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In the second episode commissioned by the Participation Sisters, we talk about…ourselves? They’ve commissioned an episode called The GymCastic Podcast: Where We’ve been and Where We’re Heading, saying very nice things like: “GymCastic has given gym fans everything we always knew we always wanted but weren’t getting from major news outlets: Weekly in-depth updates, impassioned and informed stances on both serious and trivial topics, interviews with past and former athletes and coaches, Rage-O-Meters, and more. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, GymCastic is ushering in a new paradigm for gymnastics reportage — authentic, humorous, and hard-hitting. Many of us are curious about the evolution of the podcast. We’d love you to give us a “behind the scenes” look into how you got started, and where you hope to be in the future.”

We answer questions like

• How did you get started?
• How did Jess meet Spencer?
• How do/did you juggle your day job with your podcast?
• What was your first interview like, and how has your interview style evolved based on lessons learned?
• How did you fall in LOVE with gymnastics?
• What has been the most challenging interview?
• If you had an unlimited budget, what would GymCastic evolve into?
• What does your “realistic” road map look like for the future?

If you like this episode you will also enjoy, Episode 100. This is the shamelessly vainglorious episode where we answer all of your questions about our irrelevant personal lives, and the origins of show, includes hosts Dr. Uncle Tim, Blythe, Evan and Jessica.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned)
• 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned)
• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 344: Shushunova vs. Silivas 1988 (Commissioned)
• 342: A Quitter’s Try – The CNN Parkettes Documentary (Commissioned)
• 341: The Call Is Coming from Inside the House
• 340: USAG and The Case of the Missing Documents
• 327: 1993 NCAA Nationals (Commissioned)
• 325: Olympics of Difference Makers (Commissioned)
• 313: Best Floor Routines EVAH! (Commissioned)
• 312: 4th Is the New 1st (Commissioned)
• 309: Perfect Form – The O’Beirne Code (Commissioned)
• 308: 2004 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 306: Gymnastics Fails (Commissioned)
• 304: The GymCastic Olympics (Commissioned)
• 281: Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments PART 2 (Commissioned)
• 279: A Diva Is Magical: The Svetlana Khorkina Episode (Commissioned)
• 278: 2000 Sydney All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 262: 1996 Olympic Event Finals (Commissioned)
• 258: The Fluff Cast (Commissioned)
• 256: 1996 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 255: 1996 Olympic Team Final (Commissioned)
• 252: Myths, Legends and Unexpected Moments in Gymnastics History (Commissioned)
• 228: Leotards (Commissioned)
• 225: 1992 Olympics Recap with Wendy Bruce (Commissioned)
• 185: 2008 Olympic All-Around Finals (Commissioned)

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

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BUM-BUM-BUMMMMMMMM

To start things off this week, we are joined by a little someone you might have heard of named Morgan Hurd, who has a special announcement about an exciting new project she’s been working on. The sound you hear from coast-to-coast is Jessica screaming (literally). Then Scott Bregman chats with us about how this project came to be and all the deets you need to know.

What is it?

“All Around” launches on Tuesday, 6 August with new episodes each month for the next year. 

Where can I watch?

“All Around” can be watched on the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Channel which is available worldwide at olympicchannel.com, its mobile apps and on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon and Android TV. It is subscription-free so you do not need a television subscription.

In addition to the online episodes, we will be creating and posting exclusive content such as diaries and personal photos on social media in between episodes.

What about TV?

In the United States, episodes will be available on the cable network “Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA” in 2020.

UNIVERSITY GAMES

• NAAABBBBSS. Nabs Nabs Nabs. Nabs.
• Did we mention Nabieva is back?
• Spencer breaks down her every move like a stalker, including the amazing (medaling on everything she did), the neutral deduction on bars because Nabieva, the slow-motion replay of her beam scratch, the muttering magical spells for 7 hours, and the high-five she intercepted because it was probably for her
• Do we celebrate when other athletes make mistakes? A gymnastics etiquette controversy
• Cause of death: Lilia Akhaimova
• Plus, UNACCEPTABLE shushing and springboard use and PBars inquiry drama

MEN’S NATIONAL QUALIFIER

• News on who qualified, what happened to Donnell Whittenburg, the dumb-ass points system, and Sam Mikulak’s high bar upgrade
• A special vicarious rage-0-meter from Kensley about coverage of US men’s gymnastics
• Should the national governing body have to give equal time to all its disciplines, or should it follow the audience size? 

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 372: Junior Worlds and Gymternet News
• 371: European Games 2019
• 370: #FreeMai
• 369: 2019 American Classic
• 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned)
• 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned)
• 366: Virtuous Value Parts
• 362: Morgan Hurd & Heath Thorpe

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

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JUNIOR WORLDS

Athletes from around the world gathered in Hungary for the inaugural junior world championship. 

• Thoughts on the concept of this meet: Does it undermine the purpose of an age limit in women’s competition? Is it just a front for an elaborate conspiracy and other agendas (YES)?
• We didn’t get to watch the team/AA competition because the FIG is terrible at this
• Coronation of the Russian junior amazing brilliant amazingness: with apecial attention to Listunova’s floor and important facial expressions
• China’s surprise team silver medal, with love for Ou Yushan’s floor routine and China’s competitive floor scores. You heard that right.
• The US won bronze in the team competition and Jessica has a RAGE-O-METER for those of you who might have a problem with this. Spencer has a QUIETER-O-METER about pretending competitions were amazing even when they were OK
• Jennifer. Gadirova. End of lesson. 
• Romania…might survive?
• Words for that googly-eyed chicken and its focus-pulling chicken baby

GYMTERNET NEWS AND FEEDBACK

• Alyona Shchennikova’s Achilles
• The James Hall Body Hair Removal Service
• NCAA coaching hires
• US Olympic NGBs received a…you guessed it…F for self-governance
• University Games and Men’s National Qualifier this week
• Feedback on what you call a group of kids, body type and judging bias, toes definitely not hurting, and more

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

FURTHER READING

• European Games and Junior Worlds – Day 4
• European Games and Junior Worlds – Day 3
• Junior Worlds – Day 2
• European Games and Junior Worlds – Day 1

RELATED EPISODES

• 370: #FreeMai
• 369: 2019 American Classic
• 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned)
• 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned)
• 366: Virtuous Value Parts
• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 363: Five Is the New Four (…Is the New Five)
• 362: Morgan Hurd & Heath Thorpe

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

LISTEN HERE

 

EUROPEAN GAMES

In our first episode of the week (look out for a junior worlds/gymternet news episode later in the week where we tell you all to GET A GRIP about the US performance), we take on the events of the second-ever European Games, which is definitely not the European Championships, you guys. Don’t even think that it is. Because it’s not. 

• Complaining about the format: 18 people in the AA final? Six in event finals?? One per country??? Top women’s AA qualifiers starting on bars???? This is not how it goes, European Games. Not how it goes. 
• Fangirling the queen: Angelina Melnikova edition. She had kind of an amazing meet and even hit beam all of the times. 
• Success for France, Ukraine being too Ukraine to function, and why the splatfest of an all-around final was definitely the fault of that damn personal-space-violating fox.
• The case of the last-minute allergic reaction
• Nina’s rollercoaster from bars fall to all-time ANGER BEAM
• Why 80-hour, mid-meet medal ceremonies are not OK
• Oh also Putin was there (???????)
• Kick-ass things to do with your medals
• Where does all-around champion Belyavskiy currently fit in the Russian hierarchy?
• Oleg is back…right…RIGHT?

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

FURTHER READING

• European Games and Junior Worlds – Day 4
• European Games and Junior Worlds – Day 3
• Junior Worlds – Day 2
• European Games and Junior Worlds – Day 1

RELATED EPISODES

• 370: #FreeMai
• 369: 2019 American Classic
• 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned)
• 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned)
• 366: Virtuous Value Parts
• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 363: Five Is the New Four (…Is the New Five)
• 362: Morgan Hurd & Heath Thorpe

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

LISTEN HERE

In our second episode of the week covering the gymternet news only. Earlier this week we took a deep dive into the events of the American Classic, the first “big” elite meet of the summer. Let us know if you like the new format. 

STORIES OF THE WEEK

• Japan has gone crazy — Mai Murakami is not on Japan’s worlds team, despite being healthy and MAI. Spencer explains how this travesty has been allowed to occur because of Japan’s unnecessarily intransigent, early, and all-around-focused selection process
  • Kohei and Kenzo are ALSO not on Japan’s worlds team (pause for gasps), though it’s kind of a different situation going on there
• USAG is making rules again — Jessica takes us inside the world of the Leotard Cut Debacle and new USAG leo rules that had the gym-parent community up in arms this month
  • The new Safe Sport regulations are out, which are good in theory but we have some questions about grooming, practicality, and spelling
  • New selection procedures — changes to the women’s Olympic team selection, the Simone Clause, the independent observer, and WHAT ON EARTH is going on with the athlete rep situation
  • The junior worlds team has been named, and the Pan Ams training squad is official
• The US men went to Japan – Kensley has an update on the US men’s journey to Japan and what the US can learn from Japan’s approach to MAG

GYMTERNET NEWS

• Depression news: Rebeca Andrade has suffered another ACL injury, Parkettes coach John Holman has been restricted, Bailie Key has retired, and more
• Skill news: Yeo Seojeong has a new front handspring 2/1 vault that she landed successfully at Korea Cup, and Keisuke Asato is training a piked Ri Se Gwang 
• Squeal news: Jessica has things to say about wrestling, littles overcoming obstacles, and gymnastics babies

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned)
• 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned)
• 366: Virtuous Value Parts
• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 363: Five Is the New Four (…Is the New Five)
• 362: Morgan Hurd & Heath Thorpe

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

LISTEN HERE

 

AMERICAN CLASSIC

In our first episode of the week (look out for a gymternet news episode where we fight for justice for Mai Murakami later in the week), we take a deep dive into the events of the American Classic, the first “big” elite meet of the summer. 

You can rewatch (or just watch) the replay streams on USAG’s Youtube. 

• General “what even is this meet” thoughts about…what even is this meet…and whether USAG needs to try to make it an actual event, with a gentle reminder that it’s verrrrry early
• Fangirling the queens: Faith Torrez and Ciena Alipio — why Faith Torrez was so much better than everyone else here, and what Ciena Alipio has in common with Ukrainians
• Opportunities for comedy: Thank you to Emily Lee, Mia Heather, Ciena Alipio, and little Hopes gymnast for fulfilling the true prophecy and point of gymnastics by delivering the moments of the meet 
• Sunisa Lee’s Nabieva + Bhardwaj. YOU GUYS. I MEAN…
• The new juniors we’re now officially obsessed with. Spoiler: it’s all of them.  
• Spencer’s opportunity to stop all this insufferable, deflating positivity and fill his metaphorical chalk bucket with refreshing negativity about some unpleasant trends
• What we noticed from the seniors, including an episode CSI: Code of Points

GYMCASTIC GLOBAL

• Dutch Nationals gave us a fight between Casimir Schmidt and Bart Deurloo on the men’s side for who has the best (most) tattoos, while Naomi Visser continues to be the talk of the town, and LIEKE WEVERS IS BACK
• Nina Derwael upgraded her bars routine again at the FIT Challenge, adding a casual new Stalder Tkatchev piked. To her Nabieva. And Derwael-Fenton. 
• History for Taiwan at the Asian Championships 

FURTHER READING

• American Classic – Live Blog
• Things Are Happening – June 20, 2019
• The Race to Tokyo – Women’s Team Qualification

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned)
• 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned)
• 366: Virtuous Value Parts
• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 363: Five Is the New Four (…Is the New Five)
• 362: Morgan Hurd & Heath Thorpe

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

LISTEN HERE

 

This episode has been commissioned by Club Gym Nerd members The Participation Sisters, who requested an episode called No-No Nunnoisms: The Era of Larger-Than-Life Coaches (and why it needed to end).

Disclaimer: We’re going to laugh about some of this stuff, and we also know Bela is horrible.

• Is Bela Karolyi patient zero for this kind of gymnastics coaching?
• Inside the belief that you needed an impassioned man to coach you to Olympic success (barf barf barf barf barf), and then the times when that was (sigh) actually true. 
• NBC’s obsession with Bela Karolyi 
  • That horrific 1996 fluff piece on Kerri Strug — His defeat? The only man who could make her dreams come true? That boat-rowing methodology? OH HELL NO.
  • “Bela’s girls”
  • Obviously, Spencer can’t resist talking about that creep-burger 1995 Moceanu fluff or crazy 1992 articles
• Exaggerating the important of coaches by minimizing the athletes as “little girls,” even when they’re adults
• Bela and Nunno and the 1992 Trials war of words
• What have we (or should we have) learned from that era about the culture of the sport
• Have we come out of the era of larger-than-life coaches?

FURTHER READING

• Things Are Happening – June 14, 2019
• I Don’t Like Sheep – The Downgraded Elements
• American Classic Rosters
• The Japan Problem

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned)
• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 344: Shushunova vs. Silivas 1988 (Commissioned)
• 342: A Quitter’s Try – The CNN Parkettes Documentary (Commissioned)
• 341: The Call Is Coming from Inside the House
• 340: USAG and The Case of the Missing Documents
• 327: 1993 NCAA Nationals (Commissioned)
• 325: Olympics of Difference Makers (Commissioned)
• 313: Best Floor Routines EVAH! (Commissioned)
• 312: 4th Is the New 1st (Commissioned)
• 309: Perfect Form – The O’Beirne Code (Commissioned)
• 308: 2004 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 306: Gymnastics Fails (Commissioned)
• 304: The GymCastic Olympics (Commissioned)
• 281: Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments PART 2 (Commissioned)
• 279: A Diva Is Magical: The Svetlana Khorkina Episode (Commissioned)
• 278: 2000 Sydney All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 262: 1996 Olympic Event Finals (Commissioned)
• 258: The Fluff Cast (Commissioned)
• 256: 1996 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 255: 1996 Olympic Team Final (Commissioned)
• 252: Myths, Legends and Unexpected Moments in Gymnastics History (Commissioned)
• 228: Leotards (Commissioned)
• 225: 1992 Olympics Recap with Wendy Bruce (Commissioned)
• 185: 2008 Olympic All-Around Finals (Commissioned)

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

LISTEN HERE

This week’s episode has been commissioned by Brad, who commissioned this very special edition of GymCastic as a surprise gift for his girlfriend Tricia. We present…Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship. 

• All the makings of a classic rivalry—the preordained champion with OLYMPIC DNA LEGACY OMG, versus the little upstart from Iowa corn-fed-doo-dee-doo who just bounced along bouncily 
• The context of the new open-ended code and the BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SPORT
• Who ultimately won that battle?
• The narrative of Nastia as “form” and Shawn as “power”—the aspects in which that holds up, and the aspects in which it definitely doesn’t. Enough time has passed that we can get real about some of these skills. 
• “Nastia won the 2008 all-around because the Olympic judges loved her international look.” We dive into that garbage barge and burn it from the inside. 
• The fan feud: Team Nastia or Team Shawn. You must pick a side.
• The culture war imposed on Shawn and Nastia. The “all-American girl next door” versus “the foreigner” and how that influenced THE FEUD. 
• And then Jessica officially pops off about the constant adjudication of whether prominent women are “best friends” or in a “catfight.” (Psychology Today)

FURTHER READING

• The Japan Problem
• Things Are Happening – June 7, 2019
• No Skill For You
• Live, Laugh, Nabieva

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 344: Shushunova vs. Silivas 1988 (Commissioned)
• 342: A Quitter’s Try – The CNN Parkettes Documentary (Commissioned)
• 341: The Call Is Coming from Inside the House
• 340: USAG and The Case of the Missing Documents
• 327: 1993 NCAA Nationals (Commissioned)
• 325: Olympics of Difference Makers (Commissioned)
• 313: Best Floor Routines EVAH! (Commissioned)
• 312: 4th Is the New 1st (Commissioned)
• 309: Perfect Form – The O’Beirne Code (Commissioned)
• 308: 2004 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 306: Gymnastics Fails (Commissioned)
• 304: The GymCastic Olympics (Commissioned)
• 281: Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments PART 2 (Commissioned)
• 279: A Diva Is Magical: The Svetlana Khorkina Episode (Commissioned)
• 278: 2000 Sydney All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 262: 1996 Olympic Event Finals (Commissioned)
• 258: The Fluff Cast (Commissioned)
• 256: 1996 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned)
• 255: 1996 Olympic Team Final (Commissioned)
• 252: Myths, Legends and Unexpected Moments in Gymnastics History (Commissioned)
• 228: Leotards (Commissioned)
• 225: 1992 Olympics Recap with Wendy Bruce (Commissioned)
• 185: 2008 Olympic All-Around Finals (Commissioned)

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN 

LISTEN HERE

 

GYMTERNET NEWS

• Simone’s upgrades! (EEEEEE)
• That Sarah Finnegan abortion broom internet scam
• Terin Humphrey was fired from USAG
• What exactly is the virtuous performance of a value part?
• NCAA coaching developments and rule proposals
• Aliya’s injury (NOOOOOOO)
  • Nabieva is back on national team (Spencer has a tribute here)
• Ashton Locklear retires
• A rousing game of “The British Call It What?” hosted by Kensley (56:56)

MEET NEWS (1:14:18)

• Canadian Nationals
  • The Ellie Black/Ana Padurariu rivalry delivers another classic
  • Brooklyn Moors tore her heart out for our sins
  • Shallon Olsen has never slept ever, apparently
• World Challenge Cups
  • Vault debacles—stopped runs and ad-board headbutts 
  • Rhys McClenaghan is back and recording huge PH scores
  • Tomas. Gonzalez. Spencer needs some smelling salts.
  • Trends in women’s floor composition for fans of dance elements
  • Goksu Uctas Sanli is everything we want in women’s gymnastics
  • Bars, er, um, didn’t go great
• Australian Nationals – updates on national champion Georgia Godwin, the state of Australia’s chances to make the Olympics, and Heath Thorpe

PLUS

MAN DRAMA! (1:51:18) Kensley updates us on the proposals (they’re just proposals, you guys) for drastic changes in men’s college gymnastics, the suspect claims being made about how wonderful they’re going to be, and the twitter fight that ensued. 

DEVO CAMP! (1:04:53) We are joined by Lauren Stevens of the Chalk Warrior who attended the most recent developmental camp at Flip Fest and is here to give us all the inside scoop, what she was surprised by, and encouraging news about tonal and cultural changes in the USAG system.

FURTHER READING

• Koper World Challenge Cup
• Things Are Happening – May 31, 2019
• Canadian and Australian Nationals
• That’s Not My Name

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.

RELATED EPISODES

• 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned)
• 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned)
• 363: Five Is the New Four (…Is the New Five)
• 362: Morgan Hurd & Heath Thorpe
• 361: 2019 NCAA Nationals
• 360: European Championships & NCAAs Preview

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN