Doping In Women’s Gymnastics, Plus Patrick & Daymon part two

The history of Doping in women’s gymnastics staring East Germany, part two of Patrick Kiens and Daymon Jones’ interview, USA Gymnastics’ new CEO hire, the return of the American Cup, 2027 college signings and a LA 2028 comeback wish list mini-commission.

HEADLINES:

• USA Gymnastics has hired Kyle Albrecht, a former Major League Soccer executive, to lead the organization. What do we think about this decision?
• The American Cup is BACK as an international meet and is now a mixed-team event. When and where will the competition be held?
• We have college signings for 2027! Who is going where? But what does it even mean to “sign” with a school?
  • All the big elites are going to Florida
  • No Hezly for LSU?
  • The United States of Romania starring Ella Oprea (Clemson), Amalia Ghigoarta (MSU), and Lilia Cosman (MSU)
• DOPING IN WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS:
  • If you thought doping wasn’t a problem in gymnastics, Uncle Tim busted out the archives to let you know otherwise
  • Blue Pills and Broken Spines: How East Germany Destroyed Its Young Gymnasts
  • The Vault Champion Who Vanished after Doping  

INTERVIEW: PATRICK KIENS AND DAYMON JONES PART TWO

• VOINEA ABUSE ALLEGATION UPDATE: Video and more allegations against Camilla Voinea 
• What were the reactions from the Romanian media about last week’s part one interview with Patrick and Daymon?
• Maria Holbură released a statement speaking out about the abuse within the Romanian system
• What do Patrick and Daymon think about selection procedures for the American system?
• What were Jakarta World Championships like in comparison to previous World Championships?
• How did they feel about competition safety and the equipment?
• Is the Fujitsu AI judging system actually happening? Reactions from the  presentation
• What do judges want to see in terms of artistry on beam and floor?
• A shout out to Sylvia Brestyan for her analysis on judging accuracy
• How American gymnasts can reconstruct their routines for code-smart routines
• What are some positive examples of athlete adaptation?

MINI COMMISSION: COMEBACK WISH LIST FOR THE LA 2028 GAMES

• This mini commission is from our Fantasy Winner, Christy: With the next summer Olympics in LA, it’s the perfect time for someone to mount a comeback! Love a good comeback, and who wouldn’t want to compete at your home country’s Olympics!?! Is there anyone you realistically believe is training for a comeback, and who would you like to see come out of the woodwork and make a run for 2028?

GYMTERNET NEWS:

• NCAA schedules are starting to roll in!
  • Starts:
    • Jan. 10 – ABC – Sprouts (Oklahoma, UCLA, Utah, LSU)
    • Jan 10 – ESPN2 – Sprouts (Michigan State, California, Kentucky, Michigan)
  • Ends:
    • Apr. 18 – Championship Preview Show is back, followed by NCAA Championship
• All Japan Championships results
  • VT: Miyata Shoko (13.999 average)
    UB: Nakashima Karin (14.066)
    BB: Kishi Rina (14.500)
    FX: Kishi Rina (14.166)
    AA: Kishi Rina (55.999)

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Steroids Disguised as Candy (Cold Open)
01:35 – HEADLINES: New USAG CEO Kyle Albrecht
04:41 – American Cup Returns as Mixed-Team Event
07:07 – College Signings: 2027 Class Breakdown
12:11 – United States of Romania: Romanian Stars Announce NCAA Plans
14:14 – More 2027 Signees: UCLA, Oklahoma, Utah, LSU, Georgia, Cal
16:52 – Elite Paths, Injuries & Why Some Elites Skip NCAA Signing
17:26 – DOPING DEEP DIVE (Part 1): East Germany’s System Exposed
20:21 – How the GDR Program Worked: State-Run, Double-Blind, Children Targeted
22:31 – “Candy Steroids” & Personality-Based Doping Assignments
23:36 – What Drugs They Used & Why They Worked in Gymnastics
24:36 – Growth-Plate Closure, Neuro Drugs & Long-Term Damage
26:04 – Cadaver-Gland HGH & CJD Risk
27:41 – Reactions in 1989–1990 When the Stasi Files Were Opened
29:06 – IOC Refuses to Strip GDR Medals
29:47 – Missy Marlow Responds: “Where Did All the East Germans Go?”
30:34 – Should Medals Be Corrected or Re-Awarded?
34:13 – Abuse vs. Doping: Who Should Be Punished?
35:36 – Why These Lessons Still Matter for Today’s Gymnastics
36:15 – ROMANIA UPDATE: Responses to Patrick & Daymon Interview
37:19 – Maria Holbură Speaks: “I Had to Stand Like a Soldier”
38:24 – NEW Abuse Video of Camilla Voinea Surfaces
39:00 – Why Romanian Athletes Are Going to the Press
39:54 – INTERVIEW: Patrick & Daymon Part 2 Intro
40:06 – Jakarta Worlds: Overall Impressions
41:47 – Artistry Judging Finally Taken Seriously
42:37 – Floor Choreography Evolving: “You’re a Director Now”
43:18 – Consistency Across Subdivisions & Post-Olympic Judging Trends
44:18 – Should US Team Selection Use International Judges?
45:20 – Category Bias: Why Outside Eyes Matter
53:22 – Equipment Access Inequities: US vs Europe
54:17 – Training Camps & Jet Lag Protocols
55:57 – “Survival of the Fittest”: US System vs Small-Nation Systems
56:09 – Should Worlds Allow Traveling Alternates?
57:35 – Daily Logistics in Jakarta: Hotel, Volunteers, Food, Illness
59:07 – Only One Training Time per Day: The Reality
01:00:51 – FIG Cost-Cutting & Why Fewer Trainings Exist Now
01:02:04 – FIG Understaffing Concerns
01:03:12 – White Landing Mats: Visibility & Safety Issues
01:03:52 – Coaches’ Round Table: No Questions Allowed?!
01:04:12 – Fujitsu 3D Judging System: Still Vaporware?
01:06:02 – What the Athletes Learned from Jakarta
01:07:31 – Dulcinea’s Experience: Making Finals & Next Steps
01:08:32 – Upgrades, Code Exploration & Smart Routine Building
01:10:20 – Why E-Score Matters as Much as D-Score
01:11:03 – Routine Construction in the U.S.: A Long-Standing Problem
01:12:18 – Why International Judges Should Be Involved in Routine Design
01:13:02 – Athlete Education: Leanne Wong Example
01:13:20 – WCC’s 10–13 Year Old Pipeline: The Future
01:14:12 – Long-Term Vision for Building a Program
01:14:46 – MINI COMMISSION INTRO: Comeback Wishlist for LA28
01:15:05 – Christy’s Brief: “Who Should Come Back for 2028?”
01:15:25 – Spencer Prepares Emotionally
01:16:22 – Jessica’s #1 Pick: Casey Jo Magee on Beam
01:17:56 – Spencer’s #1 Pick: McKayla Maroney (All-Around Queen)
01:18:25 – Also Spencer: Brenna Dowell Comeback Campaign
01:19:10 – Jessica’s #2 Pick: Vanessa Atler
01:20:04 – Spencer’s 2009–2016 Alt Universe Superteam
01:21:00 – Pre-Paris Retirees: Who Should Return Now?
01:21:28 – JJ Marshall + Bailey Key + More Forgotten Talents
01:22:00 – The Gabby Douglas Rule (“No Today Show Comebacks”)
01:23:04 – Why Gymnasts Need Real Meets Before Announcing
01:24:00 – College Head Coach Comeback Team?! (Casey Jo, Wieber, Preece, Tabitha)
01:25:10 – Cecile as Beam Queen? Citizenship Questions
01:26:07 – Tabitha Yim as the Secret Weapon
01:26:50 – Shawn Johnson? Nastia? Maybe Not.
01:27:03 – Chelsea/Alicia Self-Selecting Themselves for Paris (Chaos Edition)
01:28:32 – Join Club Gym Nerd / Fantasy Notes
01:29:11 – GYMTERNET NEWS: NCAA Schedule + ABC/ESPN Slate
01:30:03 – All-Japan Results + Aurora Tribute Routine by Kenzo
01:31:18 – FEEDBACK: Obi Cam Praise + Cocopuff the Pomeranian
01:32:38 – YouTube Subscriptions & Comment Rules
01:33:35 – Junior Worlds Preview: “It’s in a Ballroom!”

UP NEXT:

• Behind The Scenes: Live Q&A podcast Friday this week only at noon Pacific/8 GMT

RELATED:

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Join Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/club/
• Headstand Game: https://gymcastic.com/headstand-plugin/
• Forum: https://gymcastic.com/community/
• Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/
• Thank you to our Sponsors:
  • Storyworth Memoirs! Right now, save $10 or more during their Holiday sale when you go to STORYWORTH.com/GymCastic 
  • Huel Daily Greens Ready to Drink – Get 15% off your purchase for New Customers with our exclusive code GYMCASTIC at https://huel.com/GYMCASTIC. Use our code and fill out the post checkout survey to help support the show!

NEWSLETTERS

• Sign up for all three GymCastic newsletters 

RESOURCES

• Spencer’s essential website The Balance Beam Situation 
  • GIFs of the Week and Meet schedule with links.
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim

• The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles

  by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Aimee coached Simone from day one in gymnastics to three back to back World All Around titles, 14 world medals and an unprecedented 5 medals at the Rio Olympics. Get your copy now. And if you loved it, please leave a review.