GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

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Jakarta World Championships Preview Part 1: AA Draft and Subdivision Deep Dives Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

The 2025 World Championships are next week! What do you need to know before the first ever Southeast Asian world championships? Who are our top all-arounders? We look at the data and tell you subdivision by subdivision

WIN STUFF

Raffle: Win a Full Commission Episode for $10!
- Raffle closes Oct. 7th!
Club Gym Nerd Membership Scholarship
- GymCastic is matching all donations
- Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far

UP NEXT:

Behind The Scenes: Live Podium Training Report podcast with Q&A from Jakarta on October 17th.

Chapters - pre auto-ad insertion

00:00 Show Intro – Why This Worlds is Different (No Teams!) 05:19 Individual Worlds Stories – Deng Yalan ; Misha Koudinov 09:55 Roster by the Numbers – Record Entries, Age Trends & Veterans 16:37 All-Around Preview & Draft – Jessica & Spencer Pick Their Lineups 30:00 Subdivision 1 – Japan Beam Standard, Fun Floor, Dutch Bars 30:30 Subdivision 2 – Canada Legends & Newbies, South Korea Beam Challenge 31:00 Subdivision 3 – Kaylia Nemour, Beam Nerd Session, Germany's Glow-Up 31:30 Subdivision 4 – USA & Great Britain, Marta PK's 13th Worlds 32:00 Subdivision 5 – Italy & France, Asia D'Amato Returns, Charpy Revenge Tour 32:30 Subdivision 6 – Romania, Ruby Pass & Australia, Jade Vansteenkiste 33:00 Subdivision 7 – Philippines Team, Host Indonesia, Mexico Veterans 33:30 Subdivision 8 – Brazil with Flavia, South Africa, Chile, Norway 34:00 Subdivision 9 – Neutral Russians, Vault Specialists 34:30 Subdivision 10 – China Anchors, Spain's Petisco, Hungary's Mayer 38:27 Updates – Live Podcasts, Raffle & Scholarships 45:00 Ad Break – Club Gym Nerd Bonus Coverage 54:45 Gymternet News – Russia's Scoring Experiments & Clemson Scandal 1:08:00 Show Close – What's Next from Jakarta

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW

The World Championships are here! We are recording 8 podcasts LIVE from Jakarta
- Check out the new GymCastic World Championships headquarters for podcast schedules, competition schedules, and competition previews
The World Championships are coming to Southeast Asia for the first time! What should we know about the host, venue, and format of this competition?
Sexism alert: the men are awarded more prize money than the women
Why are these championships called a Jessica worlds? How is it different from the other worlds?
- Why we're so excited for this to be the year of Deng Yalan (China)
- The story of Misha Koudinov getting the full twisting front tuck over the high bar and why we think something similar could happen again this year

SPENCER'S GYMNASTICS LAB

There are currently 186 women on the roster which is HUGE
- How does this year's participation compare to individual worlds of the past?
- Do we think participation has to do with geographic proximity to the host nation? Or is there a wider trend?
What percentage of gymnasts are at their first World Championships?
What is the average age of gymnasts at these Championships?
Who are the World and Olympic medalists competing here?

ALL-AROUND DRAFT with PREVIEW

This is a wide open year, who do we want included in the medal conversation? Who might Dulcy their way onto the podium?
Jessica and Spencer each pick their "lead group" - the six gymnasts starting on vault and competing in Olympic order in the AA final
The United States has won an all-around medal every year since 2001. Do we think this could be the year where that streak is broken?

30 SECOND SUBDIVISION PREVIEW

Subdivision 1: The fun floor workers session
- Okamura Mana setting the gold standard for artistry on beam
- Our favorite fun floor contenders, Charlize Moerz and Hillary Heron
- Watch out for Dutch bar workers like Sanna Veerman and Naomi Visser
Subdivision 2: The legends and newbies session
- Canada is bringing legends and newbies: Ellie Black, Shallon Olsen, Lia-Monica Fontaine, and Gabrielle Black. Our big question is who isn't vaulting in qualification?
- Hwang Seohyun is not here to play around on beam and is bringing a potential 6.9 D-score!
- Kaia Tanskanen bringing some NCAA realness to the elite world
Subdivision 3: The glow up queens session
- Kaylia Nemour. You might have heard of her.
- Our favorite Taiwanese beamers Lai Pin-Ju and Ting Hua-Tien are here and might not make a final, but they will fill our emotional chalk bucket
- Germany and Karina Schoemaier winning the glow-up queen of the year award
Subdivision 4: The grown ass women session
- The United States is here. What kind of performance are we expecting?
- Do we think Ruby Evans brought her Amanar back?
- Martha PK is back for her THIRTEENTH World Championships!
Subdivision 5: The Italy and France artistry session
- Asia D'Amato is so back and will be competing at her first Worlds since 2021
- Lorette Charpy and Celia Serber are on their no-Olympic revenge tour
- Thelma Aðalsteinsdóttir has some cool skills she's bringing to the table
Subdivision 6: The 'What Will Romania Do?' Subdivision
- Will Romania's Sabrina Voinea hit and make multiple finals?
- Denisa Golgota is soo back, could she make finals?
- How is Australia looking? Could Ruby Pass contend for an all-around medal?
- We are so here for Jade Vansteenkiste's unapologetic, wine-glass breaking floor routine
Subdivision 7: The 'look out for 2028' programs session
- Finnegan and Malabuyo are here competing for the Philippines
- What to look out for from our host team, team Indonesia
- Mexico is bringing some veteran newbies to the meet
Subdivision 8: The artistry checklist session
- Flavia and the Brazilians. Do we need to say more?
- Why this will be the year Caitlin Rooskrantz (South Africa) finishes in the top 25 on bars
- Why we're dubbing Keisha Lockert (Norway) as the 'involvement of the body parts' queen
Subdivision 9: The very neutral Russian session
- How will a very inexperienced Russian squad respond to being back on the international stage?
  - On paper this squad has the potential to make lots of finals and win lots of medals. Will this all pan out in competition?
  - Which Russians will do the all-around during qualifications?
- If you want to see some beautiful vaulting, look out for Valentina Georgieva (Bulgaria)
Subdivision 10: The 'we understand the assignment' session
- China anchors the competition with medal favorites on nearly every event
- Alba Petisco (Spain) is coming off a European all-around silver, could she factor into the medals here?
- DO NOT be sleeping on the Hungarians
  - Are we all sleeping on Greta Mayer in the all-around?

WIN STUFF

Raffle: Win a Full Commission Episode for $10!
- Raffle closes Oct. 7th!
Club Gym Nerd Membership Scholarship
- GymCastic is matching all donations
- Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far

UP NEXT:

Behind The Scenes: Live Podium Training Report podcast with Q&A from Jakarta on October 17th.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

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RELATED EPISODES:

Episode - Chinese World Team analysis on Behind The Scenes
Episode - 2025 U.S. Championships Recap
Episode - 2025 U.S. Classic Recap
Episode - Paris World Cup with Laura Cappelle
Behind the Scenes - all episodes

LIVE SHOWS

Experience GymCastic live! ✨ Replay: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd

NEWSLETTERS

RESOURCES

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 reading (or listening) to the book, please leave a review.
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
Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

LIVE Post-Meet Debrief: U.S. Women's World Team Trials Report Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

Let's talk about the highest scoring team and clear up Skye's UB score controversy live after day two. TEAM IS: Skye Blakely, Joscelyn Roberson and Leanne Wong. Jayla Hang and Ashlee Sullivan non-traveling replacement athletes.

Welcome to Behind The Scenes!

This is our weekly live Q&A podcast. Today we are chatting at 10am Pacific after day two of World Team Trials. We'll be back Friday at noon Pacific/ 8 GMT to discuss the team announcement and after every medal day live from Jakarta at World Championships. Login to reveal extended full show. Here's how to ask questions live.

Not a member? Join here. have a weekly Behind The Scenes live Q&A podcast and post-meet live exclusives all year long. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who supporting our work year around.

⏱️ Timestamp Chapters

00:00 – Show Intro & Day 2 We have a team

04:20 – Naming Your Team & Lineups

07:35 – Highest Scoring Team After Day One

10:15 – Updated Team with Day Two Scores

13:00 – Headlines: Dulcy's AA spot, Skye's UB score review from USAG, Falls & Highlights

15:00 – Updates: Podcast schedule, Raffle, GymCastic Scholarship

40:25 – Feedback: Floor skills values & proposed changes and the Dutch-East India company's legacy in Jakarta

55:10 – Show Close & What's Next (Selection Camp wrap, Worlds preview)

Win a Full Commissioned episode for $10!

=MERCH

GymCastic Store: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even "tapestries" (banners, the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast!
- Baseball hats available now in the GymCastic store

NEWSLETTERS

RESOURCES

The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Get your copy now. And if you loved reading (or listening) to the book, please leave a review.
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
Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

RESISTANCE RESOURCES > here

Team Photo USAG, cover art Steve Cooper, Dulcy Caylor Photo by Steve Cooper © GymCastic

Rolled Ankle-Gate! Selection Camp Down to 8 | Perotti Leads Italian World Team Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

Rolled Ankle-Gate rocks the U.S. Women's World Championships Selection Camp as Hezly Rivera and Claire Pease withdraw. With the team now down to 8 gymnasts, who's in the best position to make Jakarta World Championships team? Plus: huge surprises from Italian Nationals, Szombathely World Cup highlights, and the latest gymternet news.

GYMCASTIC UPDATES

Raffle: Win a Full Commission Episode for $10!
Club Gym Nerd Membership Scholarship

UPCOMING

September 29-Oct 2: U.S. Women's Selection Camp
Behind The Scenes: U.S. World Team Selection Camp Chat 10 am Oct 1st.
Behind The Scenes: U.S. World Team Reveal chat 12 PST/ 8 GMT Friday October 3rd.

Episode - Chinese World Team analysis on Behind The Scenes
Episode - 2025 U.S. Championships Recap
Episode - 2025 U.S. Classic Recap
Episode - Paris World Cup with Laura Cappelle
Behind the Scenes - all episodes

UP NEXT:

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

Support the Show

Join Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/club/
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Live Shows

Experience GymCastic live!

Replay: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd

Pre-Auto-Ad-Placement Chapters

00:00:00 Intro – Selection camp + Italian Nationals hype

00:01:12 Rolled Ankle-Gate: Hezly Rivera & Claire Pease out 00:04:19 Selection Camp Preview – field down to 8

00:22:58 Spencer Team Prediction Calculator: why this helps Ashlee Sullivan

00:27:29 Win Club Gym Nerd membership or Commissioned episode

00:28:34 Kerri Strug biopic tangent 00:30:16 Italian Nationals – we aren't ok

00:30:39 Esposito & Alice D'Amato not going to Worlds

00:38:58 Who Italy is sending: Perotti, Fioravanti, Barzasi, Asia D'Amato

00:49:20 Martina Maggio returns on bars

00:51:40 Sideline comedy: Giorgia Villa & Angela Andreoli

00:52:15 Szombathely World Cup highlights

00:59:47 Favorite Routine: Tisha Vollman's Erceg mount

01:01:59 Gymternet News: Paralympic sanctions lifted for Russia/Belarus

01:03:28 Tragedy: Indonesian gymnast Al Bari

01:05:05 $350M foam pit lawsuit

01:10:26 Next show Oct 1st after U.S. Trials

Jakarta World Team Trials Preview & Sho Nakamori Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Jakarta World teams announcments are coming fast! We preview the U.S. World Team Trials plus Britain, France, China, Canada & AIN Russia rosters. Also: SI Women's Games "postponed", 2026 Rotterdam Worlds tickets, and Austria's Charlize Moerz shines on floor.

Guest: Sho Nakamori on men's code changes, artistry & judging.

Win a Full Comisssion Episode- Raffle: https://gymcastic.com/raffle/

Club Gym Nerd Scholarships: https://gymcastic.com/scholarships/

Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/club/

Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – World teams, U.S. Trials preview, special guest Sho Nakamori 00:38 Headlines – USAG's new training facility in Noblesville, IN 02:00 SI Women's Games postponed – refunds, ticket issues & history 03:56 Rotterdam 2026 tickets on sale 04:09 British Worlds Team named – Gadirova out, new faces in 05:00 Chinese & French Worlds Teams reaction 06:33 Nominative rosters – Canada jail, Brazil's $1,200 fine, Russia's neutral asterisk 08:00 Favorite Routine of the Week – Charlize Moerz (Austria) FX 13.833 09:39 Jakarta 2025 Worlds preview – 8 days of live podcasts, extended Club coverage 12:13 Raffle – win a full commissioned episode for $10 13:32 Scholarships – 10 free Club Gym Nerd memberships donated by listeners 14:54 U.S. Women's Worlds Trials – format, schedule & how to watch (FlipNow) 16:17 Core Four Gold Medalists – Rivera, Wong, Blakely, Roberson analysis 20:24 Selection drama – who could disrupt the "in-pencil" team? 25:41 Root for Chaos – Jayla Hang & Claire Pease's shot 28:50 Depth & back-pocket vaults – Simone Rose, Sullivan, others 32:00 Gymternet News – retirements, lawsuits, coaching scandals 33:30 Interview – Sho Nakamori on judging, men's code changes and new gym, Infinite Sports in San Mateo44:00 Closing & What's Next – Szombathely World Cup + Trials streaming info

Episode - Chinese World Team analysis on Behind The Scenes
Episode - Sho Nakamori & Match-Play Meet Debrief with Justin Spring
Episode - Kenzo Shirai interview
Episode - Paris World Cup with Laura Cappelle
Behind the Scenes - all episodes
Ian Gunther and Sho try scales on FX

Behind The Scenes: Chinese World Team Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Let's discuss the Chinese World Team!

Bonus hour long episode for Club Members https://gymcastic.com/club/

00:00 Intro – Behind the Scenes preview

00:42 China's World Team confirmed

01:15 Why this is a "specialist team" for specialist Worlds

01:45 Zhou Yaqin – back-to-back beam silvers

02:00 Yang Fanyuwei – Layout Jaeger full

02:20 Zhang Qingying – National AA champ

02:36 Deng Yalan – 26 years old

03:26 Team strategy – medal chances with event specialists

03:49 Snub: Zhang Yihan – 2024 Olympian & bars finalist left off

04:13 Why this team is the right call for Worlds

06:07 Timing of China's team selection – too early or just right?

07:22 Training, peak performance, and recovery before Worlds

07:48 Jessica's Jakarta prep – health gear & travel hacks

10:04 Cultural etiquette research for Jakarta

11:04 Jordan Chiles on Dancing with the Stars

Raffle: https://gymcastic.com/raffle/

Scholarships: https://gymcastic.com/scholarships/

Club: https://gymcastic.com/club/

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⸻ Support the Show

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• Shop Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/

Live Shows Come see us LIVE —

Replay Ticket for: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd

Follow GymCastic

• Website: https://gymcastic.com

• Instagram: / gymcastic

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Don't miss new episodes — subscribe, auto-download, and get your fantasy picks in before Worlds!

Photo credits: © Gymcastic / Filippo Tomasi for GymCastic

Paris World Cup with Laura Cappelle Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

Paris World Cup 2025 recap report from art critic Laura Capelle 🇫🇷 — Melnikova returns, Nemour's bars gold, Abi Martin vaults, Voinea floor redemption, plus Ukraine's protest & Jakarta Worlds mascot 🌸.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro
01:10 – Headlines: Paris World Cup Champions (Abi Martin, Nemour, Melnikova, Voinea)
02:25 – Ukraine Withdraws in Protest
03:05 – Jakarta Worlds Mascot Reveal – "Stinking Corpse Lily"
04:30 – Updates: Live Worlds Podcasts & Raffle
07:00 – GymCastic Scholarship Announcement
08:00 – Interview with Dr. Laura Capelle – Paris World Cup Report
12:40 – Melnikova's Return & Neutral Athlete Status
15:00 – Tchaikovsky Anthem Debate
17:00 – Nemour's Training Changes & Bars Podium
21:30 – French Team Healing Moments
24:00 – Ireland & Beam Highlights – Emma Slevin & Hallie Hilton
27:00 – Floor Artistry: Ming's Wings & Disco Comeback
30:00 – Favorite Routines: Bake-Off Challenge Edition
34:15 – Vault Final Recap – Abi Martin, Schoenmaier, Navas
38:00 – Bars Final Recap – Nemour, Serber, Charpy
42:30 – Beam Final Recap – Melnikova, Bickel, Osyssek-Reimer
46:00 – Floor Final Recap – Voinea, Melnikova, Tanskanen
50:00 – Chinese Trials Update
55:00 – Gymternet News – Worlds Tickets, Spain PM Sports Ban, NCAA Updates
59:00 – Closing & What's Next (Szombathely, U.S. Selection Camp)

Why the Top Gymnast in France Is Competing for Algeria: A bitter fight with the French gymnastics federation threatened the Olympic hopes of Kaylia Nemour. Dual nationality offered a way out by Laura Cappelle for the New York Times

History of Western Dance graphic novel by Laura Cappelle

Episode - Nemour Speaks Up

Episode - Paris Teams Taking Shape & Artistry with Dr. Laura Cappelle

Episode - Paris World Cup 2022 with Laura Cappelle

Behind the Scenes - all episodes

UP NEXT:

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

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/

Live Shows

Experience GymCastic live!

✨ Replay: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd

NEWSLETTERS

RESOURCES

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
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
Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

Nola Matthews and Brazilian Championships Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

Jessica and Spencer cover the biggest headlines: Rebeca Andrade's new documentary, Jordan Chiles joining Dancing With the Stars, update on Chow's coach arrest, and a chat with fan favorite, Nola "Angst Queen" Matthews.

Watch GymCastic Live with AA World Champion, MORGAN HURD Watch the preview. Get replay tickets here

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:16 Headlines: Andrade documentary, Jordan Chiles on DWTS

07:23 Gymternet news: SafeSport & coaching updates

10:45 Paris World Cup preview & Headstand game

12:45 Morgan Hurd live show replay announcement

13:00 Nola Matthews Interview – artistry, UCLA, pets, travel stories

29:00 Skills talk & beam mount wishlist

45:24 Brazilian Championships Recap – Flavia Saraiva, Julia Soares, Gabriela Barbosa

56:30 Team Brazil Worlds selection discussion

59:19 Andrade sabbatical & rehab updates

1:03:08 Mixed men's & women's format at Brazilian Nationals 1:05:36 Brazil's Worlds team strategy

1:09:19 More Gymternet News – Worlds tickets

1:13:16 Dream gym features (viewing areas, plants, ninja course)

1:17:10 Athlete wellbeing studies & abuse impacts

1:18:48 NCAA News: Southern Utah to Pac-12

1:20:17 Canadian sports abuse report & new book "Historic" by Emma Webb

1:21:06 Coaching updates, Alice Kinsella baby, Maggie Nichols engagement

1:22:41 Closing: Paris World Cup preview & BTS reminder

NOLA MATTHEWS INTERVIEW

Nola Matthews, the queen of angsty Y2K emo artistry, is on the show today to talk about her unmatched performance quality on floor, her beautiful bars, and Taylor Swift's engagement, the only engagement to ever matter

BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Andrade's taking a chill pill, and Barbosa is having a baby. Who is competing at this meet?
FLAVIA IS BACK ALERT: watch her 13.933 on beam
Sophia Weisburg won the all-around with a 51.231 and Caio Souza won the MAG all-around with a 80.950
Where do scores from these Championships rank internationally heading into Worlds?
Should MAG and WAG gymnasts compete simultaneously in the meet AND on the same apparatus?
Post-meet interview snippets
- What did Andrade and Barbosa say about their off-time training?

GYMTERNET NEWS

The Sports Illustrated Games roster.
Pacific Reign Gymnastics is moving to a new big ass two-story facility! Jessica pontificates about how they should design it.
A new Swedish study shows abuse impacts elite gymnasts well after retirement, identifying 54 negative consequences affecting athletes later in life
Southern Utah will migrate over to the PAC-12 starting in the 2026-2027 season
Jordan Chiles has been announced for Dancing With the Stars
After weeks of intensive care, Lorenzo Bonicelli was transferred to a spinal unit
A preliminary report from Canada's Federal Commission found the sports system is 'broken' and suffers from widespread abuse
Who are the new coaches in town?
- Jade Carey joined Oregon State's coaching staff as a student coach
- Emma Malabuyo joins UCLA as a graduate assistant coach
Tickets are finallllyyy on sale for 2025 Jakarta Worlds! Buy one here
Alice Kinsella had a baby!

UP NEXT:

Behind The Scenes: Live Q&A podcast every Friday at noon Pacific/8 GMT

LATEST EPISODES

GET MORE:

- - Play our new game, Headstand, to test all your gymnerd knowledge
  - Club members can watch Vanessa Atler's live show by logging in to her live show page, it will appear below.
  - Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to weekly Behind the Scenes episodes and extended interviews like this one with Katya Zamolodchikova
  - Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded, participate in watch-alongs with Spencer, access to all of our exclusive extended interviews, Behind The Scenes and College & Cocktails.
  - Not sure about joining the club? College & Cocktails: The Friday Night NCAA Gymnastics Post-Meet Show is available to sample (even if you aren't a Club Gym Nerd member yet). Watch or listen here.

MERCH

GymCastic Store: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even "tapestries" (banners, the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast!
- Baseball hats and SHORTS available now in the GymCastic store

NEWSLETTERS

RESOURCES

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 reading (or listening) to the book, please leave a review.
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
Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

RESISTANCE

Submitted by our listeners.

ACTION
- Indivisible
  - Practical ideas about what you can actually do in this moment, check it out: indivisi.org/muskorus
- 5Calls App will call your Congresspeople by issue with a script to guide you
  - - Make 2 to your Congressional rep (local and DC office). 2 each to your US Senators (local and state offices)
      - State your name and zip code or district
      - Be concise with your question or demand (i.e. What specific steps is Senator X taking to stop XYZ)
      - Wait for answer
      - Ask for action items – tell them what you want them to do (i.e. draft articles of impeachment immediately, I want to see you holding a press conference in front of…etc.)
- ResistBot
  - Turns your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives in minutes
- ACLU Mobile Justice App
  - Allows you to record encounters with public officials while streaming to your closest contacts and your local ACLU; REPORT any abuse by authorities to the ACLU and its networks.
LAWSUITS
- Donate to organizations suing the administration for illegal actions (tracking list by topic)
  - ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Northwest Immigration Law Project
STAY INFORMED
- Suggested podcasts: Amicus, Daily Beans, Pod Save America, Strict Scrutiny
Immigrant Rights
- Know Your Rights Red Cards, We Have Rights Video, Your Rights on trains and buses video

2012 Olympics Gymnastics Team Final Rewind | Fierce Five, Maroney's Vault, Russia vs USA Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

2012 Women's Olympic Team Final Rewind 🏆🇺🇸🇷🇺🇨🇳🇷🇴 We're diving deep into one of the most legendary nights in gymnastics history — the London 2012 Women's Artistic Gymnastics Team Final. From McKayla Maroney's iconic vault to the pink podium and the Fierce Five sealing gold, this commissioned episode looks back with fresh judging goggles and a critical E-score panel.

We cover the vault rotation that changed everything, NBC's commentary, Russia's near-miss, China's decline, and Aly Raisman's unforgettable floor routine. Join Jessica and Spencer for this epic rewatch!

👉 More rewinds, breaking news, and behind-the-scenes: https://gymcastic.com

🎤 Live Shows

Come see us LIVE — because the chalk bowl is full of secrets! Relive the Championships Live Show featuring: All Around World Champion Morgan Hurd Tickets & info: https://gymcastic.com/2025-gymcastic-live-show-in-new-orleans/

💪 Support the Show

👉 Want to commission your own episode? Join Club Gym Nerd:

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🎮 Play & Compete

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Fantasy Challenge: https://gymcastic.com/2025-u-s-championships-fantasy-challenge/
Forum: https://gymcastic.com/community/

UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

September 13-14: Paris World Cup
September 26-28: Szombathely World Cup
September 29-Oct 2: US Women's Selection Camp
October 19-25: World Championships

Watch 2.5 hr long Olympic broadcast (featuring commentary by Shannon Miller) of the London Women's team final here
NBC broadcast of London Women's team final

UP NEXT:

Behind The Scenes: Live Q&A podcast every Friday at noon Pacific/7 GMT

NEWSLETTERS

RESOURCES

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 reading (or listening) to the book, please leave a review.
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
Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

RESISTANCE

Submitted by our listeners.

ACTION
- Indivisible
  - Practical ideas about what you can actually do in this moment, check it out: indivisi.org/muskorus
- 5Calls App will call your Congresspeople by issue with a script to guide you
  - - Make 2 to your Congressional rep (local and DC office). 2 each to your US Senators (local and state offices)
      - State your name and zip code or district
      - Be concise with your question or demand (i.e. What specific steps is Senator X taking to stop XYZ)
      - Wait for answer
      - Ask for action items – tell them what you want them to do (i.e. draft articles of impeachment immediately, I want to see you holding a press conference in front of…etc.)
- ResistBot
  - Turns your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives in minutes
- ACLU Mobile Justice App
  - Allows you to record encounters with public officials while streaming to your closest contacts and your local ACLU; REPORT any abuse by authorities to the ACLU and its networks.
LAWSUITS
- Donate to organizations suing the administration for illegal actions
  - ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Northwest Immigration Law Project
STAY INFORMED
- Suggested podcasts: Amicus, Daily Beans, Pod Save America, Strict Scrutiny
Immigrant Rights
- Know Your Rights Red Cards, We Have Rights Video, Your Rights on trains and buses video

Russia is Back Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

This week Angelina Melnikova is set to make her return to the international elite scene after four years; Australian gymnastics prison release program is alive and well; plus upcoming meet information and plenty of dumpster fire news.

GymCastic LIVE SHOW Featuring: World AA Champion, Morgan Hurd. Watch teaser here and get replay tickets here HEADLINES

Angelina Melnikova, Tokyo Olympic Champion and 2021 World All-Around Champion, is making her international return at the Paris World Cup after four years
Sean Gardner, a coach formerly at Chow's Gymnastics, has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography.
- Chow's Letter; whistleblower profile
Australian Gymnastics Jail is back: the Australian program is not using all of its allotted spots for the mens or womens teams at Worlds
Rebeca Andrade will miss 2025 Worlds to take a physical and mental rest

GYMTERNET NEWS

The "30 miles is NOT neutral" proposal: college coaches vs. Utah gymnastics
History note: a follow-up from Behind the Scenes, the first perfect 10 in gymnastics was in 1924
Not done yet! Jade Carey was hired as the student assistant coach at Oregon State
Never say never: Simone Biles spoke at a conference in Australia and when asked about her prospects for LA 2028 she said "never say never"
John Carney, former coach at Cal, is now the assistant coach at Denver
ICYMI U.S. Championships will be in Phoenix, Arizona next year and apparently nobody has any concerns about the heat?

Dumpster Fire News

The trial of a man accused of killing Kara Welsh, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast, has been pushed back to June 2026
Adam Richard Jacobs, a former gymnastics coach at USA Gymnastics World in Utah, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for child exploitation crimes
Kaya Kazuma (Japan) announced on Twitter that he ruptured his Achilles

Meet News

Junior Pan Am Games
- The United States won gold at Junior Pan Ams and Charleigh Bullock won the all-around title
- Debate: is it ever acceptable to keep an injured athlete on a team?
Rhythmic Worlds in Brazil
- An awkward moment as the wrong national anthem was played for Germany's Darja Varfolomeev
- Rin Keys (USA) becomes the first U.S. Rhythmic Gymnast to medal at the World Championships!
- History maker! Anaïs Ossonon becomes the first-ever gymnast to represent the Ivory Coast at a Rhythmic World Championships
World Games
- Defying gravity: Tofig Aliyev of Azerbaijan competed the first ever triple-triple in competition!
- Artistry check: artistic gymnastics needs to take notes from acro. Watch the British men's World Games acro performance

Mini-Commission: Are college gymnasts allowed to represent their universities in elite gymnastics settings?

Thank you to World Champion level Club Gym Nerd member Stacey Tovino (law professor at the University of Oklahoma!) Club Gym Nerd members help us pay our bills and in return get thank you goodies from us in return. See details at gymcastic.com under the "Join Club" tab.

How do elite gymnasts choose to represent their club vs university?
How can a university-employed coach coach at a non-college meet?

Elite Check-in: Who is the Best Gymnast in the World? 2025 Edition

Anna Kalmykova leads the all-around leaderboard with a 57.365 in the all-around, but we have some questions
Hezly Rivera's 56.400 on day two of U.S. Nationals is not far behind Kalmykova. Leanne Wong's 56.100 is also competitive
Kaylia Nemour scored a 56.032 back in March. She has scored as high as 15.100 on bars and 14.650 on beam this year. If she can bring back her Yurchenko double-full, could she challenge for gold?
While Manila Esposito may not have the highest all-around score this year, all four of her events pass the eye test

UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

September 13-14: Paris World Cup
September 26-28: Szombathely World Cup
September 29-Oct 2: US Women's Selection Camp

Photo Galleries from 2025 U.S. Championships
Day One Women's U.S. Championships 2025
Podium Training Report: 2025 U.S. Championships
2025 U.S. Championships Preview Episode

UP NEXT:

Behind The Scenes: Live Q&A podcast every Friday at noon Pacific/7 GMT

GET MORE PODCASTS:

- - Club members can watch Vanessa Atler's live show by logging in to her live show page, it will appear below.
  - Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to weekly Behind the Scenes episodes and extended interviews like this one with Katya Zamolodchikova
  - Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded, participate in watch-alongs with Spencer, access to all of our exclusive extended interviews, Behind The Scenes and College & Cocktails.
  - Not sure about joining the club? College & Cocktails: The Friday Night NCAA Gymnastics Post-Meet Show is available to sample (even if you aren't a Club Gym Nerd member yet). Watch or listen here.

MERCH

GymCastic Store: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even "tapestries" (banners, the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast!
- Baseball hats available now in the GymCastic store

NEWSLETTERS

RESOURCES

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 reading (or listening) to the book, please leave a review.
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
Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

RESISTANCE Submitted by our listeners.

ACTION
- Indivisible
  - Practical ideas about what you can actually do in this moment, check it out: indivisi.org/muskorus
- 5Calls App will call your Congresspeople by issue with a script to guide you
  - - Make 2 to your Congressional rep (local and DC office). 2 each to your US Senators (local and state offices)
      - State your name and zip code or district
      - Be concise with your question or demand (i.e. What specific steps is Senator X taking to stop XYZ)
      - Wait for answer
      - Ask for action items - tell them what you want them to do (i.e. draft articles of impeachment immediately, I want to see you holding a press conference in front of...etc.)
- ResistBot
  - Turns your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives in minutes
- ACLU Mobile Justice App
  - Allows you to record encounters with public officials while streaming to your closest contacts and your local ACLU; REPORT any abuse by authorities to the ACLU and its networks.
LAWSUITS
- Donate to organizations suing the administration for illegal actions
  - ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Northwest Immigration Law Project
STAY INFORMED
- Suggested podcasts: Amicus, Daily Beans, Pod Save America, Strict Scrutiny
Immigrant Rights
- Know Your Rights Red Cards, We Have Rights Video, Your Rights on trains and buses video

Behind The Scenes: Back from New Orleans Championships Aug 16, 2025

Show notes

Travel stories from New Orleans, things you didn't see on the stream and which national champions have never won an event title.

Check out a little video teaser of what happened at the Morgan Hurd Live Show. REPLAY tickets here

This is our weekly live Q&A podcast. We start every week at noon Pacific/ 8 GMT. Club Members login to reveal the full bonus podcast. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add BTS to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

Not a member? Join here. We have a weekly Behind The Scenes live Q&A podcast and post-meet live exclusives all year long. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who supporting our work year around.

Photo Galleries from 2025 U.S. Championships
2025 U.S. Championships Recap
Day One Women's U.S. Championships 2025
Podium Training Report: 2025 U.S. Championships
2025 U.S. Championships Preview Episode

BONUS CONTENT

- - Club members can watch Vanessa Atler's live show by logging in to her live show page, it will appear below.
  - Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to weekly Behind the Scenes episodes.
  - Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded, participate in watch-alongs with Spencer, access to all of our exclusive extended interviews, Behind The Scenes and College & Cocktails.
  - Not sure about joining the club? College & Cocktails: The Friday Night NCAA Gymnastics Post-Meet Show is available to sample (even if you aren't a Club Gym Nerd member yet). Watch or listen here.

MERCH

GymCastic Store: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even "tapestries" (banners, the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast!
- Baseball hats available now in the GymCastic store

NEWSLETTERS

RESOURCES

The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Get your copy now. And if you loved reading (or listening) to the book, please leave a review.
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
Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

RESISTANCE

Take Action

ResistBot Turns your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives in minutes
5Calls App will call your Congresspeople by issue with a script to guide you
Indivisible Practical ideas about what you can actually do in this moment

Donate or volunteer for organizations suing the administration for illegal actions