Episode

March 26, 2019 by Spencer Barnes Leave a Comment

357: It’s the Freakin’ Lighting!

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Remember: Tickets to our live show from NCAA nationals—the Flipping Four After Party presented by Tumbl Trak —are on sale. Get ’em while they’re hot. Want a hint about our secret special guest? Go to the 41:36 minutes.

MEET NEWS

Birmingham World Cup (2:11)
- Why did everyone fall on everything? Try the crazy spotlight lighting! Measure your lumens, yo!
- Aliya is the champion and is going to Euros now—called it!
- Riley McCusker is the women’s team answer to Sam Mikulak
- …and the FIG still can’t tell any of the Chinese gymnasts apart. Great.
Superstars (or Stuperstars) of Gymnastics (14:54)
- Jessica loved it and Spencer was like [sigh]—obviously
- We discuss Danusia’s new vault family, Simone stealing the show with the best line of the night, Ellie Black going ALL IN on this craziness, Casimir Schmidt’s pink broccoli boxers, how Laurent was one of the celebrity judges, Jessica’s feelings moments, and more
NCAA Conference championships (43:24)
- LSU beats Florida in an intense SEC Championship that came down to floor
- Denver almost beat Oklahoma at Big 12s, you guys
- The three-way AA tie in the Big Ten made Jessica’s dreams come true, though the camera work…didn’t
- UCLA won Pac-12s as both UCLA and Utah broke 198. We discuss the 10s and the “coincidental” change in Ohashi’s floor music
  - Plus, is the one-routine-at-a-time, 2.5 hour format of Pac-12s working?
Regionals! (1:11:44)
- George Washington and Lindenwood claim the last two spots on a dramatic final day. We discuss the heartbreaking finish for UIC and the beautiful Cinderella story of Lindenwood gymnastics
- The regionals draw—what are the juiciest matchups to watch, and how did the committee screw up the team distribution? Oh, in several ways!
Doha Apparatus World Cup (1:25:00)
- The day the Australia broke
- High bar is fulfilling all our hopes and dreams for this qualification method
- NINA!
- Jade Carey, Maria Paseka’s best-ever Amanar, and the race for the Perfect 90

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March 20, 2019 by Spencer Barnes Leave a Comment

356: Vallapalooza

LISTEN HERE

LIVE SHOW TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Remember: Tickets to our live show from NCAA nationals—the Flipping Four After Party presented by Tumbl Trak —are on sale. Get ’em while they’re hot.

ATHLETE ASSISTANCE FUND

(2:30) The Athlete Assistance Fund has partnered with the New York Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children to provide child sexual assault prevention training to national gymnastics programs. We discuss what the Athlete Assistance Fund is and what this partnership is going to do. We will continue to support Saving Our Survivors Fund via our store.

COLLEGE NEWS

(10:03) The Miss Val farewell meet was as extra as you knew it would be
- The Valorie Kondos Field Floor was unveiled. We have some other ideas for coach-naming tributes
- Jessica tells us about what we didn’t see on TV, and it involves flash mobs and ice sculptures and math problems
- We’ve been given a challenge to talk about college meets without discussing the judging. Jessica accepts the challenge. Spencer passes.
- Why that ridiculous roller coaster of a meet was the perfect tribute to Miss Val
- Madison. Ward. Sessions.
- But that broadcast, you guys…
- Kyla got a Perfect Fall 9.500 from one judge. Has anyone ever scored a Perfect Fall before? Should it be possible?
Other college developments including Cal’s program-record score of 197.575 and Bridgeport upping the game for next season in terms of celebrations
(49:53) We announce the Pac-12 Championship ticket winners.
(50:15) Regionals Watch: Who’s in, who’s out, and who desperately needs a score at conference championships this weekend

ELITE NEWS

(55:06) Stuttgart all-around world cup
- Simone wins with “downgrades,” Ana Padurariu is a dream, Elisabeth Seitz upgrades back to the DTY for the first time in forever, and Aliya’s beam features wobbles on everything except her acro series because of course
Stuttgart team challenge
- Brazil is coming for all your titles, and Andrade scored 56.932 (!) in the all-around
- (1:02:08) Jessica provides a moment-by-moment art-historical interpretation of Eythora’s brilliant beam routine
Baku
- Jade Carey unleashes her Cheng upon the world and wins vault in a field that was RIDIC
- Spencer breaks down the qualification rules, including what happens if two people tie for a spot, and what happens if Jade Carey wins more than one event
- Floor competition brought us the BODYSUIT LEO HEARD ROUND THE WORLD
- Controversy on beam: Anastasia Bachynska loses the bronze medal because her coach was on the podium. We have many problems with this.
- Emma Nedov is the real deal, and Jessica and Spencer basically get a divorce while trying to compare Tingting and Li Qi.
- Man-notes about high bar (eeeeee!) and the return of Yang Hakseon.