Says John Nichols, “After Maggie reported [in June of 2015], we were told to be quiet, don’t say anything to anybody, that USA Gymnastics was going to handle it. Later on, we would ask what’s happening and they’d say they were contacting the FBI. I was led to believe that the FBI was going to be handling this.” USA Gymnastics has not responded to SI’s requests for comment. You can read Maggie's statement in its entirety here

GYMTERNET NEWS This week, we get all the yucky parts out of the way at the beginning.  It was a bad week (month) (year) to be USA Gymnastics What USAG told the athletes in Rio about Nassar P&G and Kellogg’s (then Under Armour and Hershey’s) drop sponsorship of USAG USAG’s hideous motion to dismiss in the Denhollander case The Maroney birthday tweet Athlete reps can still serve on selection committees, counter to the Daniels Report But, progress made at the Board of Directors meeting Nassar Sentenced to 60 Years The letter Aly wrote to read at his sentencing. Where are the consequences for Michigan State? Dave Brubaker, director of Canadian women’s national team, charged with 10 sexual offenses. Todd Gardiner from IGI placed on permanently ineligible members list for violating provisions concerning a sexual relationship with an athlete. BUT ALSO (42:00) Simone participated in the most hilariously un-fact-checked local news piece ever. Maria Paseka will miss 2018 with back surgery Our thoughts

INTERVIEW This week, we have a very special chat with new world all-around champion, expert zombie-worm escaper, official badass woman, and favorite gymnast of young-adult authors the world over, MORGAN HURD. We discuss: Whether we're still allowed to call her Morgiboo Which gymnasts she fangirls out over If she's totally sick of people talking about her glasses yet All the behind-the-scenes scoop from worlds What she thinks about camp secrecy and possible SPIES What she thought about the lighting in the arena and training gym What happened when Ragan got injured before the AA final Who cried the most when she won Current training and TOP-SECRET upgrades Ideas for getting "the Hurd" in the code of points (we have a lot) Upcoming competition plans HARRY POTTER Which house Morgan would be in Morgan and Spencer throw down about Hagrid's teaching abilities Statues of Dobby and fuzzy sock tributes Which song from Hamilton would make the best floor music Nastia's obsession with her Getting confused for a chi

SIMONE-TERNET NEWS Simone casually has all her skills back because Simone. Do we think the Aly/Gabby/Simone twitter victim-shame debacle compelled Gabby to come forward with her story? And does it change how we view her comments? Simone will be 23 in 2020. Gasp. What journalists are STILL getting wrong about age and women's gymnastics! MEET NEWS IT'S THE MEXICAN OPEN GALA EVERYONE!!!!!!! Ponor gives her farewell gala performances on beam and floor and they're AH-MAZING If this truly is the end for Ponor, what is her legacy in gymnastics? But also: Manrique twerks and Jessica expects more LOTS of innuendos about working poles. LOTS. Ahmet Onder, Joel Plata, and the importance of men stripping for our enjoyment, even when it's a #stripteasefail Michael Jackson impersonations. Like you do. That thing where you have a shirtless cowboy duel and then sit astride the pommel horse and slap it so hard chalk flies off The award for worst/best use of Kevin Cerda in a Lucha Libre tribute An elaborate satire of whi

IN THE NEWS The Gabby Tweet Heard 'Round the World (1:00) What was wrong with Gabby's response to Aly's post about victim shaming and why so many people are angry about it How her teammates responded Gabby's apology Our thoughts on the whole mess And then just as we were about to post, late breaking news: Gabby Douglas came forward as Larry Nassar victim. FIERCE (13:13) Aly Raisman’s book, Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything, was released last week. We talk through all of our feelings about it as a gymternet family. Why this is the best gymnastics book ever written for this age group USA Gymnastics does not come off well. At all. It's awesome. The post-Olympic tour is a hellscape Aly's experience with Larry Nassar is quite telling about exactly how this went on for so long and the very understandable reasons that victims don't speak about their experiences We need to talk about this mysterious Fran character Why the section about nutrition is a MUST-READ for all elite and NCAA coaches

IN THE NEWS Aly Raisman appeared on 60 Minutes this week, relating her own story of abuse by Larry Nassar and making known her dissatisfaction with USA Gymnastics' handling of abuse at the time, as well as now.  We discuss: How awesome Aly Raisman is How awesome Aly Raisman is And how awesome Aly Raisman is The need for education and communication among children, adults, coaches, and administrators about what is acceptable behavior and what is not Why many of the victims didn't know they were abused until years later What a stupid question "Isn't the timing just a book sales ploy?" is Plus, USAG has a new president, and we have concerns SAFESPORT has a new board, and we have concerns The USOC has experienced no consequences, and we have concerns And finally, Jessica O'Beirne presents the O'BEIRNE MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE. Six areas in which USA Gymnastics must improve immediately, otherwise nothing will ever get better and they will never gain back the trust of the members. Transparency: Daniels Report co

This week's episode is commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Beth, who commissioned a sequel to our first show all about the biggest myths, legends, and unexpected moments in gymnastics history because there were just too many to pack into a single episode the first time around. Thank you for letting us do this, Beth! But first, Jessica's greatest dream has FINALLY come true in this week's Club Gym Nerd episode dedication!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE x100000000. MYTHS AND LEGENDS Myth Un-Busted??? The latest, secret information about Soviet pregnancy doping Is there really a real-life skill called the Miller? Or did NBC lie to us? (BOTH!) Did Verona van de Leur really leave gymnastics to become a porn star? Bonus: More gymnastics nudity "scandals" than you ever wanted to know about! Did Title IX really kill men's college gymnastics? Is there really such a thing as the international look? Or did NBC lie to us? Did Armine Barutyan really do a double layout beam dismount? Is the American Cup really the SCA

  GYMTERNET NEWS Check out the behind the scenes video from the unicorn of gymnastics, concurrent elite and college gymnast, New Zealand/Boise State's Courtney McGregor.  It's comeback season! November 1st was National Simone Biles Is Back In The Gym Day. How did you celebrate? The Alexei Nemov show Mustafina did almost-real beam and Komova did even more almost-real bars Spencer the Khorkina Whisperer breaks down the true meaning of her exhibition performance Khorkina also sticks her foot in her mouth again. All the surprise. Tatiana Nabieva continued being retired by winning the St. Petersburg Championship NCAA news Bailie Key is back and beaming for Alabama Madison Kocian had successful labrum surgery Sabrina Schwab has medically retired Maggie Nichols and Kyla Ross are still pulling out new tricks because of badassdom Mixed gender gymnastics Is mixed-gender team competition the future of gymnastics? We discuss the merits of the mixed team format at the Swiss Cup. Kenzo is the greatest uneven

  This week's episode was commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Bella, who asked for an episode about all things Svetlana Khorkina: the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Part 1: Getting philosophical with the question, who is Svetlana Khorkina? The height. The hair. The diva. The queen. The drama. The "villain." Part 2: The good The champion – 7-time Olympic medalist; 20-time world medalist; 47 medals across Euros, worlds, and Olympics The innovator – 7 eponymous skills, at least one on each event. We pick favorites. The artist – all-time favorite Khorkina floor routines. Carmen from the 1996 Olympics The 2004 choreographed kiss THIS very special, very bonkers ghost/snowman exhibition routine. A diva is magical All-time best Khorkina moments The scream heard 'round the world during the 2000 all-around final The 1996 Olympic gala dismount Giving the vault final spot to Zamolodchikova That time Zamo did the worst bars routine of all time and Khorkina died of hilarity Part 3: Chatting with Luba Luba fro

This week's episode is commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Courtney, who commissioned an episode all about the Sydney women's all-around final saying simply, "Because I know the gymternet has feelings." We sure do. Thanks for letting us do this, Courtney! Pre-meet Russia drama! (Because of course.) Produnova is pulled from the final in favor of Zamolodchikova. Jessica doesn't have feelings about it at all.  Watch along with us here competition video NBC's fluff and obsession with father figures and male influence. (See: The Fluff Cast.) The vault is probably fine. This trash competition Why the meet was cursed right from the start. Several minutes discussing Kristen Maloney's shiny silver leotard, because of deep and important thoughts. Elise Ray's SCARIEST vault warmup of all time. Why did some people struggle with the low vault and others not? We have theories. KHORKINA and the difference between artistry, elegance, carriage, and actual execution. Maria Olaru, how she's basically treated like garbage, a

We have two episodes for you this week. This is a quick update on the latest sexual abuse allegations by McKayla Maroney and Tatiana Gutsu. A separate episode, our commissioned recap of the 2000 Sydney women's all-around final, is also out right now. McKayla Maroney's statement Response from USAG Response from teammates Our interview with McKayla Maroney, where she discusses the toxic environment at USA Gymnastics, under Martha Karolyi and alleges neglect and emotional abuse by her personal coaches. That interview was recorded in October of 2015. Our thoughts, and Aly's thoughts, on the Terin Humphrey response  What you can actually do USAGym is looking for individuals to serve on Standing Committees of the Board of Directors Call your senators to tell them to support SB 534 or thank them for already doing so Tweet at the gymnasts to show your support Tatiana Gutsu's statement The horrifying backlash from Russia Why efforts to defend "your friend" undermine support of the victim and discourage

IN THE NEWS Spencer and Jessica detox from worlds by working through their feelings about SIMONE IS COMING BACK! AND SHE'LL BE COACHED BY THE LANDIS! Aly Raisman's book comes out November 14th and is available for preorder. We have many hopes and dreams for it.  The NCAA has fulfilled Greg Marsden's vision and approved a no-bye postseason and four-team championship Our latest crusade: Why worlds must be moved out of Qatar The Huang Family case Qatar Sports Minister says he probably won't imprison gay soccer fans Polish social media marketer arrested at airport for being identified as gay Our proposals to fix the format of world championships in order to improve the level of competition and condense the length   GYMTERNET NEWS Our weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet includes: Russian drama! Seda is in trouble, but Spencer's not having it Paseka knows about her vault form, YOU GUYS Aliya is skipping her checkup in Germany to go to the national team camp Dalaloyan c

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 7 Spencer, Lauren, Kensley and Jessica chat about: Men's Vault The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Women's Beam The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Men's PBars The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Women's Floor The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Men's HBar The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights What went on inside the arena State of our pre-final storylines SUPPORT THE SHOW Join Club Gym Nerd here. Buy one of our awesome shirts here. RELATED EPISODES What to do if you tinkle while you tumble? Advice from a pelvic floor expert for gymnasts here. 268: Aimee Boorman and Maggie Haney: The Olympic Experience 267: Growing up in Cuba with Charlie Tamayo 266: Screams of Joy 265: Russian Cup, University Games, and Feedback 264: 2017 P&G Championships Mega Recap 263: P&G Championships Preview with Jon Horton 261: 2017 U.S. Classic! 260: U.S. Classic Preview 258: The Fluff Cast (Commissioned) 262: 1996 Ol

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 6 Spencer, Lauren, and Jessica chat about: Men's Floor The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Women's Vault The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Men's Horse The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Women's Bars The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights Men's Rings The medalists Highlights Lowlights Mediumlights What went on inside the arena State of our pre-final storylines SUPPORT THE SHOW Join Club Gym Nerd here. Buy one of our awesome shirts here. RELATED EPISODES 268: Aimee Boorman and Maggie Haney: The Olympic Experience 267: Growing up in Cuba with Charlie Tamayo 266: Screams of Joy 265: Russian Cup, University Games, and Feedback 264: 2017 P&G Championships Mega Recap 263: P&G Championships Preview with Jon Horton 261: 2017 U.S. Classic! 260: U.S. Classic Preview 258: The Fluff Cast (Commissioned) 262: 1996 Olympic Event Finals (Commissioned) 256: 1996 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned) 255: 1996 Olympic Te

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 5 Spencer, Lauren, and Jessica chat about: Results The medals Who won the D and E score races Surprises and upsets Full recap of all the greatness in the final: details, scores, and moments we loved What went on inside the arena State of our pre-final storylines SUPPORT THE SHOW Join Club Gym Nerd here. Buy one of our awesome shirts here. RELATED EPISODES 268: Aimee Boorman and Maggie Haney: The Olympic Experience 267: Growing up in Cuba with Charlie Tamayo 266: Screams of Joy 265: Russian Cup, University Games, and Feedback 264: 2017 P&G Championships Mega Recap 263: P&G Championships Preview with Jon Horton 261: 2017 U.S. Classic! 260: U.S. Classic Preview 258: The Fluff Cast (Commissioned) 262: 1996 Olympic Event Finals (Commissioned) 256: 1996 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned) 255: 1996 Olympic Team Final (Commissioned) 254: Vanessa Atler 252: Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments in Gymnastics History (Commissioned)