GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

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Anna Pavlova: History and Heartbreak (Commissioned) Mar 18, 2021

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This week's episode has been commissioned by Dr. Ben, who asked for an episode on the fascinating history of Anna Pavlova, who blessed us with her flexibility, artistry, and power, yet who heartbreakingly remained off the podium in many major finals.

Why Do We Love Pavlova? Form. Grace. Longevity. Switch ring.
The Ultimate Pavlova Quiz
Baby Pavlova: A star even in 2000 and 2002
The Badass Years: Two Olympic medals and one iconic beam series
Fight to the Death – Athens Edition: Did Pavlova deserve all-around bronze over Zhang?
Fight to the Death – Beijing Edition: Did Pavlova deserve beam bronze over Cheng?
The Vault Zero: A Gymnastics Tragedy
The F-U Russia Years: Medals for Azerbaijan

THE POSTS

Top Scores of Week 10 March 16, 2021
Week 10 Rankings & NQS Update March 15, 2021
Sunday Live Blog – March 14, 2021 March 14, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – March 13, 2021 March 13, 2021
Friday Live Blog – March 12, 2021 March 12, 2021
State of the Russians Address March 12, 2021

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THE FLIGHT SERIES

Gymnastics International 5: 2021 Russian Championships Mar 15, 2021

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GYMNASTICS INTERNATIONAL

Welcome to Gymnastics International! On this show, we take a deep dive into the latest competitions from around the world, covering them with the depth and detail they truly deserve. This week: 2021 Russian Championships!

Celebrating the Big 3
- Viktoria Listunova – National champion, queen of vault faces. Gold Medal Beam Routine
- Vladislava Urazova – All-around silver, bringing back the beam mount SERIES. Gold Medal Bars Routine
- Angelina Melnikova – Won floor even though she thought she wasn't ready. Gold Medal Floor Routine
The Challengers
- Yana Vorona – Split jump to immediate front tuck on beam. Beam Routine
- Elena Gerasimova – Hit beam every time despite being RUSSIAN. Beam routine
- Lilia Akhaimova – How will her injury influence her Olympic status?
- Anastasia Iliankova – Is she the last bars specialist standing?
Sadness and Icons
- Maria Kharenkova suffered an Achilles injury on floor
- Elena Eremina with a triumphant 9th in the AA
- Daria Spiridonova retirement mural
- The mascots were back. We have a lot to say
- More classic wolf turn disasters
The Men
- Alexander Kartsev won the all-around – where does he fit in the Olympic picture and who does Jessica controversially think he looks like?
- Nagornyy strep throated all over everyone

THE POSTS

Sunday Live Blog – March 14, 2021 March 14, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – March 13, 2021 March 13, 2021
Friday Live Blog – March 12, 2021 March 12, 2021
State of the Russians Address March 12, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Week 9 March 9, 2021
Top Scores of Week 9 March 9, 2021
Week 9 Rankings & NQS Update March 8, 2021

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PAST EPISODES

Everyone Should Get a 5 Except Lexy Ramler Mar 09, 2021

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HEADLINES

There's a massive conflict of interest in the USAG bankruptcy case. Because of course there is. And the Daniels Report didn't even interview the Karolyis. Sigh.
The FIG has added clarifications to the Olympic qualification documents. Tl;dr Jade Carey's Olympic spot is now extra definitely definite.
The athletes are writing a STRONGLY WORDED LETTER to USAG urging a change of equipment for championships and trials.

NCAA NEWS

Spencer tries to run through all the scoring records from this weekend without having a heart attack. Cal and Michigan got their first-ever 198s and Cal tied the all-time NCAA bars record.
Oklahoma and Florida are now tied for first place and things might start getting exciting.
People who are correct. Like Haleigh Bryant and Lexy Ramler and Emi Watterson.
We need to have an honest conversation about exhibition routines.

GYMTERNET NEWS

Update on the men's national team drama from last week and who ended up missing out.
RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. This week.
The retirements of Daria Spiridonova, Oliver Hegi, and Erika Fasana.
The gymternet controversy over Nina's Nabieva 1/2.

THE POSTS

Sunday Live Blog – March 7, 2021 March 7, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – March 6, 2021 March 6, 2021
Friday Live Blog – March 5, 2021 March 5, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Winter Cup Edition March 2, 2021
Top Scores of Week 8 March 2, 2021

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WATCH THE FLIGHT SERIES

Would You Say That to a Russian's Face? Winter Cup Review Mar 02, 2021

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WINTER CUP

It happened. We gush about Jordan Chiles' 57 (57!) in the all-around to win, Shilese Jones, Sunisa Lee's new bars routine and all her Sanne variations, and of course the triumphant return of Laurie Hernandez—now starring positive coaching.
Top moments including Konnor McClain and Skye Blakely bringing 2005 realness to beam, the Riley McCusker and Jade Carey secret handshake, and how Jade might be kind of good at bars now.
Kensley joins us to talk about the men: who won, the special Shane Wiskus and Stephen Nedoroscik opportunities for comedy, and [deep breath] the DRA-HA-MA going on regarding who makes national team and gets funding

GYMTERNET NEWS

Yeah, we talk about that other news story that happened.

THE POSTS

Week 8 Rankings & NQS Update March 1, 2021
Winter Cup Sunday Live Blog – February 28, 2021 February 28, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – February 27, 2021 February 27, 2021
Friday Live Blog – February 26, 2021 February 26, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Week 7 February 23, 2021
Top Scores of Week 7 February 23, 2021

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Winter Cup Preview: NOW with women Feb 23, 2021

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WINTER CUP

It's coming. This weekend. We preview the women's competition...and then later in the episode actually get the real roster...don't worry about it.
Laurie Hernandez is starting her comeback. What are our expectations?
Plus, Sunisa Lee, Riley McCusker, Konnor McClain, Jordan Chiles, Kayla DiCello, Olivia Greaves, and others we can't wait to see SLASH have questions about.
Which men are competing, what national team drama is going on this year, and Kensley writes in with her title predictions

NCAA NEWS

Everyone set a program record, and BLOOP Alyssa Baumann is suddenly the #1 AAer in the country
The SEC Network bumped a baseball for gymnastics. We have arrived.
Marz Frazier, Nia Dennis, Victoria Nguyen, and LIU bring the comedy.

THE POSTS

Sunday Live Blog – February 21, 2021 February 21, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – February 20, 2021 February 20, 2021
Friday Live Blog – February 19, 2021 February 19, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Week 6 February 16, 2021
Top Scores of Week 6 February 16, 2021

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- Behind The Scenes: Pan Am Games
- Behind The Scenes: Distracting Hair
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Celery Beam Feb 15, 2021

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HEADLINES

Simone showed a competition-ready Yurchenko double pike on 60 Minutes. We discuss what it should be valued and how we're preparing for the injustice of it all, plus the inevitable fact-checking when civilians try to talk about gymnastics
Dianne Durham died last week. We discuss her legacy, what happened in 1984 and why we're still not over it, and why she's not in the US Hall of Fame. Sign the petition here.
The AA Olympic qualifiers have been canceled and the Doha World Cup has been postponed. We run through what it means for Olympic qualification
Aliya is the new acting head coach of the Russian juniors, and we have PLANS.
Sarah Finnegan has been elected athlete representative on the USAG board. How should we feel about this considering her #BroomGate past?

NCAA NEWS

The 198s went flying. Spencer has...some views...about the scoring at LSU and Metroplex
Trinity Thomas went 39.900. Was it the best all-around NCAA performance we've ever seen?
The LIU beam rotation wasn't basic, and opportunities for comedy were everywhere in stag-cat-pounces and Nia Dennis running away from vault.

THE POSTS

Monday Live Blog – February 15, 2021 February 15, 2021
Sunday Live Blog – February 14, 2021 February 14, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – February 13, 2021 February 13, 2021
Friday Live Blog – February 12, 2021 February 12, 2021
Things Are Happening – February 11, 2021 February 11, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Week 5 February 9, 2021
Top Scores of Week 5 February 9, 2021
Week 5 Rankings February 8, 2021

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- Behind The Scenes: Pan Am Games
- Behind The Scenes: Distracting Hair
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We have masks too!

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Gym Nerd School 102: College Gymnastics Feb 10, 2021

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Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss. Gym Nerd School videos are available to everyone because education if a fundamental human right for crying out loud. If you'd like to support us please Join Here.

GYM NERD SCHOOL

In the second class of the Gym Nerd School series this semester, we explain rules, myths, scandals, and important gym nerd history while answering your questions about women's college gymnastics in the US.

Why do we watch college gymnastics — from outfits to broadcasts to teams to 10s
Jessica Quizzes Herself: The NCAA sport cartel system and the origin of women's college gymnastics and the upcoming Name, Image and Likeness rules.
Dynasties and Usurpers: A timeline of college gymnastics history
Jessica Quizzes Spencer: Judging and the "rules" of college gymnastics scoring
"HELP: I just got into college gymnastics. How do I pick a favorite team?"
The Most Important Part: Scandals and dramas
Plus, Nicole Langevin from Precision Choreography and My Gym Judge joins to talk about the EIGHT WHOLE TENTHS that can be taken in the "artist formerly known as JO" for non-skills, which we decide is the solution for college judging

THE POSTS

WTF Is College Gymnastics Scoring - Vault
WTF Is College Gymnastics Scoring - Bars
WTF Is College Gymnastics Scoring - Beam
WTF Is College Gymnastics Scoring - Floor
NCAA Week 5 Preview February 4, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Week 4 February 2, 2021
Top Scores of Week 4 February 2, 2021
Week 4 Rankings February 1, 2021

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Kyla 'The Boss' Ross Interview Feb 02, 2021

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WATCH Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see video clips of the gymnastics while we discuss. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here.

KYLA IS HERE

Olympic, World, and NCAA Champion Kyla Ross joins us this week! We discuss: What it's like returning as undergraduate coach this season after her own senior year was cut short, her current coaching duties, the weirdness of preseason this year, whether UCLA has had any COVID cases, her reaction to Sara Taubman's bars routine, and more.

RAINING HELL FIRE

USAG signed a broadcast deal with FloSports. Yeah. We're not happy about it either. We reached out to USAG with MANY questions, and we'll tell you what they said.

NCAA NEWS

Florida had a Pride meet, Arkansas is taking the world by storm, Oklahoma melted down on beam, and we were graced by two 10.000s
Jessica puts some people in their place on COVID Or Correct
Cal, Boise State, and Arizona weren't basic this week
Rachel Baumann, Cammy Hall, Marz Frazier, and the Air Force team deliver the comedy
We're taking leap combinations to the honesty corner

THE POSTS

Sunday Live Blog – January 31, 2021 January 31, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – January 30, 2021 January 30, 2021
Friday Live Blog – January 29, 2021 January 29, 2021
Things Are Happening – January 27, 2021 January 27, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Week 3 January 26, 2021
Top Scores of Week 3 January 26, 2021
Live Blog: Iowa St. vs. Denver - January 31, 2021
Live Blog: Air Force vs. Cal Berkeley - January 30, 2021
Shift Movement Science Podcast:

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The Gympocalypse Jan 25, 2021

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THE NEWS

No...the Olympics haven't been canceled. Well, not yet. Becky Downie and Simone talk about it.
Nia Dennis went viral for her black excellence floor routine, and Rylie Mundell and Elizabeth Culton showed how things should be done
COVID or Correct: Michigan is pausing athletic activities, and a certain former head coach is throwing away 40 years of gymternet goodwill
The Gympocalypse caught Oklahoma, Michigan, and Minnesota, while Pauline Tratz and Sara Taubman had to save UCLA through the power of feelings
The Pitt Pride meet was a rainbow explosion and the groundbreaking UCLA intro video

FEEDBACK

The rules of gymnastics broadcasting
MORE virtual meet systems in men's gymnastics
A disappointed parent's pandemic meet experience
Do callus disappear during pandemic pauses? We have the answer.
How to bring NBC into the 21st (20th?) century

THE POSTS

Week 3 Rankings January 25, 2021
Saturday Live Blog – January 23, 2021 January 23, 2021
Friday Live Blog – January 22, 2021 January 22, 2021
Keeping Up with the Cool GIFs – Week 2 January 19, 2021
Live Blog: ASU vs. UCLA - January 23, 2021
Live Blog: Utah vs. Oklahoma - January 17, 2021

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Kneeling for Justice (and Vault) Jan 18, 2021

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NCAA NEWS

Five Florida gymnasts kneel for the national anthem, and Florida overtakes Oklahoma as the #1 team
Ona Loper's toe point is the best all-arounder in the country
Mya Hooten's vault and Alyssa Perez-Lugones's dancing show gymnastics at its comedic best
Iowa is our favorite team of all time for this week with their skin colored mesh leos.
When a leo reveal video goes TOO FAR

MINI COMMISSION

As commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Laura, we provide gymnerd commentary on Life in the Day of Aliya Mustafina.

PLUS...

Kensley is here to recap all the gymnastics action and mask inaction at the Galveston Beach Blast Invitational Superspreader
NCAA men's gymnastics held the first-ever virtual meets, and they went really well!

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