What We’re Talking About
When I was about six or seven years old my parents had me and my two brothers jump in our car so we could travel less than one mile to SCATS Gymnastics, home of legend Kathy Johnson, and sign up for classes. My brothers and I had been fighting before we piled into the car and we continued after our seatbelts latched. My dad backed out of the driveway, then turned around and said, “Knock it off or I’m turning the car around and you won’t be doing gymnastics.” My brothers and I got quiet for about two blocks, but then started going at each other again. I know a lot of parents who would have then said, “I mean it, final warning” as they kept driving. Not my dad. He stopped the car and turned it around. No warning. No conversation. He said what he meant and he followed through. This wasn’t a surprise because this is what he always did. We understood the expectations and the consequences. This is what integrity looks like.
For the longest time USA Gymnastics (USAG) has been fighting to win back faith and integrity–and this week they took another big step. For years they failed the gymnastics community. However, since 2019 when Li Li Leung took over as President and CEO, the organization has been clawing its way back; and this week under the new reign of Kyle Albrecht, USAG has made another stride and should be lauded. In an unprecedented move, the organization has terminated the USAG membership of GAGE “due to ongoing allegations of non-compliance with Center for SafeSport suspensions and the SafeSport Code, despite being provided notice and opportunity to comply.”
One of the primary roles of USAG–if not the most important–is the safety of athletes. On their website Safety is listed as one of the seven main navigation links. If you want people to believe safety matters, then you have to enforce rules when the guidelines around it are being broken. That’s what integrity looks like and USAG has just planted a big stake in the ground.
Of course, there are many gymnasts who have been impacted by this termination, which is really unfortunate. It’s also understandable that parents are upset at the situation. What is unacceptable, however, is for anyone to place blame at the feet of USAG for being unfair. This membership termination is only the fault of those who knew the rules, were warned about the rules, and then broke the rules.
A lot of people within the gymnastics community have fought for years–decades even–to make it a safer place. We learned, among many other things, to start by believing. Jump online today and you will see that lesson has been lost on some. It’s history repeating itself. When we started reporting on the-doctor-who-shall-not-be-named in the summer of 2016, people were still defending him. After he was fired from Michigan State, people were still defending him. When he ran for a position on the Holt School Board after the Indianapolis Star had published a series of devastating stories, he still received 20% of the vote. People who had a good relationship with him just couldn’t believe he could do bad things. I am, of course, not suggesting anything of this nature is happening now, but highlighting how even in the most abhorrent circumstances you will find a contingent of nonbelievers and naysayers.
I commend USAG for turning the car around. We can’t forget the lessons learned, but the failures of the past are finally appearing in the review mirror. USAG is driving in the right direction toward a healthier version of the sport and now’s the time to step on the gas.
Feelings
- Devastating: After 52 years Iowa State is cutting its women’s gymnastics program
- Excited: Chloe Cho has commented that she is interested in representing South Korea in the LA 2028 Olympics
- Unstoppable: Kailin Chio has six perfect 10s on the season and four in the last three meets.
- The fact the UCLA vs. Stanford meet isn’t on a main broadcast is further evidence of business malpractice in undervaluing women’s sports
- Stanford earned all the Dutch Bros. coffee
- Safety First: Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles were supposed to speak in Abu Dhabi this week
- Alabama is dominating bars, with the No. 1 (Chloe LaCoursiere) and No. 2 (Azaraya Ra-Akbar) gymnasts in the country.
- Becky Downie is back! With a silver on bars at the English championships
- Athletes have started pulling out of the Baku World Cup, like Heath Thorpe
- We would love to keep politics out of sports, but then we couldn’t report that the participation of Singapore Gymnastics (and we assume many others) is in jeopardy for upcoming meets in: Sofia, Cairo, Osijek and Doha because *waives arms wildly*
- Bonus: You should definitely get your Live Show Season Pass and/or your Cecile Landi Live Show Replay Ticket
Facts
- USAG has terminated the membership of GAGE
- Skye Blakely scored the first perfect 10 of her career just 37 miles from where she grew up.
- Anna Roberts’ perfect 10 on vault was the first for Stanford in more than a decade when Elizabeth Price did it in 2015
- Stanford scored their first 198 in 22 years
- The AAI Award Nominations are out
- 39.875: Anna Roberts now holds the record for the highest all-around score in school history
- Florida scored a monster 49.800 on beam, the highest score in the nation this season
- USAG posted a printable competition builder for American Cup
- Israel’s national team has suspended all training and team activities
- We have the mixed team format for American Cup: WAG (UB, BB, FX), MAG (FX, PB, HB)
- Bonus: Get – The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles for under $5!
Award(s)
- Artist: The institution of Ja’Free Scott
- Assassin: CaMarah Williams and her Tkatchev drill stick celebration
What’s On the Socials?
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Quotes
“We recently suspended the 2026 gymnastics season. The reason for that decision was the result of some unresolvable conflicts amongst individual student athletes, members of the coaching staff, and parents.”
~ Jamie Pollard, Iowa State AD
In a video statement, Pollard says the school is cutting the women’s gymnastics program and identifies the three groups responsible for the failure, while abdicating any responsibility of the athletic department resulting in the program’s termination.
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“In terms of club membership status: Club membership with USAG is a privilege, not a right. USAG has not offered a path or timeline for reinstatement at this time.”
~ USAG, Rules keepers
In a statement to GymCastic, USAG expressed their position on member gyms and their role in protecting athletes.
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“Make it your Bitch.”
~ Ashley Johnston, Beam Motivator
Alabama head coach mic’d up giving Gabby Ladanyi a pep talk before her routine against LSU.
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What? You want even more? Join Club Gym Nerd and you get a bonus episode, College & Cocktails, every weekend after our meet of the week. Once the NCAA season is over you continue to get a weekly bonus episode every Friday afternoon. Plus you get access to all of our archives, exclusive content and more. Then we give the sober analysis on Monday (or Tuesday) after we’ve allowed the data to penetrate our feelings.
This column was composed and compiled by Steve Cooper, Editor at GymCastic and co-author of “The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles“; some thoughts culled from hosts Jessica O’Beirne and Spencer Barnes.
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