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This episode has been commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Billy, who has used his commission to give a gift to you, the listeners, by commissioning a fan-idea episode—it’s a special tribute to the most dedicated of gym nerds for our 400th episode!

This is a super-extra gym nerdy topic submitted by Poor Lawyer who said, “spend one hour designing compulsory routines for 2024, if they returned.” Eeeeeeee! (Spoiler alert: it’s more than an hour.) 

We discuss the background of compulsories and why we love them (a segment for the young youthful youngs who may have grown up in a time without compulsories), celebrate Spencer’s favorite part of any game—an extensive review of the rules before you start—and go event by event to design the definitely real and absolutely going to happen compulsory routines at the 2024 Olympics. It mostly consists of Spencer presenting awesome, carefully constructed routines and Jessica callously and viciously tearing them to shreds. You guys, it’s on. We even have some ideas for men’s compulsories (on the good events).

FURTHER READING

What the eff are these elements we’re talking about? Find them—with GIFs, naming conventions, and background—in the Balance Beam Situation’s clickable code of points.

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This episode has been commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Britt, who asked for an episode all about the career of Oksana Chusovitina, saying, “I wanted to wait until she retired, but who knows when she will ever actually retire.” Correct. As we have established, she’s not allowed.

• Part 1 – What Is It About Chuso?
  • Jessica takes us on a scenic tour of Chuso’s life (and also the history of the internet?), from her start in Uzbekistan, to her time with the Unified Team, to her marriage and her son’s illness, to the Germany years, and full circle back to Uzbekistan again. There will be some feelings.
  • Chuso’s longevity by the numbers — 7 Olympics, 17 world championships, and 13 combined medals. Plus, Spencer searches through the archives to find the first instance of a commentator being surprised that Chuso is still competing.
• Part 2 – The Big Fat Chuso Quiz
• Part 3 – The Early Years
  • Chuso’s successful junior career, her major international debut in 1990, and the fortuitous (for her) circumstances that leg to her breakout performance at the 1991 world championships and making the 1992 Olympic team.
• Part 4 – Eponymous Skills
  • Chusovitina has 5 eponymous skills in the code of points across three events. We break down each one and discuss other skills Chuso could have had named after herself—as well as whose skills died so that Chuso could live
  • Jessica doesn’t care for the code’s treatment of full-out elements or twisting pike elements, both of which have personally victimized Oksana Chusovitina
• Part Feelings – Pause for Love Story
  • Jessica tricks Spencer into talking about love things or whatever by turning it into a test
• Part 5 – The Germany Years
  • Chuso enjoyed the best all-around finishes of her career while competing for Germany in the mid-late 2000s. We discuss reasons, both mental and technical. And also the Jean Shorts Exhibition.
• Part 6 – Chuso By Event
  • Chuso’s constancy on vault — except for the Prod years. Because everyone makes mistakes
  • No-grips bars, and how she made it work for herself in 2008
  • Chuso’s best beam era came in her 30s, and what if she could do a routine of all punch fronts
  • Our favorite Chuso floor – the split-leg DLO to punch front from 2002.

FURTHER READING

• Gymnovosti – Chusovitina: Try to Catch Up with Me
• International Gymnast – Ageless Chusovitina Turns 33

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

RELATED EPISODES

• 398: Back from Worlds!
• Stuttgart: Behind The Scenes
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• 394: 2019 Worlds – Women’s All-Around Final
• 393: 2019 Worlds – Men’s Team Final
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BACK FROM WORLDS

Everything we still want to talk about from worlds! Because there was so much!

But first, Club Gym Nerd members be sure to listen to our special behind the scenes episode  just for Club Gym Nerd members with photo gallery (Login or join here) about what happened in Stuttgart, including tales of the woman who tried to move in on Jessica’s husband.

• The stuff of gymnastics lore for decades to come
  • Tang Xijing goes from missing the all-around final entirely to winning the silver medal. We speculate on theoretical fluff pieces about this dramatic feat.
  • Team Italy qualified for the team final by only .034 before its run to the bronze medal, and it was unsung hero Elisa Iorio who delivered the critical beam routine.
• Roxana Popa’s qualification floor routine and the best triple Y spin ever done. 
• Tyson Bill making the high bar final and getting an Olympic spot!
• Noah Kuavita’s triple back pike from high bar.
• Tingting’s street snack (Tanghulu) hair and Chen Yile’s “the birds that are angry…angry birds!” pig on Sun Wei’s arm bands.
• Arthur Nory married his gold medal and tossed the bouquet to the Brazilian delegation.
• Floor pandering, and what we’re going to do about it (NOTHING!) 

GYMTERNET NEWS

• Laurie Hernandez did a little tweet about going to camp, so Spencer and Jessica run with that and proceed to plan her whole life. NBD. 
• Mihai is done in Australia. Thoughts on his tenure and what Australia should do from here.
• The affair of Danusia Francis, Twitter, and trans athletes. We discuss, and hopefully dispel some myths.
• Elsa Garcia and coach Eric Demay, with a look back at Eric Demay’s dismissal from the Swiss team over a decade ago.   
• The national anthem salute controversy at worlds that apparently existed.
• SKILLS: Fusuke Maeda’s triple back over the high bar, and Konnor McClain’s LOSO + back full.
• Dumpster Fire 1, Dumpster Fire 2, and Dumpster Fires 3 through 456.
• Plus: A Bart of many talents, Ana Padurariu’s college plans, Chuso pretending she’s allowed to retire, MyKayla Skinner’s wedding, Simone’s first pitch, Nina getting only what she deserves, upcoming gymnastics books, Jessica’s obsession with self-driving cars and how it (doesn’t) relate to gymnastics, and more.

MEET NEWS

• Spencer’s Olympic Corner: Counting down to the Olympics, where we stand with qualification after worlds, who still needs to qualify, and what upcoming paths they’re going to take.
• Fun Meet Season: Mixed pairs meets where you get to gallivant around central Europe and do only some of the events and compete as teams and can dismount with a flyaway if you want.
• US Nationals dates have been announced for 2020. The Olympic season is beginning to come into focus!

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• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
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• Stuttgart: Behind The Scenes
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• 390: 2019 Worlds – Men’s Qualification Day 1
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EVENT FINALS DAY 2

It’s overrrrrrrr! Worlds has come to a close for another year. We break down the stories from some of our most beloved and dangerous event finals (often the same one) on the final day of competition and reflect back on the journey that was Stuttgart 2019. 

PODIUM TRAINING VIDEOS

Check out all of our routine videos and interviews from podium training on our YouTube page, brought to you by TumblTrak!

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EVENT FINALS DAY 1

Men’s FX, PH and Rings. Women’s Vault and Bars. Could anyone dethrone Simone and Nina? Did Jessica and Spencer emotionally survive having to sit through an entire pommel horse and rings final, respectively? You’ll have to listen to find out as the team recaps with special guest, Coach Rick from GymnasticsCoaching.com the first day of event finals from worlds. Plus some Dumpster Fire News because the light keeps shinning even during Worlds: Gymnastics Federation’s Payments to a Linked Foundation Is Under Scrutiny

PODIUM TRAINING VIDEOS

Check out all of our routine videos and interviews from podium training on our YouTube page, brought to you by TumblTrak!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

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

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• 386: Things You Only Know If You’re a Gymnast, with Bram Verhofstad (Commissioned)
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MEN’S ALL-AROUND FINAL

We thought it would be the most wide-open competition heading into worlds. Did it play out that way? Did Russia and China keep Russia-ing and China-ing along? And how did Sam do on his big test? Jessica, Spencer, and special guest, Olly Hogben have all the news from the arena.

VIDEOS, ROUTINES, INTERVIEWS & MONTAGES FROM WORLDS

Check out all of our routine videos and interviews from podium training on our YouTube page, brought to you by TumblTrak!

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

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WOMEN’S ALL-AROUND FINAL

The Simone Show continued its world tour in Stuttgart, and we have all the details. Who else was in the royal queen’s court? We have all the news from the competition, and all the juicy details you didn’t see on the live stream. Join us, won’t you? 

PODIUM TRAINING VIDEOS

Check out all of our routine videos and interviews from podium training on our YouTube page, brought to you by TumblTrak!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

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

RELATED EPISODES

• 386: Things You Only Know If You’re a Gymnast, with Bram Verhofstad (Commissioned)
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MEN’S TEAM FINAL

We have officially crowned the 2019 winner of the Best Men Competition! Did everything go to plan for Russia and China? What do we make of that US men’s performance? Jessica, Spencer, and Kensley have much to say. Much much much. 

Plus details on the Fujitsu Robot Judging press conference. How it’s been used so far during and after the competition so far, the other applications outside of gymnastics, monetization plans now and future and privacy concerns.  E score capability and connection value questions answered !

PODIUM TRAINING VIDEOS

Check out all of our routine videos and interviews from podium training on our YouTube page, brought to you by TumblTrak!

SUPPORT THE SHOW

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

RELATED EPISODES

• 386: Things You Only Know If You’re a Gymnast, with Bram Verhofstad (Commissioned)
• 385: Follow the Money
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