GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

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**GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast**

GymCastic Podcast is a weekly gymnastics talk show. The hosts interview people who love gymnastics almost as much as we do, discuss the latest news, events and offensive leotard fashion.

Latest Episodes:

79: Winter Cup Feb 26, 2014

Show notes

In the news, Jessica, Uncle Tim, and Evan Heiter chat about:

Screaming women losing their minds at the Winter Cup
Anthony Macullum - the JayZ of double layouts
Dannel Leyva failing to make the national team
Is the Olympic Training Center the next great gymnastics "club?"
Why The Nastia Liukin Cup is one of the best all-around events in the biz (Kyle Shewfelt's meet where the judges wore clown outfits was tied before it was retired)
American Cup preview - our picks for winners and cool skills
Gabby Douglas and UCLA get a fantastic new coach in technical phenom, Dominic Palange.
This week's NCAA 10's: Illinois's Amber See on vault, Sydney Sawa on Floor and controversy over score escalation at the Perfect 10 Challenge in Oklahoma.

And here are the latest news stories from around the gymternet:

Louis Smith and Dan Keating back in the saddle!
Shawn Johnson having trouble being critical as a commentator
Nastia explains why Russians don't smile
Unrest in Ukraine disrupts gymnastics
Jess's Rage-o-Meter strikes again

How to Watch the American Cup! Set your DVRs for Saturday, March 1 on NBC TV from 1-3pm ET. You can also watch online before the broadcast starts from 11:30-1pm ET. Podium training will start on Feb, 27 at 10:30am ET online at www.ATTAmericanCup.com Save Temple Men's Gymnastics BUY THIS CALENDAR! Bri Guy tears both achillies at the same time. Masters (adult, 18+) Gymnastics Meets!

2014 British Vets Championships will take place at the home of British Gymnastics, Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Newport, Shropshire, on the 1st November. Info here.
World Masters Gymnastics Championship in Oakville Gymnastics Club in Oakville, Ontario on Saturday, March 8, 2014. Info here.

USAG NCAA weekly update

Find our episode playlist here

77: Aly Raisman Feb 19, 2014

Show notes

Miss Aly Raisman, the most decorated American in London and the Olympic champ on floor.

She used to be called "my mini-me" by Alicia Sacramone and then she became one of the most consistent gymnasts in the United States. She clinched team gold for the Fierce Five in London with a clutch performance on floor. That routine featured some of her trademark INSANE tumbling. She's back in the gym and ready to return to competition later this year. We discuss:

If she's still on track to be back for Classics in Chicago.
Bars, bars and bars, yes, she talks about her love/hate relationship with bars.
Her advice about handling pressure (because she's so freakin' good at it!)
Crazy skills she's been working on. Kenzo look out!
What helped her improve her flexibility and toe point last year.
What happened with Jordyn in the training room when Aly advanced to all-around finals without her.
How her relationship with coaches Mihai and Silvia Brestyan has changed since the Olympics.
Her thoughts on the Chinese age controversy in Antwerp.
How she deals with fear, even when Miahi calls her a chicken!

Aly's Twitter and Facebook

76: Valentine's Day with Svetlana Boginskaya Feb 12, 2014

Show notes

Svetlana Boginskaya and William Yee tell their love story! Photo from Svetlana Boginskaya on Instagram. Click the photo to link

This week Jessica and Evan (Uncle Tim has laryngitis!) chat about:

Coverage of the Winter Olympics so far (hint, O'Beirne is furious).
Should NCAA judges be paid equally no matter where the meet is held?
CNBC's Soviet-born reporter translated the shocking things Russia's "Rossiya-2 Sport" channel is saying about gymnasts and their bodies.
The Gabby Douglas movie - an O'Beirne review.
The latest 10s in NCAA, who was robbed of a 10 and the polar vortex takes it's first gymnastics victim.
Leotards that made us want to light a bonfire and dance around it until Project Runway rescues us.
A listeners' Valentine's day letter of gratitude to her coaches.
And then! The little sound bite Jessica has been saving forever! Svetlana Boginskaya and her husband tell us both sides of their love story.

Follow Svetlana on Instagram at Svetlanaboguinskaia, check out the schedule for her camp here and email her for choreography or speaking engagements at info@ogccamp.com. If you are ever in the Houston area, make sure to visit the Boginskaya-Yee family restaurant, Mazzei’s Gourmet Pizzeria in Katy, Texas.

Deadspin article about anti-discrimination message left out of NBC's broadcast. Tunnel Bear VPN service to watch broadcasts in other countries. NCAA gymnastics television, radio and webisodes: Alabama, Michigan, UCLA, Georgia.

University of Nebraska's lace leos.

75: Classic Episode with UCLA's Miss Val Feb 05, 2014

Show notes

UCLA's six-time NCAA Championship winning coach, Valorie Kondos-Field.Copyright Christy Linder 2014

It's a Classic Episode with UCLA's ballet-dancer turned six-time NCAA Championships winning coach, Valorie Kondos-Field. Miss Val chats with Dvora Meyers, Blythe Lawrence, Jessica, and Uncle Tim about:

The power of an athlete identity as retirement looms
Collegiate gymnastics as one big life skills class
The problems with basing self-esteem on performance
Incentivizing artistry
Her most embarrassing moment as a dancer
Why so many of her athletes have the desire to go back to elite after college
The actual dollar amount and experiential cost of losing NCAA eligibility
What advice she gave Jordyn Wieber about going pro
We discover how Miss Val and her former roommate inspired one of the creators of the television show Will and Grace
Why Canadians thrive in NCAA
Lastly, she tells the story of the amazing wedding gift she gave to a fan

The Bruin Gymnastics YouTube channel. 15 years of UCLA routines, including the fan favorite, "Floor Files"; individual playlists featuring each gymnasts' routines for all four years.

Miss Val on Twitter.

UCLA Gymnastics website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

74: Melanie Sinclair & Amaluna Review Feb 01, 2014

Show notes

An update on Melanie Sinclair (front) the NCAA star, who's kicking ass as an Amazon in Cirque du Soliel's Amaluna.

First! We present our scientific review of Amaluna. Then our guest, is the vivacious and effervescent, Melanie Sinclair. Before becoming an acrobat in Cirque du Soliel's goddess powered Amaluna, she was a US National Team member during the Nastia, Sacramone, Memmel years.

Always a fan favorite for her sideline antics (see gif and videos below) and emotional filled routines, she finally gained the attention she deserved at University of Florida. She was a leader on the team, putting Florida on the map. She was fun to watch no matter what she was doing - competing or dancing with herself during warmups. She exemplifies all of the reasons gymnastics fans adore NCAA gymnastics. We discuss:

The old school uneven bars act she performs in Amaluna
Growing up at Orlando Metro under the tutelage of Jeff Wood and Christi Barineau
The true friendship of her teammate, Amanda Castillo.
How she became so consistent in college when it was so illusive in elite.
The power of fun and being oneself in gymnastics.
How she recovered when she gymnastics career was cut short and what advice she'd give to gymnasts in similar situations.
How Cirque helps her treat her body like a temple and stay healthy even after a lifetime of gymnastics.
The rhythms and cycles of a predominantly female cast.

Above - Her career wasn't complete without Amanda Castillo.

Everything about Cirque's AMALUNA. This show features college gymnastics' uneven-bar favorites: Amara (Amy) Defilippo (Arkansas), Melissa Fernandez (Illinois), Summar Hubbard (LSU), Linday Bruck-Ayotte (Michigan), Brittany Urbain (Iowa) and Laura-Ann Chong (Oregon).

The man who actually makes juggling SUPER HOT Victor Key

73: When is a 10 a 10? Jan 29, 2014

Show notes

The Tigress Giantess! We love 5' 9", former elite, current All-American, Sarie Morrison of LSU.

In the news, Uncle Tim, Evan, and Jessica chat about:

Favorite moments from our John Orozco interview
Kytra Hunter and Bridget Sloan 10's versus the Dabrtiz 9.975
A judge responds: taking .025 deductions
Michigan's eight (yes, eight!) E level mounts on floor. Whaaaaa?!
The Gopher who's tunneling into our hearts, Minnesota's Lindsay "Precision" Mable
Danna Durante speaks out on early recruiting
LSU's exquisit gymnastics giantess, 5' 9", Sarie Morrison

The Balance Beam Situation's post re Georgia vs. Florida.
Coach Rick's thoughtful post with illustrated chest positions.
Mattie Larson's exit interview with International Gymnast.
The FIG's entertaining newsletter,"The FIG Help Desk."
Don't forget to take the Listener Survey!

Nebraska's B.I.G. 10 Conference logo

YouTube Playlist here

72: John Orozco Jan 24, 2014

Show notes

Gymnast and ninja prodigy, John Orozco

We all know the story of his parents struggle to pay for his gymnastics lessons, his unlikely start in a borough of New York City, his meteoric rise to three-time, consecutive, junior national champion, senior national champion, Olympian and World Medalist; but what has it been like to be favored for Olympic glory only to fall short of your and seemingly, your country's goal? John speaks frankly about the highs and lows since the Olympics, and the struggle to regain his mojo. We discuss:

The pressure he put on himself to support his family.
How his "failure" (his words, not ours) in London changed him.
Being labeled, "The Kid From The Bronx."
He gymnerds-out with us about vault, vault, more vault.
The cruelty of social media and how to stay positive when in the public eye.
His advice and drills for being proficient on the dreaded pommel horse.
The reason for his angry tweets after tearing his ACL on the post-Olympic tour.
Public nudity
Which meets have the best after parties!

John Orozco Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine.

71: The Chest Position Enforcement Bureau Jan 22, 2014

Show notes

The survey, the survey! Please take our Listener Survey HERE!

In the news, Uncle Tim, Evan Heiter, and Jessica chat about:

Kelly Garrison, as commentator and beam innovator.
NCAA gymnastics revenue quiz, Uncle Time shocked us.
Joanna Sampson, will she be a force on floor and the all-around this year?
The Chelsea Davis bar score controversy(?)ish.
Should some floor music be off-limits forever?
Another maple goddess, from the Great White North, Maddie Gardiner of OSU.
LSU's Llominica Hall newest quintessential, Americana choreography.
Our love for "giantess", 5' 9'' gymnast, Sara Townsend of Iowa State.
Oregon State brings us Kaytianna McMillan's double backspin on floor!

We discuss the latest stories from around the gymternet:

What's with these weird videos the FIG has been putting up? (see playlist below)
The new handstand pirouette world record
The girl who is continuing gymnastics after losing a leg to leukemia.
Some of favorite responses from the listener survey so far!
How much Uncle Tim sucks at Fantasy Gymnastics. Hahahahh!

70: The 2014 NCAA Season Has Begun! Jan 15, 2014

Show notes

The Cal Bears of University of California Berkeley strut their stuff in their new backless leos on opening weekend.

Uncle Tim, Evan Heiter, and Jessica chat about these news items:

Sarah Finnegan returns to competition with some new skills.
The American Cup roster is off the charts amazing but will the media degrade it into a rehashing of Ferlito-Gate?
Uncle Tim and Evan take a quiz on NCAA rules to answer frequently asked questions from our newbie fans.
Will delve deep into the Minnesota, LSU, Florida, UCLA, Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma meets including:
- Danusia Francis competing the first ever longitudinal aerial to full dismount and her floor routine, that literally made boys fall out of their seats.
- Georgia's new choreographer, Bulldog alum Cassidy McComb of GymCats.
- Has the floor finals bar been set by Lindsey Mabel's exquisite execution or Kytra Hunter's jaw-dropping tumbling?
- WIll Bridgeport be the first Division II team to beat a Division I team?
- Oklahoma's ginormous team score and difficulty.

As always we discuss the latest stories from around the gymternet:

Gymnasts at the Golden Globes
Louis Smith comes back to elite gymnastics
Shawn Johnson launches The Body Department
Beth Tweddle's next skating show
The Gabby Douglas story already has an air date

69: World Champ Kayla Williams with her Alabama coach Sarah Patterson Jan 08, 2014

Show notes

The pride of West Virginia, 2009 World Vault Champion and member of the 2012 Alabama NCAA Championship team, Kayla Williams. We discuss:

The unusual origins of her triple full side-pass
Her climb from the JO ranks to World Champion in just months
Why she chose to move to Mary Lee Tracy's gym.
"Chuck and go" elite-gymnastics versus college requirements
Her plans for the future

Next we chat with Kayla's coach, arch-enemy of Georgia's Suzanne Youclan, wearer of sequin gowns, University of Alabama's six-time NCAA Championship winning coach Sarah Patterson. We discuss: