Re: changing the worlds format. I actually really like that we get so many people of different levels at Worlds, and I don’t particularly mind seeing a couple of Tsuk pikes if that is the best gymnast that particular country has. I think that using World Cups or other international competitions gives too much of an unfair advantage to countries with money, who can send their gymnasts to more competitions. Smaller federations might just give up on sending gymnasts. And that makes me sad.

I do think, though, that it is challenging for judges to get the scores and rankings precisely correct when routines vary enormously in level within one session, and various finals contenders are competing on different days. In my mind, the best way to deal with this without requiring countries to stay longer at worlds (i.e. spend more money) is to have seeded qualifying sessions. Countries that made the team finals at the last worlds/olympics all go in the last session, for example. Maybe World Cup placements could qualify you for one of the later sessions. People would complain about this to no end, and it would suck for gymnasts like Nina Derwael who are standouts from less well-known gymnastics countries, but I think it would be the best solution. Then judges would be able to see the contenders for finals in a more condensed period of time and could be more consistent in scoring, and fans/media could skip the first sessions if they don’t want to see lower level routines, but the gymnasts would still be able to go to worlds and compete without additional expenditure.

I think the gymnast you are talking about is Chari Knight-Hunter. I believe she was part of the selection panel for the 2000 Olympics.

I had no idea parents were so rude to her when she resumed training. Shame on them!

No offense, guys, but I feel like the hearing that you are covering the 2000 women’s all-around might be some of “the most important news ever of all time.” One of the few things that might be better is if you do the team final. I feel like those two events were made especially for Gymcastic!

I know you usually watch the NBC broadcasts for these podcasts, but please, please, please also consider taking a look at the BBC coverage and comparing and contrasting their commentary on THAT apparatus. (You all know what I’m talking about!) Even then, as a naive kid, I felt like NBC was over-the-top dramatic, and watching the BBC’s take many years later, the difference was fascinating. Seventeen years later, it’s so obvious which coverage was live and which was tape-delayed.

re: Seda’s comments on Eremina’s medals — obviously the all-around field was super-depleted this year, but is it fair to diminish Eremina’s bar medal? That was a pretty stacked event final.

Laura Martinez from Spain had one of the most bizarre vault runs I’ve ever seen. Very lop-sided and looked like she was being chased by a herd of animals. I’d love to see this compilation video if someone does it!