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IN THE NEWS

In the news Spencer and Jessica chat about:

• Koper World Challenge Cup in Slovenia (results)
  • Larisa Iordache BB 
  • “Flavinha” (Flavia Saraiva) fell on a dance skill 
    • Almost dies on floor, but she’s fine
  • Champagne for all the winners
  • Canadian gymnast Ellie Black scores triple silver
  • Meet the Whittenburg – A TRIPLE PIKE OFF RINGS
  • Eddie Penev won floor… but his 9.65 E score for his stuck upright landing Shewmanar vault
• Osijek World Cup in Croatia (results);
  • Irish 17-year-old Rhys McClenaghan won pommel because you have to stay on the horse people!
  • Obsessed with Kirill Prokopev FX – flares
  • Shelgunova challenges Flavia’s choreography fall
  • Thais Fidelis Dos Santos won BB and floor and her back handspring arabian is HUGE!
• Asian Championships
  • It’s one million degrees in Thailand and the training hall was outside. Despite FIG recommendation for a heat index equal to or less than 39
  • Tingting won all the things
  • South Korea/North Korea world peace picture
• NHK Trophy
  • Kenzo almost beat Kohei in the AA with his 15.900 (7.2 D) on FX
  • Kohei’s 40th straight victory in an AA meet

GYMTERNET NEWS

Our weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet include:

• Technology & Gymnastics
  • What we want to see mainstreamed in gymnastics to prevent injury and aid judging
  • The My USAgym app
  • The new concussion detection test that uses spit to identify brain injury in juveniles.
  • Robo judging with 3D lasers
• NCAA Happenings:
  • Georgia hires Courtney Kupets and dun dun dunnnnnnn volunteer Suzanne Yoculan
  • Mckenzie Wofford is undergoing surgery for her scoliosis
  • Zoe Draghi’s speech from women’s gymnastics’ annual banquet at Cal
  • LSU gymnast Lexie Priessman won SEC title on torn knee cartilage, coach D-D Breaux says
• Missouri Gymnastics Stolen Money and Team Policies
  • Missouri Gymnastics posts abnormally high departure numbers
  • Morgan Porter pleaded guilty to stealing over $700 from her teammate. The teammate was “released” from the team while Porter only missed one meet after her arrest. 
• Insane Skill News
  • Miyachi Hidetaka double twisting laid out kovacs.
  • Manrique casually does a one-armed giant out of your Kolman
  • Eddie Penev attempted a front double layout half-out
  • At age 38, Mohini Bhardwaj hits bhs layout stepout on high beam
• Aliya Mustafina interview
• USA Gymnastics won’t buy famed Karolyi ranch after all. Hummm, wonder why?
• Who’s coaching your kids? Background checks not required in NC
• USA Gymnastics Sexual Abuse Investigation:
  • Deposition in sexual abuse case delayed to allow former USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny to attend Indy 500 parties. Not a joke folks!
  • Nassar May 12th Hearing:
    • John Geddert allegedly walked in on Larry abusing one of the victims and said, “That must have hurt”
    • Plaintiff Rachael Denhollander destroyed Nassar’s defense team!
    • Nassar’s defense is that children don’t understand the difference between sexual assault and legitimate medical procedures performed without gloves, parental notification, consent or explanation. Seems legit.
    • Nassar hearing continues this Friday, May 26th. 
      • News reports:
        • Details from preliminary hearing for Larry Nassar
        • Three alleged victims testify against Nassar in graphic, tense court hearing
        • Nassar attorneys quiz women on whether treatments helped
        • “My trust had been used against me as a weapon, and I never wanted to trust again” – Denhollander
        • Meet the 7 women and girls testifying against Larry Nassar on Friday
  • Bill requiring Olympic sports organizations to report sex abuse allegations advances
    • Senator Diane Feinstein introduced her bill (S534), read the text of the bill here and her press release here.
    • Call your representative (find them here) to thank or tell them to pass this bill!
    • To support the victims use hashtag #GymJaneDoe
• British Gymnastics continues to be amazing. Love to Move is a chair based activity program to fight dementia

FEEDBACK

• The body shaming of McKayla Maroney
• Pregnancy Doping – the science behind the myth explained!
• Episode 252 Myths, Legends and Unexpected Moments Commissioned show feedback:
  • David Henderson at the 2000 Pontiac International Team Championships. The pommel broke off in his hand and the shards on the pommel base ripped his pants.
  • Rianna Mizzen (AUS) had to call animal control to remove this snake from her gym. 
  • Khorkina is the VBBF (VBBF pronounced phonetically = eponymous skill on every event)

THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW

Jessica Steyers, former competitive gymnast, NBC Olympic gymnastics producer and who is now a NY licensed clinical social worker certified trauma psychotherapist. We discuss:

• Red flags and warning signs
• How to help if a victim comes to you
• If USAG’s response on social media hurt or helped victims
• The line between grooming and healthy coach-athlete bond
• How listeners can support victims
• NBC’s on-air interview with Nastia

Resources:

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse. Serving the United States, its territories, and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who, through interpreters, can provide assistance in over 170 languages. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, literature, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. All calls are confidential. Here is a list of all the Child Protective Services hotlines in the country. Stopitnow.org has great information on spotting behavioral signs in adults

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy one of our awesome shirts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 252: Myths, Legends and Unexpected Moments in Gymnastics History (Commissioned)
• 246: Kathy Johnson Clarke Regionals Preview
• Episode 15: Joan Ryan Author of Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
• Episode 17: Growing Up In The Soviet Gymnastics System And Training At Round Lake
• Episode 31: Elise Ray
• Episode 28: Kristen Maloney
• Episode 33: Simone Biles & Her Coaches
• 187: McKayla Maroney
• 163: ENOUGH
• Episode 56: Preventing Abuse in Gymnastics
• 63: Doctor Larry Nassar
• 245: Steve Penny is GONE
• 244: Russian Nationals & Gymnix 2017
• 243: Senate Bill 534
• 242: Standards
• 241: The Pittsburgh Incident
• 240: Chalkography
• 239: Elite Canada, Reykjavik & NCAA
• Olympic/World Championship Team Members Competing in College Gymnastics in 2017

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