Olympic champion Jade Carey is officially BACK, Jordyn Wieber steps away from coaching, and the NCAA transfer portal is chaos. Meanwhile, Algeria makes history, Japan's team selection system is already causing stress, and the road to World Championships just got way more complicated.

We break down:

• Jade Carey's return and what it means for LA 2028
• Major NCAA transfers and NIL strategy shifts
• Coaching carousel chaos across top programs
• The new Worlds qualification system (and why no one is safe)
• Russian and Japanese storylines you need to watch
• Plus: a behind-the-scenes teaser from our Chae Campbell live show

👀 Stay to the end for a BTS preview you won't hear anywhere else.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open: Postseason Chaos, Jade Carey Returns & Wieber Leaves

00:59 – Jade Carey Comeback & Elite Impact

02:56 – Joscelyn Roberson Transfer Portal & NIL Strategy

05:07 – Cecile Takes Over Georgia + Coaching Power Shifts

06:18 – Jordyn Wieber Steps Down at Arkansas

10:40 – Algeria Makes History: First Women's Worlds Team

13:16 – Coaching Carousel: Auburn, Nebraska, Georgia Shakeups

16:55 – Transfer Portal With Strong Bite Me Vibes: Cal → Stanford Fallout

20:03 – Ana Bărbosu Whereabouts Violation Update

24:06 – Live Show Promo + Chae Campbell

27:34 – African Championships Deep Dive & Nemour Dominance

31:26 – Bars Arms Race: Nemour vs. Yang Fanyuwei

33:18 – Worlds Qualification System Explained (No Auto Spots!)

36:17 – Oceanic Champs Preview & "Sponsor Courtney McGregor" Campaign

39:32 – StoryWorth Ad

42:21 – New Uneven Bars Skills (Finally Named!)

50:12 – Russian Cup Results + Neutral Athlete Controversy

52:17 – Russian Broadcast Goes Full Video Game Mode

57:04 – Japan Rising Star Nishiyama Misa + Beam Artistry Masterclass

59:05 – Japan Team Selection Heartbreak Incoming

01:01:21 – Upcoming Meets to Watch (NHK, Pan Ams, Euros, Worlds Path)

01:03:26 – Gymternet News: Surveillance Cameras in Gyms

01:05:48 – Dumpster Fire News: Criminal Case & Coaching Abuse

01:07:47 – Hall of Fame + Olympic Trials 2028 Announcement

01:10:51 – Nadia, Simone & Laureus Awards Moment

01:12:33 – Fantasy League Winner + What's Next

01:13:26 – Outro + Weekly BTS Reminder

01:13:41 – BTS Teaser: How the Chae Campbell Interview Really Happened

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This Behind the Scenes episode dives into everything we couldn't fully unpack on the main feed — from major NCAA coaching shakeups and transfer portal chaos, ranking debates, and the questions everyone's asking but no one is answering clearly.

We're breaking down:

• The latest coaching moves across NCAA gymnastics

• What's actually happening in the transfer portal (and why it's so confusing)

• Misconceptions about our live show process

  • GYMCASTIC LIVE Featuring: CHAE CAMPBELL – Get replay tickets here

• Ranking inconsistencies that still make no sense

• Big-picture issues like access, money, and who gets to do gymnastics

Plus: your questions, hot takes, and the conversations that don't make it into the main version of the show.

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You're not getting the whole story unless you're in the club.

We recored this episode live immediatly following Team Finals between Oklahoma, LSU, Florida and Minnesota at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth. Scores and watch links. Members watched the recording live and asked questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro: Oklahoma Wins Again (8th NCAA Title) 00:40 – Did the Right Team Win? LSU vs Oklahoma Debate 01:04 – LSU vs Oklahoma: Beam Falls, Margins & What Decided It 02:02 – Scoring Controversies: Overscoring on Bars & Floor 03:23 – Skye Blakely & Routine Credit Questions 04:03 – Beam Camera Angles & Judging Visibility Issues 05:05 – Live recording moment when the arena turned our power off 05:12 – NCAA Not Following Credential Rules 06:10 – Security Failures 07:16 – Konnor McClain MVP Case: Competing Injured & Delivering 08:09 – Beam Dismounts: The Real Difference Between LSU & Oklahoma 08:39 – Florida Breakdown: Why They Underperformed Again 10:15 – Bars Equipment Issues & Athlete Feedback 11:05 – Coaching Carousel: Florida, Auburn, Nebraska Speculation 12:29 – Minnesota's Historic Finish & Program Rise 14:07 – Emotional Reactions & What This Finish Means for Minnesota 15:39 – Facilities Impact: New Gym vs Old Training Conditions 16:39 – Behind the Scenes: Arena & Chalk Spewing Vaccumes 17:37 – LSU Highlights: Freshmen, Vault Power & Floor Struggles 18:10 – The "Sliding Mat" Problem & Safety Concerns 19:04 – Coaching Decision Debate: What To Do When A Coach Fails To Do Their Job? 20:05 – Event Winners & Individual Standouts 21:54 – Vault 10 Controversy: Was It Actually Perfect? 23:00 – Bars, Beam & Floor Champions Breakdown 24:03 – Equipment Fix Ideas & Gym Nerd Solutions 25:09 – LIVE SHOW RECAP 25:45 – Favorite Moments from the Live Show 26:32 – STORYWORTH AD 29:24 – Exclusive Live Show Content: UCLA, Culture & Coaching Discussion 31:03 – Coaching Experience vs Hiring Decisions Debate 32:03 – Oklahoma Lineup Strategy: Should They Have Changed Beam? 33:19 – Mental Toughness: Handling Delays & Pressure 36:21 – LSU Perspective: Why This Still Counts as a Huge Success 38:47 – LSU Coach Reaction & Athlete Resilience Stories 41:34 – Alternate Scoring Scenario: What If All Scores Counted? 43:27 – Should NCAA Format Change? 5 Up 5 Count Debate 44:00 – Oklahoma Difficulty Strategy: Smart or Boring? 47:06 – OSHA & Safety Issues: Blood, Trainers & Protocol 47:54 – Wild Story: Team Drives Into Tornado 49:01 – MVP Picks: Ella Murphy Clutch Beam Routine 50:17 – Judging Analysis: Mary Jo's Role & Broadcast Improvements 52:53 – Diversity in Judging: Who's Missing? 54:15 – Coaching Rumors & Job Movement Speculation 55:35 – Who's on the Hot Seat? Coaching Pressure Debate 56:42 – Final Thoughts & Thank You to Fans 57:09 – Post-Show Plans: Vacation & Celebration

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MEMBERS-ONLY BEHIND THE SCENES: This episode also includes a Behind The Scenes section for Club Gym Nerd members, with extra reporting from the arena including the Oklahoma podium training injury discussion, LSU's arena music moment, the fan fest, puppies, and other live-show chaos you didn't see on TV. Join Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/join-the-club/

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Teams Advance to the NCAA Final 00:40 – Event Champions: Faith Torres, Kira Wells, Riley McCusker, Brooklyn Roray, Jordan Chiles 02:23 – Live Show Preview with Chae Campbell 03:54 – Minnesota Breaks Through in Semifinal Two 06:37 – UCLA Misses Its Chance on Vault 08:15 – Jordan Chiles' Bars Fall and Floor Title Redemption 10:45 – Arkansas Falls Short 12:18 – Oklahoma Dominates the Day 12:45 – Faith Torres Wins the All-Around 14:17 – Oklahoma Injury / Lineup / Podium Questions 16:29 – End of Public Show 16:53 – Members Only: BTS Begins 17:39 – LSU Arena Music Discussion 18:38 – Oklahoma Gymnast Injury in Podium Training 20:31 – Recovery, Catsuits, and Arena Noise 24:20 – Semifinal One Vault Debate: Kaliya Lincoln vs Kailin Chio 28:37 – Why NCAA Judging Drives Everyone Insane 32:08 – Chio's Recovery and LSU Team Mentality 35:03 – Florida and LSU Advance, Georgia Misses Its Opening 38:35 – JaFree Scott's Beam Miracle 42:05 – What Florida and LSU Need to Do for the Final 45:36 – Can Minnesota Beat LSU? 47:26 – UCLA's Underperformance and Jordan's Beam Response 50:27 – Proposed Beam Rule Changes 52:25 – FanFest, Food Trucks, and NCAA Atmosphere 54:43 – Event Winners and All-Around Follow-Up 57:16 – Maggie Slife and the Air Force Story 59:38 – Puppies, Fan Experience, and More BTS 01:01:41 – Event Specialists: Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor 01:04:25 – Is Podium Good or Bad for Nationals? Live show tickets https://gymcastic.com/ More from GymCastic: https://gymcastic.com/

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open: Etsy Witch & Breaking the Curse

00:36 – Live Show Announcement + ChaeCampbell Guest

02:17 – Headlines: Fisk Documentary + HBCU Impact

02:55 – Black Monday Coaching Updates (BYU, Utah, MSU)

04:48 – Kerri Strug Biopic Drama + Casting Fallout

06:30 – NCAA Nationals Format Explained (Semis + Finals)

08:38 – What "Winning" Actually Means at Nationals

11:26 – Florida: No More Excuses (Title or Bust)

14:34 – The Etsy Witch Ritual Explained

18:23 – Oklahoma: Why They'll Probably Win Again

22:00 – LSU: Contender or Chaos Candidate?

26:51 – UCLA: Jordan Chiles + Floor Magic Factor

32:22 – Georgia: The Ultimate Spoiler Team

36:31 – Stanford: Cinderella with Real Upside

40:49 – Arkansas: Program History Already Made

42:21 – Minnesota: The Surprise Team That Delivered

45:31 – Individual Title Contenders (AA, Events)

47:52 – Dark Horse: Avery Neff for All-Around Title?

53:15 – Event Finals Breakdown (Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor)

01:02:05 – Judging Accountability Crisis

01:07:01 – NCAA Response + Lack of Transparency

01:10:04 – Why Oversight Matters (Big Picture)

01:12:37 – Listener Question: Bracket Draw Fairness

• More NCAA coaching changes
  • BYU parts ways with long-time head coach Guard Young
  • Michigan State and Utah both extend contracts to current head coaches
• The Kerri Strug biopic is dead after Millie Bobby Brown left the project due to creative differences with the producers
• Check out the new BET documentary series, "Flipped," following Fisk Gymnastics

• What does the schedule look like?
  • Thursday, April 16: semifinals
  • Friday, April 17: Live show
  • Saturday, April 18: Finals
• What does victory look like?
  • What teams are expected to win?
  • What teams have already achieved a victory by getting to Nationals?
• Group 1: The Championship Title Picks
  • No pressure, but Florida, you should win
  • Oklahoma, are you really going to let people who aren't even on their highest toe beat you??
• Group 2: Wildcards
  • Can LSU lock in again after last year's disappointing semifinal elimination?
  • Why UCLA could win the title
• Group 3: Spoiler teams
  • The pressure of the death of Georgia gymnastics is off. What can Georgia do at its first Nationals run since 2019?
  • Stanford is out here making its second Nationals appearence in the last decade
• Group 4: The Nothing to Lose Group
  • This is already going to be a top 4 result in team history for Arkansas
  • Minnesota already busted your bracket at Regionals, what more can they do here?

• Greg Marsden's comments about our NCAA Judging episode
• How are judges chosen for NCAAs?

• Listen to post-Regionals College & Cocktails with Reema
• Behind The Scenes starts up again after NCAA Championships
• NCAA Episodes:
  • After Day One of NCAA Championships at 9pm CT
  • GymCastic Live Featuring Chae Campbell 7pm CT, Friday April 17th
  • After NCAA Finals Saturday

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00:00 – Cold Open: Are Sticks Contagious? The Data Says No 00:19 – NCAA Championship Teams Set + Fort Worth Preview 00:50 – Show Intro + Spencer Survives Regionals Weekend 01:10 – GymCastic Live Show Details + Past Guests 02:35 – BREAKING: Auburn Head Coach Out After 16 Seasons 03:38 – Who's Next? Coaching Carousel Speculation (Utah, Kentucky) 05:05 – Equipment Fail: Floor Out-of-Bounds Set Wrong 06:24 – Regionals Results: Who Advanced & Biggest Upsets 07:17 – Minnesota Stuns: Eliminates Alabama & Utah 08:21 – Stanford Survives + Arkansas Over Missouri 09:09 – Judging Controversy Returns + Oversight Debate 11:18 – Iowa State Fallout: Athletes Transfer En Masse 12:16 – Romania Abuse Investigation Stalls 12:41 – Club Gym Nerd + NCAA Bonus Content Preview

13:12 – Deep Dive Begins: Minnesota's Breakthrough Strategy 15:53 – Alabama's Vault Lineup Cost Them Nationals 18:29 – Rotation Strategy + Why Vault Hurt Utah 20:51 – Sticks vs Steps: How Landings Decided Regionals 22:53 – Celebration Chaos + Teams Party Together 24:13 – Sticker Strategy Theory (Yes, Really) 24:49 – Biggest Lesson: Stick Celebrations Causing Deductions 27:06 – Rules Myth Busted: It's NOT a 3-Second Hold

29:36 – Biggest "Almost" Upset: Clemson Nearly Advances 31:48 – Clemson's Rise + Coaching Impact 32:22 – Arkansas vs Missouri: Margins & Landings 34:10 – Most Exciting Semifinal: Ohio State Upsets Kentucky 35:07 – Beam Pressure & Clutch Performances 37:25 – Rutgers Turnaround Story 40:11 – Iowa's "Valiant Loss" + Orally Tran's 10

42:00 – What We Learned: Oklahoma Still Holding Back 44:25 – Routine Construction: Why Leaps Matter More Than Ever

46:08 – Listener Research: Sticks Are NOT Contagious 50:01 – Broadcast Review: What Worked & What Didn't 53:20 – Judging Confusion Exposed On-Air 55:08 – Production Issues: Camera Angles & Coverage Problems 56:42 – Why Regionals NEED to Be on TV 58:01 – Missing Individual Standings Coverage

01:00:21 – Regional 10.0s Breakdown + Controversies 01:02:19 – Standout Skills & Moments (Van Frayen, Beam Work) 01:03:45 – Injury Moment: Chesney Bennett Finishes Routine 01:06:21 – NCAA Rule Advantage: Injury Evaluation Period

01:10:58 – Oregon Regional: Individual Qualifiers Breakdown 01:12:39 – Arizona State Regional: Michigan State Dominates Individuals 01:15:47 – LSU Regional: Clemson, Stanford & Key Storylines 01:19:57 – Kentucky Regional: Ohio State Upset + Qualifiers

01:22:20 – NCAA Championship Predictions 01:24:45 – Final Four Debate: Florida vs Oklahoma vs Field

01:28:13 – Gymternet News: Romania, Canada, Cornell Donation

• Listen to post-Regionals College & Cocktails with Reema
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We'll start around 7pm PT after the Florida, Georgia, Cal, MSU Regional Final at Arizona (full schedule and links here) with a very special guest, Reema Zakharia! This is the weekly Q&A show, where we answer your questions live. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

Not a member? Join here to listen to the full epsiode. Log in here, refresh the page and the extended player will appear below.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro: College & Cocktails + Guest Rima Zachariah 02:30 – Georgia Ends 7-Year Nationals Drought 08:15 – Regionals Pressure: What It's Really Like Competing 14:00 – Nationals Qualifiers: LSU, Florida, Stanford, Georgia 18:45 – Stanford vs Clemson: Fair Result or Robbery? 24:30 – Judging Controversies & Score Inconsistencies 31:00 – Equipment Issues: Vault Height Error + Setup Problems 36:20 – Beam Wobbles, Floor Chaos & Scoring Debates 43:10 – Injury Scare: Connor's Bars Fall Explained 49:00 – Leaps, Form & "Just Do Better" NCAA Rant 55:30 – Broadcast Breakdown: Rules Analyst Controversy 01:02:00 – Rest vs Strategy: Why Stars Aren't Doing All-Around 01:07:30 – Kaliya Lincoln's Perfect 10 & NCAA Standouts 01:11:30 – Team Culture, Coaching & Mental Pressure 01:16:30 – Live Meet Experience & Fan Stories 01:20:00 – LA Olympics Ticket Drama + Pricing Shock

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INTERVIEW Emma Slevin of Minnesota and Ireland on: - Gymnastics Ireland's pathway system - Why she chose NCAA gymnastics - Adjusting from elite to college gymnastics - Whether FIG should allow safety mats - Her future goals in NCAA and elite

REGIONALS DEBATE CLUB - Is Utah in real danger of missing nationals? - Is Florida the national title favorite? - Is home advantage actually bad for LSU? - Is SEC dominance real or overhyped? - Which individuals must qualify to nationals?

GYMTERNET NEWS - Rebeca Andrade plans to return in 2026 - Iowa State transfer news - All-Americans released - Fisk competed its final meet - SafeSport and abuse case updates - Simone Biles opens a restaurant at Houston airport

CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold Open: FIG Rules and Mats Debate 00:32 Intro: Emma Slevin, Judging Response and Regionals 01:38 Judges Respond to Interview 10:49 Jesolo Highlights 14:06 Emma Slevin Interview 30:47 Live Show, Fantasy and Updates 33:30 Regionals Debate Club 35:13 Oregon State Regional: Utah in Trouble? 45:36 Arizona State Regional: Is Florida the Favorite? 56:01 LSU Regional Debate 1:08:26 Kentucky Regional Debate 1:14:39 Must-Watch Individual Qualifiers 1:20:17 Gymternet News 1:26:49 Outro

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A judge reveals what's really happening behind NCAA gymnastics scoring — plus a brutal Regionals draw (UCLA, Utah & Alabama in the same bracket).

LIVE SHOW – NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL 17) Limited tickets: Get tickets

THIS EPISODE:

• Conference Champions crowned
• Regionals draw winners and losers
• Judging controversy explained
• Perfect 10 watch and Gym Slam race
• Favorite Moments from College & Cocktails

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Judges Are Guessing? Cold Open 00:00:12 – Intro: Conference Champs, Regionals & Judge Interview 01:40 – Voinea Family Back in the News 03:47 – British Championships: Becky Downie, Ruby Evans & Joe Fraser 09:48 – Conference Championships Recap: Florida on Top, Clemson Makes History 12:17 – Regionals Selection Show Reactions 15:27 – Why This Year's Regionals Draw Actually Makes Sense 18:18 – LSU Regional Drama: Clemson vs Auburn 19:39 – BTS, Club Gym Nerd & Live Show Updates 22:26 – Fantasy Update: KJ Kindler's Horse Farm Wins 23:44 – Rage-O-Meter: Backless Leos and Breast Health 25:07 – Full Regionals Draw Breakdown 28:39 – Stanford vs Michigan, CMU vs Rutgers & Regional Reactions 31:38 – Emergency Therapy Session: Who Got Screwed by the Draw 38:24 – New Rule: Teams Pick Their Starting Event 41:15 – Gymternet News: Amanda Yap, Lily Smith, Doha Cancelled, D'Amato Surgery 45:17 – Judge Jason Buttons Interview Begins 46:00 – "They Don't Know What They're Doing" 47:03 – Skill Recognition Problems at the Judges' Table 48:46 – Why Club Judges Can Talk and College Judges Can't 50:17 – Why Judges Need Replay and Slow Motion 51:11 – Why So Many Top Judges Avoid College Meets 53:09 – Accountability, Testing & Why Bad Judges Shouldn't Stay 56:18 – How Often Judging Errors Happen 57:52 – Deductions Judges Are Getting Wrong 01:00:06 – Why Routine Summaries Don't Really Explain Enough 01:05:34 – How Judges Are Evaluated and Why It's Not Working 01:07:15 – Why NCAA Judging Pay and Conditions Are a Problem 01:08:35 – Are Judges Actually Biased? 01:10:03 – Is There Any Real Data on Who the Best Judges Are? 01:11:16 – How Jason Would Fix the Entire Judging System 01:14:42 – Why Most Judges Still Love the Sport 01:16:24 – Judging Pay, Travel Time & Dry Cleaning Reality 01:20:24 – Interview Wrap-Up 01:20:47 – Perfect 10s Update: Selena, Faith Torrez & Jordan Chiles 01:22:14 – Feedback and Letters Begin 01:23:14 – Muriel Grossfeld Stories 01:24:33 – Why Stanford Looked Off at ACCs 01:26:30 – Equipment Horror Stories 01:29:13 – Iowa State's Unsafe Gym Conditions 01:33:22 – Courtney McGregor, Stuttgart & Germany's Scoring Mess 01:36:15 – Score Mystery Solved: Tonya Paulsson's Beam Fall 01:38:03 – Margarita Theater & Outro

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• British Gymnastics Suspends Trampoline High Performance Program

• Iowa State gymnastics alumni start raising money to try to reinstate gymnastics
• Do you want tickets to LA28? Wednesday, March 18 is the last day to register for the LA28 Olympic Ticket draw.
• Aimee Boorman is no longer working with the Germans
• Tickets for the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix are on sale now!
• Rhys McClenaghan is back and won his first World Cup gold medal since his injury
• Livvy Dunne joins Fox's 'Baywatch' in a recurring role

• Kyle Albrecht is taking the helm of USA Gymnastics after Li Li Leung stepped down
• Kyle comes from Major League Soccer's youth participation and development programs
• We discuss athlete safety, the future of the sport, expanding the American view of gymnastics and the GAGE suspension

• It's conference championships weekend!
  • What even is the big deal about conference championships? We'll give you our honest summary
  • What meets to watch out for (Oklahoma vs. LSU vs. Florida? UH YEAH)
• Liv and Cory didn't know who Muriel Grossfeld was and more shenanigans from College & Cocktails this week.
• What teams do we need to put on Regionals watch?
• Utah officially can't make it into the top 8. Why this is a BIG deal.
• The Kentucky situation.
• This week's 10 updates featuring all the senior night 10s and Kailin Chio,

00:00 – Cold Open: GAGE Decision & Athlete Safety 00:00:29 – British Gymnastics Suspends Trampoline Program 00:05:21 – Iowa State Gymnastics Fight to Reinstate Program 00:06:25 – LA28 Ticket Lottery Deadline + Jessica's Event Picks 00:07:45 – Aimee Boorman Leaves German Program 00:09:26 – US Championships Tickets + McClenaghan Wins Gold 00:10:22 – Livvy Dunne Joins Baywatch 00:10:39 – Interview: New USAG President Kyle Albrecht 00:12:45 – Vision for Growing Gymnastics Beyond the Olympics 00:15:12 – Athlete Safety, SafeSport & Learning from Nassar Era 00:17:44 – Adult Gymnastics Expansion & Retention 00:20:02 – GAGE Ban Explained + Accountability in USAG 00:23:04 – NCAA Update: Conference Championships Preview 00:26:17 – Why Conference Championships Are Chaos (and Fun) 00:28:08 – Oklahoma vs LSU vs Florida Showdown Preview 00:30:00 – Regionals Bubble Teams: Washington, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn 00:33:00 – Utah Can't Make Top 8: Chaos Incoming 00:36:06 – Kentucky as the Ultimate Regional Spoiler 00:38:24 – Selection Show Details + Regional Drama Incoming 00:40:18 – 10.0 Explosion: Senior Night Scoring Madness 00:41:29 – Chio's 3 Tens + Gym Slam Watch 00:43:48 – LSU NIL Strategy & Athlete Marketing Shift 00:49:05 – Best Gymnast Debate: Chio vs Chiles vs Roberts 00:53:46 – More Perfect 10s: Harris, Ostrom, Smith 00:55:23 – Rankings Battle: Oklahoma vs LSU for #1 00:56:45 – Fan Story: "GymCastic Creating World Peace" 00:58:51 – Konnor McClain Beam Controversy (9.925 Breakdown) 01:02:07 – Mixed Team Format Debate: Missing Events? 01:05:00 – American Cup Equipment Scare (Bar Collapse!) 01:06:06 – Code Questions: Up-To-Level (UTL) Deductions Explained 01:12:40 – Athletes Turned Coaches: Eligibility & NCAA Rules 01:14:58 – Head Injury Protocol Rant (Hockey Example) 01:17:23 – College & Cocktails + Weekend Watch Guide 01:18:59 – Outro: Live Show, Merch & Final Thoughts

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00:00 Intro 00:38:28 Roster Bargains 00:52:19 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:43 Roster Bargains - Vault 04:38 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:50 Roster Bargains - Beam 08:28 GymCastic Updates 10:03 Roster Bargains - Floor 12:02 League Leaders 12:17 10.0 Deals 13:33 League Stats

This Week's College & Cocktails: March 14 after Utah @ UCLA. Join us at 9:30pm PT

We break down how the three-round elimination format worked, why some teams advanced despite falls, and what strategies teams used when choosing apparatus.

Plus, data analyst and figure skating official Dr. Elliot Schwartz joins the show to explain the strategy behind the format, whether teams should be allowed to change lineups mid-competition, and what gymnastics could learn from figure skating's scoring system and judging transparency.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Cold Open: Why This Mixed Team Format Was Built for China 01:11 – USAG Pulls Out of Turkey and Cairo World Cups 03:23 – Iowa State Cuts Gymnastics + KJ Kindler Fires Back 08:45 – Jessica on New USAG President Kyle Albrecht 10:02 – American Cup Mixed Team Format Debuts at the Reborn American Cup 11:42 – China Wins + Why This Format Favors China 13:01 – Round 1 Chaos: Brazil and the Philippines Are Eliminated 14:15 – Round 2 Drama: Asher Hong Falls and the U.S. Barely Survives 17:45 – Final Round Recap: U.S. Gets Silver, Japan Takes Bronze 19:00 – Club Gym Nerd Updates: College & Cocktails, Live Shows and More 20:05 – American Cup Deep Dive: Did It Actually Feel Like a Team Competition? 21:35 – Could Fans Follow the Meet? Arena Confusion and Missing Scores 23:23 – Peacock vs In-Arena Experience 25:43 – Should This Have Been a Head-to-Head Bracket? 28:54 – Debate Club: Should Teams Be Allowed to Change Lineups Mid-Meet? 31:17 – Event Selection Debate: Too Much P-Bars, Not Enough Chaos 33:55 – Comedy Highlights: Claire Pease High-Five Fail + Nastia Clip 35:16 – Broadcast Problems: NBC, U.S.-Only Focus and Missed Routines 41:17 – Interview: Dr. Elliot Schwartz on Strategy, Scoring and Figure Skating Lessons 44:01 – Could Gymnastics Use a Plus/Minus Scoring System? 47:52 – Planned Routines, Improvisation and What Figure Skating Does Better 52:01 – Specialist Strategy: What's the Ideal Team Construction? 55:55 – Is Saving Your Biggest Difficulty for the Final Round the Best Strategy? 59:24 – NCAA Update: UCLA vs Stanford Bronze Medal Reunion Meet 01:00:44 – Florida vs LSU: Historic 198.450 and Scoring Chaos 01:07:00 – Perfect 10 Update 01:08:45 – NCAA Rankings Update 01:10:06 – Listener Feedback: American Cup Broadcast Frustrations 01:16:29 – Tim Daggett Back on Air 01:18:15 – American Cup Right, Wrong and How to Improve It 01:23:47 – Outro: College & Cocktails After Utah at UCLA 01:25:01 – End

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Every week we pick a college meet to watch, then go live, right here on this page to discuss our immediate thoughts about the meet. Our superstar, bar tender Linzers, creates a bespoke themed mocktail and cocktail recipe for each meet.

College & Cocktails combines our weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A live podcast with a college meet of the week. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who support our work year around. For more info on how to watch your favorite elites, Olympic and World medalists in college and all year long, check out The Balance Beam Situation's schedule with links.

College & Cocktails had a full GAGE Rage update on Saturday.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro 1:13 GAGE Membership Terminated: The Unprecedented USAG Decision 2:55 Impact on Athletes: History Lesson via Jordan Chiles and Lessons on Consequences 4:46 The Ownership Mystery: Karla Grimes & Tiffany Davenport Suspensions 11:05 SafeSport Rules: Why the GAGE Termination Happened Now 23:20 American Cup Preview: The New LA 2028 Mixed Team Format 35:19 Broadcast Strategy: Should We See Every Routine in 2.5 Hours? 50:04 The Olympic Charter: Should the US Be Banned from the Olympics? 59:25 Feedback: Front Attitude Turns & The Gymnastics Rage-O-Meter 1:18:10 Simone Biles' Future Training: Tropical Islands vs. New Elite Bases 1:22:01 Life Lessons: Stick Crowns & Participation Trophies in the Gym 1:29:59 NCAA Update: Stanford's Historic 198 & The Race for #1 1:40:09 The Grace McCallum Model: Finding Perfection in College Bars 1:41:48 Closing: Join Us for College & Cocktails

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• Simone Biles went to the Winter Olympics to cheer on Team USA
• Morgan Price, who earned Fisk's first ever 10, got another 10 this week for Arkansas
• Two more GAGE coaches were suspended in addition to Al Fong and Armine
  • Karla Grimes was suspended from all contact
  • Tiffany Davenport (GAGE) was hit with a Center temporary suspension
• Elite season is warming up with Winter Cup and the Cottbus World Cup

• Why does the Cottbus World Cup matter in terms of Olympic qualification?
• Sugihara Aiko did not defend her floor world title here, with several OOB deductions
• Anna Kalmykova (AIN) won FX and VT with an ode to Mother Paseka
• A shocking upset on bars where Kaylia Nemour, the reigning Olympic Champion, finished 7th
• Elisa Iorio won bars with a 14.266, Milana Kayumova (AIN) finished second, and Giulia Perotti (Italy) took the bronze
• Why wee are giving the GymCastic Award for Elegance (Cottbus version) to Lea Marie Quaas
• Nakashima Karin is taking the GymCastic opportunity for comedy award
• Can we talk about the fart noises during Makovickova's floor?
• Someone please get Sam Mikulak a polo shirt that fits him better!!
• Artistry discussion: Anna Kalmykova edition

• So apparently everyone missed the memo that Winter Cup is supposed to be a flop?
• Hezly Rivera won the all-around with a monstrous 56.750, winning beam and floor
• New senior Charleigh Bullock took silver with a 55.200, winning bars
• Claire Pease took bronze with a 54.350, taking the vault title with two vaults
• The American Cup roster has been announced with Hezly Rivera, Charleigh Bullock, and Claire Pease all on the squad
• The US will send Charleigh Bullock, Reese Esponda, Greta Krob, Caroline Moreau, and Simone Rose to Jesolo
• And now for a Spencer Rage-O-Meter: Winter Cup Edition
  • DID THEY JUST PICK THE TOP 3 AA FOR A MIXED TEAM, NON-AA COMPETITION?
  • Why Reese Esponda deserves justice after this decision
  • If Winter Cup is the selection competition, why aren't we using Winter Cup scores to select the team?

• We have four more 10s this weekend
  • Kailin Chio is on fire and got 10s on vault and beam
  • Morgan Price's 10 on vault
  • Avery Neff's 10 on vault
• The race between Kailin Chio, Jordan Chiles, and Selena Harris-Miranda for the gym slam
• Ranking updates
  • Oklahoma stays in no. 1, followed by LSU, Alabama, Florida, and UCLA
  • NQS season is upon us! How will this shift the rankings?
  • Jordan Chiles still leads the all-around standings
  • Chio moves ahead of Fatta for the no. 1 position on vault
  • Chloe LaCoursiere maintains the no. 1 position on bars
  • Chio breaks the tie and moves ahead of Torrez on beam
  • Chiles and Nikki Smith stay 1-2 on floor

• Suni Lee did an interview with the Today Show, leaving the door open for the 2028 Olympics
• Jade Carey made a post on the socials, hinting at an elite return
• Sabrina Voinea underwent a successful emergency appendectomy surgery
• Rhys McClenaghan adds a new title, MBE, to his collection of accolades
• Helen Kevric leaves Stuttgart gym, where Aimee Boorman is coaching

• Has there ever been a gymnast taller than Casey Brown competing in the NCAA?

0:00:00 – Intro: Morgan Price Makes History & 2026 Elite Season Begins

0:01:07 – Simone Biles at the Winter Olympics: Counseling the "Quad God"

0:02:22 – Morgan Price's Historical 10: From Fisk to Arkansas

0:03:12 – Headline News: More GAGE Coaching Suspensions & New SafeSport Investigations

0:04:03 – Cottbus World Cup: Individual Apparatus World Championships Qualifications

0:06:20 – Floor Routine Debates: Should Gymnasts Have to Get New Routines Each Year?

0:10:48 – Flying Banana Jesus: Dramatic Vaults at Cottbus

0:12:31 – Nemour's New Bars Skill & The In-Bar Arms Race

0:18:35 – GymCastic Award for Elegance: Lea Marie Quaas & "Cherish the Beam"

0:37:14 – Winter Cup: Did they not get the memo that Winter Cup is supposed to be bad?

0:43:05 – Winter Cup Senior Analysis: Hezly Rivera's Dominant Performance

0:56:09 – Gymnasts in the Winter Olympics: Recruiting "Fast Twitch" Athletes for Bobsled

0:59:43 – NCAA Update: Avery Neff & The Race for the First Gym Slam

1:22:12 – Feedback: Tallest Gymnast in NCAA

1:23:58 – Closing & Upcoming College & Cocktails: Georgia at Kentucky

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This Week's College & Cocktails: February 20 after LSU @ Oklahoma (ESPN2). Join us at 7:30pm PT

• Major Update on the Iowa State Season cancellation. Read the letter here
• Ana Barbosu whereabouts investigation
• Elite Season Begins!

0:00 Intro: The 2026 Elite Season Begins

1:14 The Bileses: Jonathan Owens Theft Attempt in Milan

3:53 Iowa State Scandal: Why the Season Was Really Cancelled

10:43 Breaking: Ana Barbosu Under Investigation (Whereabouts Violations)

14:25 2026 Elite Kickoff: Winter Cup & Cottbus World Cup Preview

18:35 Winter Olympics: A Gymnast's Perspective

21:01 What Gymnastics Must Learn From Figure Skating

35:42 The Case for a "Grade of Execution" (GOE) Judging System

50:15 Why Gymnastics Needs Live Technical Scoring Boxes

1:05:10 Commentary & Artistry: We Need "Johnny Weir Energy"

1:14:25 Olympic Traditions: Throwing Stuffed Animals & Logistics

1:25:40 NCAA Update: The Race for Perfect 10s & Regional Rankings

1:38:15 Comedy Award of the Week: The Beam Save

1:41:34 Join Us for College & Cocktails: LSU vs. Oklahoma

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This Week's College & Cocktails: February 13 after Oklahoma @ Florida (ESPN2).

Join us at 6:00pm PT

• Iowa State announced it's cancelling the rest of the season. WHAT!? Listen to our discussion on College and Cocktails
  • ''It became apparent we do not have enough student-athletes available to safely compete,'' Iowa State Senior Associate Athletics Director, Shamaree Brown said in a statement
• College & Mocktails with special guest, Cal gymnast and World medalist, Ondine Achampong: Cal @ Clemson

If there were one word to describe Risa Perez's gymnastics, it would probably be energy. From her spunky floor choreography and unique beam elements (hello there, front aerial to one-armed back handspring!) to her ability to engage and interact with the crowd, her gymnastics stood out. Perez began her collegiate career at Arizona State before transferring to Oregon State for her junior year in 2014. The 2016 Pac-12 beam champion hit 102 out of 110 total routines throughout her collegiate career. Perez qualified as an individual to the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Championships. Today we talk about her career, her move from ASU to Oregon State and the TikTok about her college experience that got lots of attention. References:

• Her badass beam save that is framed in our greatest beam saves of all time gallery
• Rene Lyst fired from Arizona State University
• The Balance Beam Situation's ASU Risa recap

00:00:00 – Cold open: Cortisone shot + "that's not a coach's decision" 00:00:29 – Intro: Iowa State cancels the rest of the season 00:02:38 – How does a team compete with no lineup? (ASU suspension flashback) 00:04:30 – Iowa State statement: "not enough student-athletes to safely compete" 00:04:58 – Alumni demand answers + rumors swirl 00:06:23 – Updates: American Cup ticket giveaway 00:06:42 – Merch drop: Team Bronze tee 00:07:07 – College & Cocktails plug: Oklahoma at Florida watch party 00:07:28 – Interview begins: Risa Perez (ASU → Oregon State) 00:08:34 – The TikTok that blew up: 'college gym' reality check 00:13:32 – Locker room culture + boundaries (why this matters) 00:15:28 – Message boards + rumor mill as a weapon 00:15:56 – Rene Lyst era: name placards, power plays, intimidation 00:29:25 – Puberty, periods, and what nobody warns gymnasts about 00:31:43 – Crippling cramps, hormones, and C-section recovery talk 00:32:41 – Hip dysplasia: pain you normalize until you can't 00:38:07 – The 'party' accusation read aloud (WTF moment) 00:41:51 – Team meeting confrontation + medical privacy 00:43:04 – 'Canary in the coal mine': how programs spiral 00:48:10 – Food/weight control + "you can't" rules 00:52:31 – College Mocktails teaser: Ondine Achampong on Cal vs Clemson 00:56:01 – Get more: Club Gym Nerd bonus + where to find everything

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00:00 Intro 0:36:16 Roster Bargains 01:01 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:32 Roster Bargains - Vault 03:53 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:14 Roster Bargains - Beam 07:45 GymCastic Updates 08:52 Roster Bargains - Floor 11:27 League Leaders 12:08 10.0 Deals 12:36 League Stats This Week's College & Cocktails: February 07 after Cal @ Clemson (ACCN).

Join us at 5:00pm PT

In this episode, we break down exactly what went wrong in Paris, why the Swiss court ruled the way it did, and what clues in the decision suggest about what could happen next. We also explain how FIG quietly rewrote the inquiry rules after the Olympics, what those changes fix (and what they don't), and whether this strengthens Jordan's case.

Plus:

• American Cup mixed team roster reaction

• What really happened with the floor final inquiries

• Why CAS lost jurisdiction under the new FIG rules

• Updates on College & Cocktails, fantasy, live shows, and Club Gym Nerd

• NCAA rankings shakeups, 10s, and Week 5 controversies

• Gymternet news, Olympic payments, LA 2028 qualification changes

• And an important update involving Al Fong and SafeSport

00:00 – Intro 02:45 – Swiss Court Sends Jordan Chiles Bronze Case Back to CAS 05:40 – Recap of the Paris Floor Final debacle (Full Breakdown) 15:10 – CAS Decision: Why Romania Won and Jordan Lost the Bronze 22:40 – Swiss Supreme Court Ruling: What the Judges Really Said 30:05 – Will Jordan Chiles Get Her Medal Back? Reading the Legal Tea Leaves 35:10 – FIG Quietly Rewrites the Inquiry Rules After Paris 41:20 – What Could Still Go Wrong With the New Inquiry System 43:00 – Al Fong Update: SafeSport Suspension, USAG Response, What It Means 52:10 – NCAA Rankings Shakeups & Week 5 Takeaways 01:06:20 – Gymternet News: IOC Rules, Athlete Pay, LA 2028 Qualification Changes 01:20:40 – American Cup Roster, Andrade Flag Honor 01:26:40 – College & Cocktails, Fantasy, Live Shows & Outro

Plus, gymnasts speak out amid civil rights concerns, Oklahoma overtakes Florida for the #1 ranking, LSU breaks 198, and we unpack the most controversial judging moments of Week 4—including bars-gate and that Alabama vs Missouri finish.

• Thanks to Uncle Tim from Gymnastics-History, we now have an age falsification database
• Check out the most beautiful balance beam sequence from Delaney McMahon being done right now
• Gymnasts speaking out against I.C.E. and our suggestions for Minnesota's equality meet.

• What happened during week 4?
  • Oklahoma overtakes Florida for the top spot in the country after a 198.425 this weekend, which ties for the highest January score in college gymnastics history
  • LSU also broke the 198 barrier last week
  • Florida had to count a fall on vault after Ly Bui's injury
  • Who is the winner of this week's ''I Don't Want Anything To Do With That'' award?
  • We now have two more 10 after this weekend, for a total of four so far this season
• Biggest controversies of week 4
  • Hitting your feet on the mat-gate: why we need a full analysis comparing the score given to Oklahoma's Lily Pederson and Utah's McKenna Smith
  • We are giving you permission to be outraged about scoring at the Alabama vs Missouri meet because ???
  • We are hitting the one month mark for the 2026 NCAA gymnastics season - what are Jessica's biggest surprises?
    • Alabama fully going for the jock intensity vibe by bench pressing gymnasts on the sides
    • Do NOT count Stanford out. The Cardinals are ranked ninth and it's not even April. This is correct.
    • The team ranked first on floor nationally isn't UCLA, it's not Oklahoma, it's GEORGIA!
    • Riley McCusker is ranked second nationally on bars. Nature is healing.
  • What are Spencer's biggest surprises? (Sad version...)
    • Utah is ranked fourteenth and has two 195s in its first four meets...
    • Kentucky is ranked 32nd and has two 194s in its first three meets. Yiiiiikes

• USAG Trident status; Training on a podium; Minnesota respect; Fan Fic for gymnastics; When judges are absent; Tap swings; OU floor choreography; Spray tans

• Fantasy Gymnastics podcast every Wednesday
• College & Cocktails : Friday Jan 30th after Arkansas at Florida (6pm Pacific-ish)
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00:00 – Intro: Priorities & Jan 27, 2026 00:31 – Headlines: Spencer Won Fantasy (Breaking News) 01:33 – The Age Falsification Database: It's Everyone 03:21 – Gymnasts Speak Out: ICE, Minneapolis & Civil Rights 05:25 – Minnesota's UCLA Social Equity Meet Ideas (Feb 7) 10:17 – NCAA News: Week 4 Results & Storylines 12:36 – Rankings Shake-Up: Oklahoma Overtakes Florida 15:56 – Updates: Support Independent Journalism + Show/Club Notes 18:46 – Two More 10s This Season (Chio Beam, Chiles Floor) 19:29 – Jordan Chiles: 10.0 + All-Around Dominance Talk 22:15 – Controversy: Bars Feet-on-the-Mat Gate (Pederson vs Smith) 29:26 – Alabama vs Missouri Ending: The Floor Score Debate 34:13 – PSA: Etiquette for Guests at Meets (Don't Sit on Mats) 39:16 – One Month In: NCAA Season Surprises (Happy & Sad) 59:12 – Gymternet News + Letters Begin (British Gymnastics Rebrand) 1:02:53 – Feedback: "How's the Trident?" + Why Not More Podium Time? 1:06:48 – Give Minnesota Some Props (and why they need it right now) 1:09:10 – Fan Fic Corner: Gay Gymnastics Romance Incoming 1:11:54 – What Happens if a Judge Misses a Meet? (Travel Chaos) 1:16:10 – Rosen's Bars Dismount: What's Going On Mechanically? 1:18:24 – Why Don't We Like Oklahoma's Floor? (Paper Dolls Theory) 1:22:08 – Everyone's So Orange (Spray Tan, NIL, and Citrus Crimes) 1:27:25 – Outro: C&C Preview + Live Show Season Pass + Thanks

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Then, for Club Gym Nerd members, we go fully behind the scenes — the context you don't get on TV, the conversations you can't have on the main feed, and the honest reactions that happen after the broadcast ends.

If you like your gymnastics analysis sharp, opinionated, and paired with a cocktail (or mocktail), this episode is for you.

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Commissioned by Karla. This is her fault. Thank you, Alyssa for proving our point with her Ilya speech.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 – Kentucky Gymnastics Recreates the Heated Rivalry Pump-Up Speech 00:00:17 – Welcome to GymCastic (Bonus Episode) 00:00:45 – You Don't Need to Know This Show (We'll Explain Everything) 00:01:04 – Adult Conversation Warning (Minor Spoilers) 00:01:38 – What Is Heated Rivalry? 00:03:05 – Hockey the Way Jade Carey's Floor Is Choreography 00:04:40 – Why Are We Doing a Podcast About This? 00:06:10 – The Books: Game Changers Series by Rachel Reid 00:07:05 – Why People Are Obsessed With This Show 00:10:00 – Secret Romance, Gay Panic, and Years of Tension 00:13:25 – The Stairs Scene, Chirping, and Competitive Flirting 00:17:05 – Gay and Bi Representation That Feels Real 00:20:20 – From Coco Gauff to SNL to Massive Fan Edits 00:25:40 – Casting Heated Rivalry for Gymnastics 00:29:30 – Greatest of All Time Criteria (Hot, Dominant, Iconic) 00:33:40 – If Not Russian, then who? 00:37:10 – Why a Lesbian Version Wouldn't Work (Sue Bird Was Right) 00:40:20 – Khorkina for Maximum Chaos Casting 00:43:30 – Why Sports Movies Are Never Realistic (And That's Fine) 00:46:40 – The Gym Mom vs Kip's Dad: Loyalty and Support 00:49:50 – Secret Relationships vs The Closet 00:53:10 – Panic, Fear, and Being Recognized 00:56:10 – Complications of Secret Hookups (Spring Break Story) 00:59:50 – Sub Dom Dynamics in Elite Sports 01:06:40 – Is This a Turning Point for Sports Fan Fic Smut?

• Happy correction: we are happy to say that the NGA does prohibit individuals from obtaining an NGA membership who have been 'banned from any organization and/or denied a Safe Sport certification''
• HUGE NCAA upsets
  • What were our favorite upsets from this week?
• What do the NCAA rankings look like after week 2?
• We have our second 10.0 of the season, brought to you by Jordan Chiles' DTY
• Tickets are on sale for the Winter Cup in Kentucky and the American Cup in Las Vegas
  • The American Cup is back as a mixed-team format
    • Japan
    • Brazil
    • Spain
    • Great Britain
• We have some USAG leadership questions
  • Tom Forester was voted onto the selection committee according to the latest International Elite Committee Minutes
  • Why is this decision concerning?
    • Athlete complaints, conflict of interest, and history of unsound decision making
  • What was USAG's response?
• Charlie Tamayo and Kitty Carpenter were both rehired by Buckeye Gymnastics
  • Carpenter and Tamayo were both originally fired citing a SafeSport investigation
  • Carpenter is the current IEC Chair
  • This week Buckeye's owner sent a letter via Instagram hiring both Carpenter and Tamayo back

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00:00 – Intro

00:44 – A Happy Correction & Tom Forster Is Back?

02:20 – Heated Rivalry Gymnastics podcast coming

04:10 – Headlines: NGA Membership Rule Correction

06:02 – Who Is Barred from NGA Membership (Including Gym Owners)

07:48 – NCAA Upsets Everywhere This Week

09:55 – Georgia Defeats LSU & Jay Clark Storyline

12:05 – Rankings Shake-Up Explained

14:18 – Jordan Chiles 10

15:40 – Winter Cup & American Cup Tickets on Sale

17:05 – American Cup Mixed Team Format - Japan, Brazil, Spain & Great Britain

21:05 – USAG Leadership Questions Begin

22:10 – Tom Forster Voted Onto Selection Committee

24:55 – IEC Minutes & How This Decision Was Made

27:30 – Athlete Complaints & Business Conflicts

30:05 – "It Won't Come Down to Tenths" Revisited

32:20 – Why This Pick Raises Red Flags

34:40 – USA Gymnastics Response Explained

37:15 – Were Conflicts Properly Reviewed?

39:50 – Bad Optics for a New USAG CEO

43:05 – College & Cocktails Brunch & A Show. UCLA @ Michigan State Preview (FOX)

52:30 – Buckeye Gymnastics Rehires Tamayo & Carpenter

57:40 – USAG Policy on Leaders Under Investigation

01:05:40 – GAGE Clarifications

01:14:30 – Outro: College & Cocktails Brunch & A Show

01:15:45 – See you at the Cottage for Heated Rivalry podcast next

01:16:55 – Final Thought: Choose Love

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This is our weekly college post-meet Q&A episode. This week we are watching lasts year's NCAA Champions, Oklahoma vs. third place, Missouri (scores, watch on SEC Network). Tonight's Cocktail / Mocktail: Angry Beam. Full season cocktail menu here.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to College & Cocktails

00:07 – Oklahoma vs Missouri: The Reign vs The Rising

01:05 – Breaking News: SafeSport Responds to Al Fong inside GAGE

02:31 – Why Appearing in the Gym Is Not Allowed When Suspended

05:17 – Oklahoma vs Missouri Meet Begins

06:15 – Vault vs Bars Judging: Two Different Sports?

06:58 – When Was the Last Time Oklahoma Went 49.1 on Bars?

07:56 – Missouri Vaults, Depth Questions & Early Momentum

08:55 – Bar Dismounts, Landing Position & "Landing Erect"

10:10 – The Hamilton Floor Routine Debate; Derr vs. Tanskanen vs. Lacoursiere

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13:56 – Oklahoma Too Angry For Bars

15:51 – Floor Scores, Split Positions & Judging

16:53 – Missouri's Integrity on Beam and Floor

17:53 – Superlatives: Kimarra Echols & Horton Vault Height

18:25 – Most Improved Commentator: Anastasia Webb

19:55 – Georgia vs LSU Breakdown

20:23 – Assassin of the Meet & Artist of the Meet Awards

22:22 – Heritage Floor Themes

24:19 – Kentucky's Beam Meltdown & Rebuilding Year

25:49 – Lowlights: White Leos, Missed Vaults & Ribbons

26:46 – Highlights: Camera Angles, Height & Pregnant Positioning

28:06 – Missouri Supporting Athletes Literally (Bras)

29:34 – "Goddess and Glasses" Era & Athlete Marketing

30:14 – Is Oklahoma Too Perfect?

32:03 – The Robot Army Debate

34:13 – Choreography Burnout & Butt Wiggle Disco

35:31 – Floor Themes: Destroyed London Streets & Commitment Issues

37:04 – The Angry Beam Cocktail Breakdown

38:11 – Live Show Updates & Season Passes

39:00 – Georgia Upsets LSU: What Went Wrong

40:27 – LSU's Second Meet Letdown

41:13 – Georgia Beam Survival Mode

43:56 – Heated Rivalry Tease & Gymnast Casting Debate

46:26 – Listener Questions Begin

47:04 – Lineup Changes & Touch Warmup Controversy

50:21 – Is the National Title Race Wide Open?

53:08 – Olympic Travel & Where to Stay in LA

56:47 – NCAA Vault Rules: No Hands, No Feet, Still Scored

59:52 – Weekly Awards Idea: Coaching Attire Excellence

01:02:59 – Music Copyright in NCAA Gymnastics

01:04:15 – Oklahoma Coaching Tree Takeover

01:06:05 – SEC Travel Weekends: Stanford, Cal & UCLA

01:09:02 – Minnesota Gym Nerd Resistance & Safety Concerns

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Every week we pick a college meet to watch, then go live, right here on this page to discuss our immediate thoughts about the meet. Our superstar, bar tender Linzers, creates a bespoke themed mocktail and cocktail recipe for each meet.

College & Cocktails combines our weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A live podcast with a college meet of the week. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who support our work year around. For more info on how to watch your favorite elites, Olympic and World medalists in college and all year long, check out The Balance Beam Situation's schedule with links.

1. Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan
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Week 3 Lineups lock at noon on Thursday, January 15 at 03:45pm PT 00:00 Intro 00:31:10 Roster Bargains 00:52:20 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:14 Roster Bargains - Vault 03:36 Roster Bargains - Bars 06:08 Roster Bargains - Beam 07:51 GymCastic Updates 09:02 Roster Bargains - Floor 11:53 League Leaders 12:20 10.0 Deals 12:14 League Stats 14:01 Byes & Injuries T

his Week's College & Cocktails: January 16 after Oklahoma @ Missouri (SECN) Join us at 7:45pm PT

• LSU gave an explanation of their tie breaker loss from the floor that doesn't match Virtus.

• What happened at the Sprouts Quad meet? Aka January Nationals. We discuss what happened between Oklahoma, LSU, UCLA, and Utah
• Which team is topping the charts this week?
• Florida spotlight
  • Kayla DiCello competed for the first time since 2024 Olympic Trials
  • Skye Blakely competed floor for the first time since 2024 National Championships
  • Should this team be able to win nationals?
    • What does this team need to do different this time around to make a national title happen?
  • Spotlight: The Show
    • Why Florida is winning the marketing game with its documentary/commercial show
• This week's 10.0 club is brought to you by Avery Neff's gorgina Yurchenko 1.5
• This week's 9.975 club:
  • Vault: Paige Zancan, Hannah Horton, Ashley Glynn
  • Bars: Azaraya Ra-Akbar
  • Beam: Selena Harris
  • Floor: Cecilia Cooley
• Our favorite moments of the week
  • Cadence Gormley (Kentucky) went full ninja-mode on beam and saved her front aerial
  • UC Davis has a humongous stick hat and we're here for it
  • Ana Barbosu has a part in her floor routine where she stabs herself in the stomach three times and uses the blood as lipstick before she throws it into a ravine. Do we think this is social commentary on the state of the Romanian federation?

• What was going on with the commentary at the Florida meet?
• Score tower clarification question
• We need Spencer to be our beacon of light for the 2026 season
• University of Washington parking nightmare follow up
• Could Al Fong continue coaching in the United States?
• Why we are leaving Twitter

• College & Cocktails : Friday Jan 16th, 7:45 Pacific after Oklahoma Missouri (SECN)
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Chapters

00:00 – Headlines: LSU Loses the Tiebreaker + Anna Barbosu NCAA Debut

00:29 – Sprouts Quad "January Nationals" + How the Tie Happened

01:29 – Lexi Zeiss Beam Score Controversy (Start Value Mess)

06:32 – The Tiebreak Explained: Why Oklahoma Wins

08:50 – College & Cocktails Promo: "Angry Beam" + Weekly Shows

11:23 – Gymternet News: Romania Hires Nikolai Forminte (Again)

13:01 – Chow's Gym Lawsuits + SafeSport Named in Suit

14:00 – Adult Gymnastics Book: Broken to Unbreakable

15:02 – NCAA Week Recap: Utah Beam Disaster + Rankings

18:45 – Florida #1: Kayla DiCello Returns + Skye Blakely Adds Events

25:12 – Jenny Rowland's Silver Pants + Coaches Blocking Judges on Bars

27:20 – Florida "Documentary" = 15-Minute Sponsored Ad (Wells Fargo Vibes)

33:30 – Week's Big Scores: 10.0 + 9.975s Breakdown

40:08 – Vault Trend Watch: More Yurchenko Double Fulls

42:01 – Favorite Things: Cadence Gormley's 6-Second Beam Save

43:22 – Stick Crowns + UC Davis Giant Hat Comedy

45:01 – Anna Barbosu Debuts at Denver + "Stomach Stab Lipstick" Choreo

50:23 – Scary Vault: No Hands Contact… Why Wasn't It a Zero?

53:31 – Listener Feedback: Florida Commentary Was Brutal

55:51 – Scoreboard "Tower" Question: Why Scores Change On Screen

57:14 – GIFs of the Week Pressure Campaign + Parking Trauma Follow-Up

58:53 – Can Al Fong Switch Federations and Keep Coaching?

01:00:15 – GymCastic Leaving Twitter/X (Why We're Done)

01:02:43 – Where to Find Us Now + This Week's Schedule

This is our weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A episode. This week we are watching number Sprouts Quad Session One: Oklahoma, UCLA, Utah, LSU (scores, watch on ABC)

+60 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, and answering your questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Tip: After logging in, refresh this page and the extended player will appear below. Not a member? Join here.

00:00 – Welcome to College & Cocktails: January Nationals 01:11 – Meet Overview: Oklahoma 197.5 tie with LSU, UCLA, Utah 01:29 – Tonight's Drink: "If the Judges See It" 01:41 – The Tie-Breaker Nobody Needed (Why Oklahoma Won) 02:35 – Konnor McClain Beam Confusion Explained 03:26 – Lexi Zeiss Start Value Review & Score Change 04:03 – Can Coaches Talk to Judges? NCAA Rules Breakdown 06:17 – Why Konnor's Beam Was Never the Issue 07:09 – First 10 of the Season: Avery Neff Vault 07:43 – Why Utah Should Have a Gymnastics-Specific Arena 08:21 – The Legendary Flip-Off Tie-Breaker Explained 10:27 – Event Judging Breakdown Begins (Vault & Beam) 12:18 – Podium Seating, Fan Experience & Ticket Sales 13:47 – Where Florida Would Have Finished in This Meet 15:08 – Comparing Florida vs Oklahoma vs LSU 16:41 – Utah's Lowest Beam Score in 26 Years 17:39 – January Floor Syndrome (No One Is Ready) 18:30 – Jordan Chiles: Scoring Without Being at 100% 19:59 – Jordan's Conditioning, Fatigue & Schedule Reality 21:35 – Best Routines of the Meet (Caitlin, Avery, Execution) 23:12 – Avery Neff Beam Series: Will Judges Take It Away? 24:37 – Utah's Choreography Renaissance (Despite Falls) 25:16 – Faith Torrez Vault & Oklahoma Lineup Choices 26:06 – Oklahoma Freshman Spotlight: Ella Murphy Bars 26:40 – Hannah Burleson Return & Turn Technique 27:34 – UCLA Beam Improvements & Coaching Impact 30:19 – Why Faith Torrez Didn't Do Floor 30:29 – Injury Update: Macy McGowan 31:18 – "Most Decorated Gymnast" Claims & Broadcast Caveats 32:35 – Florida Commentary Problems Explained 34:11 – Florida Documentary First Impressions 35:14 – Heated Rivalry, Hockey & Why It Works 36:24 – Fantasy Gymnastics, Live Shows & Merch 37:40 – Fan Q&A Begins: Quad Format & Broadcast Structure 38:30 – West Virginia Finger Guns Debate 39:43 – Sports Bras, Leotards & Athlete Health 41:30 – Music Copyright, NCAA vs Elite Rules 43:19 – International vs NCAA Leotard Regulations 45:57 – Breast Injuries & Why Support Matters 46:50 – Sibling Gymnasts Competing at the Same Time 48:21 – Bent-Arm Catches on Bars Controversy 49:19 – Extreme Taping: Injury or Aesthetic? 51:25 – Weekly Awards: Meet Assassin & Artist 55:58 – Most Controversial Score of the Meet 57:42 – Salutes, Control & NCAA Finish Rules 58:10 – Commentators vs The Code of Points 59:09 – Yellow Cards: Still Not Being Enforced 01:02:07 – Minnesota Violence Statement, Resistance Resources

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Every week we pick a college meet to watch, then go live, right here on this page to discuss our immediate thoughts about the meet. Our superstar, bar tender Linzers, creates a bespoke themed mocktail and cocktail recipe for each meet.

College & Cocktails combines our weekly Behind The Scenes Q&A live podcast with a college meet of the week. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who support our work year around. For more info on how to watch your favorite elites, Olympic and World medalists in college and all year long, check out The Balance Beam Situation's schedule with links.

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Week 2 Lineups lock at noon on Friday, January 09 at 02:45pm PT

00:00 Intro 00:28:11 Roster Bargains 00:52:19 Roster Bargains - All-Around 02:33 Roster Bargains - Vault 03:55 Roster Bargains - Bars 05:50 Roster Bargains - Beam 07:46 Roster Bargains - Floor 11:33 League Leaders 12:02 League Stats 13:38 Byes & Injuries

This Week's College & Cocktails: Saturday, January 10, 3pm PT

• SafeSport has suspended Al Fong for five years after a nearly six year long investigation
  • Armine was also suspended for one year after acting as the head coach of the Junior Worlds squad
  • Both coaches were suspended for emotional and physical misconduct
  • Listen to our interviews with Ivana Hong, Terin Humphrey, and Sarah Shire Brown, who talk about their time at GAGE under coach Al Fong
• Melanie de Jesus dos Santos confirms her return ''to the gym'' according to her Instagram

• More discontent brewing in France: 15-year-old Elena Colas, the junior world all-around silver medalist, declined a call-up to a French national team training camp in Martinique
• SafeSport Continues to Fail
  • The AP finds SafeSport failed to finalize a lifetime ban against coach Sean Gardner despite abuse allegations
• Romanian Infighting
  • An audio recording reveals Camelia Voinea urging supporters to attack coach Corina Moroșan, exposing a deep internal power struggle over how the gymnastics should be run in Romania
• OC Coach Arrested
  • 25-year-old Jacob Alexander Demmin was arrested following an investigation into an alleged relationship with a girl under the age of 18 at Firestorm Freerunning.
• Ellie Freakin' Black finally getting the recognition she deserves
  • Ellie Black was named to Order of Canada: the second-highest honor for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada

• The 2026 college season has begun!
  • Is competing in the first week of the season a good idea? bad idea? The WORST idea?
  • Jordan Chiles went 39.725 in week 1, leading the nation in the all-around standings, thoughts?
  • UCLA is ranked no. 1 with a 196.975
    • How does UCLA's freshmen class fit into this picture?
  • Missouri went 196.850, counting a fall on beam!
  • Corrupt or Correct: Utah's scores, as covered on college and cocktails this week
  • Clemson breaking into the 196s after the first meet is a win
    • A triumph for vault variety! The first four vaults in Clemson's lineups were different
  • Cal broke into the 196s, an important result for the team to show they aren't dead
• Leaps spotlight
  • Paulina Vargas, sophomore at Oregon State, proving to us that nobody really cares if you only do a two-pass floor routine as long as your leaps look as good as hers
• Spotlight: The Show
  • Nina Ballou at LSU's exhibition SOLD her dance through, bringing like 15 different celebrations during the intros
• Is it time to be worried?
  • Iowa State's 191.325 is their lowest score since 1999

• Paris World Cup with Laura Cappelle
• Jakarta Worlds Debrief: The Romanian Drama Explained With Coaches Daymon Jones & Patrick Kiens
• 60: Terin Humphrey
• 26: Ivana Hong
• 358: Regionals Preview, Shire Brown, Olivera, Ruddock

• College & Cocktails: Saturday, Jan 10, 3pm Pacific, following Sprouts Quad session 1 (Oklahoma, UCLA, Utah, LSU)
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  • WATCH REPLAY HERE : Buy a ticket now or buy it as a gift! If you purchased a ticket to the live show with Cecile Landi and Levi Jung-Ruivivar benefitting The National Eating Disorder Foundation you can still watch the replay. Watch highlights before you buy here.
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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
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• 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

Recorded immediately after the meet, this episode covers early-season judging trends, start value controversies, standout performances, and what January scoring can (and can't) tell us about the rest of the NCAA season.

In this episode:

• Did the right team win?

• Avery Neff's breakout meet and a start-value judges' conference

• Utah's depth, Minnesota's beam strength, and Iowa's returning veterans

• Superlatives: Simone of the Meet, Artist of the Meet, Assassin of the Meet

• Early-season judging inconsistencies and ...dun dun dunnnn altitude effects!

• Fantasy gymnastics implications and lineup strategy

• Audience Q&A on winter break training, international eligibility, and college gymnasts with named skills

• Corrupt or Correct: re-judging controversial routines

College & Cocktails is GymCastic's live, behind-the-scenes NCAA gymnastics show — recorded in real time, rated TV-14, and fueled by strong opinions, expert analysis, and the Spencer with a cocktail.

This episode is part of our weekly Friday night College & Cocktails series.

Full episode with live Q&A are available to Club Gym Nerd members. Join here.

• Myths that sound too crazy to be true, naked gymnastics edition
• Dumb crap left over by haters about periods, height, and lines
• Who REALLY scored the first perfect 10?
• The myth of the "candle" mount and the "Liukin"
• Fighting for justice for Olga Mostepanova, Kerri Strug, Larissa Libby and more
• Who REALLY won the world all-around title in 2005?
• Is gymnastics a sport dominated by high schoolers?
• Was the Sydney vault REALLY set wrong?
• Was Olga Korbut REALLY the first to do the Korbut?
• Is Simone Biles the most decorated gymnast of all time?

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• Buy a Ticket to the Live Show with Cecile Landi and Levi
  • WATCH REPLAY HERE : Buy a ticket now or buy it as a gift! If you purchased a ticket to the live show with Cecile Landi and Levi Jung-Ruivivar benefitting The National Eating Disorder Foundation you can still watch the replay. Watch highlights before you buy here.
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College & Cocktails: January 2nd around 8pm Pacific after we watch Minnesota, Iowa @ Utah (ESPN+)

00:00 – The Myth: Our Work Busting Gymnastics Myths is Done

00:17 – 2025 Simone Most Decorated Update

01:01 – The Myth: The Beam Is Four Inches Wide

01:24 – The Myth: Gymnastics Myths Are Already Settled

02:13 – The Myth: No One Has Ever Competed Naked at a Meet

04:53 – The Myth: An Active Ceiling Leak Would Stop a World Championship

06:21 – The Myth: Gymnasts Don't Get Periods

08:44 – The Myth: You Have to Be Short to Succeed in Gymnastics

11:22 – The Myth: Tall Gymnasts Have "Better Lines"

15:18 – The Myth: Power Only Comes From Being Small

16:38 – The Myth: The Beam Is Four Inches Wide

18:17 – The Myth: Nadia Was the First Perfect 10 Ever

21:24 – The Myth: Shannon Miller Has Multiple Skills Named After Her

24:08 – The Myth: The "Candle Mount" Has Always Been Required

28:24 – The Myth: The Onodi Is Named for the First Person to Do It

30:01 – The Myth: The Liukin Skill Is What the Code Says It Is

32:31 – The Myth: Removed Skills Were Never Valuable

34:39 – The Myth: The FIG Likes Gymnastics

43:53 – The Myth: Chellsie Memmel Beat Nastia Liukin in 2005

47:45 – The Myth: Gymnastics Careers End After High School

49:30 – The Myth: College Gymnasts Can't Make Olympic Teams

52:05 – The Myth: Elite Gymnasts Peak as Teenagers

54:28 – The Myth: Olga Korbut Was First to Do a Back Tuck on Beam

56:27 – The Myth: Korbut Was the First to Do the Korbut

58:08 – The Myth: The Sydney Vault Was Set Incorrectly

01:02:50 – The Myth: Scores Were Changed in Mexico City 1968 for a Soviet Victory

01:06:08 – The Myth: Simone Biles Held the All-Time Medal Record pre Antwerp Worlds

01:09:14 – The Myth: Obsolete Events Don't Count Historically

01:15:47 – The Myth: All Gymnastics Myths Are Already Busted

01:16:02 – Other Myth Busters Episodes

• • Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments Part 1
  • Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments Part 2
  • Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments Part 3
  • Romanian Gymnastics Secret Police Files
    • Project K Episode 2
    • Project K Episode 1
  • Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim

WATCH REPLAY HERE : Buy a ticket now or buy it as a gift! If you purchased a ticket to the live show with Cecile Landi and Levi Jung-Ruivivar benefitting The National Eating Disorder Foundation you can still watch the replay. Watch highlights before you buy here.

• 2026 LIVE SHOW SEASON PASSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE That's 4 live show passes for the price of 3! Season passes will be available up until the week of the first show. Buy a 2026 season pass here.

Ladies and gentlemen, girls, gays, and theys, it's the episode you've all been waiting for; this week we welcome drag queen, actor, host of one of the funniest YouTube channels on the internet, and certified Gym Nerd, Katya Zamolodchikova to the show! In this episode we discuss everyyttthinggg you have ever wanted to know about Katya's gymnastics background including:

• Why Katya got into gymnastics
• Who is in Katya's gymnastics "trifecta of fucking doom"
• Svetlana Khorkina, Svetlana Khorkina, and Svetlana Khorkina. Did we mention Svetlana Khorkina?
• Which Russian gymnasts inspired her drag name
• Why gymnastics is "fucking weird" but also amazing
• Katya's SPICY take on why we should eliminate music from women's floor
• The skill Katya thinks was created by a "satanic demon" (Hint: it starts with "wolf" and ends with "turn")
• Katya's thoughts on raising the age limit so minors can't compete in the Olympic Games
• Designated Gym Nerd-out time to gush over all of Katya's favorite gymnasts and skills

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• College & Cocktails: January 2nd around 8pm Pacific after we watch Minnesota, Iowa @ Utah (ESPN+)

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• 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.

• The ''OH HELL NO I am not going out of bounds'' award
• Eastern Michigan and West Virginia both contending for the ''you understood the assignment'' award
• Why Leila Vasilieva is getting the ''Wolf Turn Protest Award''
• Recognizing Zoey Molomo as the winner of the ''Olly Hogben Unintentional Dismount'' award
• The impact of Courtney McCool's right heel and why it deserves to win the ''Style Accessory of the Year'' award
• What would this show even be if we didn't have at least six candidates for the ''Fall of the Year'' award
• Which country wins our ''awkward moment of the year'' award
• Giorgia Villa, Angela Andreoli, and Martina Maggio making us feel seen with mic issues on a live broadcast

• ICYMI the FIG has rebranded themselves as World Gymnastics. Are there any big changes to come from this?
• How are the NCAA pre-season intrasquad meets looking?
  • Georgia looked goooood
    • What insights did Cecile give us about Camarah Williams and JaFree Scott at the live show?
  • UCLA looked very UCLA in December
  • Kayla DiCello is so back
  • Ana Barbosu is going to dominate at Stanford
• Nina Derwael was knighted and granted the grade of Grand Officier of the Order of Leopold by King Phillippe as recognition for her gymnastics career

• Using only gymnasts from the past three years, selecting gymnasts from any team, who would be on our ideal college gymnastics teams?

• We go into depth as to how the Georgia-Alabama started, the back and forth between the teams, and of course the outfits and ''stereotypes'' of each team
  • The dog bite incident
• How dominant were these teams in the SEC and nationally?
• What legacies do these teams carry on that are still applicable today?
• Want more? Listen to Gym Nerd School 102: College Gymnastics
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• 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.

The NCAA unveils major rule changes for 2026, and coaches are going to get so many more yellow cards. We break down the new NQS math, the Georgia Collective's NIL lawsuit, Romania's latest retaliation crisis, Mélanie De Jesus Dos Santos clarifying exclusively to Jessica that she is not in financial distress, plus more info on the American Cup's new mixed-team format.

• Simone demonstrating why all of us should do gymnastics
• Five Romanian gymnasts have submitted formal complaints against the Romanian Federation and the Federation is retaliating against their own coaches and athletes
  • What are the conditions the coaches and athletes are facing?
  • How can the FIG continue to allow such a federation to be certified?
• Thanks to Uncle Tim and his PhD-level gymnastics history research, we know many past Romanian World and Olympic medalists, some with current leadership positions in the Romanian federation, competed with underage or with false birthdays
• A Melanie de Jesus Dos Santos update. What happened post-Paris Olympics?
• 2025 World All-Around Champion, Angelina Melnikova, is out of Bundesliga after her club severed ties with her
• The American Cup is back! This time as a mixed-team competition
  • When and where will the event be held?
  • How is the format different compared to the European Championships mixed-pairs event?
  • Who are our dream international teams?

• NEW ELEMENT ALERT! The piked full-twisting Jaeger is now the Minamino
• The Georgia Collective is suing athletes who transferred which could have big implications for the future
  • Athletes.org released a collective bargaining agreement you can see here
• Max Whitlock has announced his return to gymnastics with the hopes of making it to the Los Angeles Olympics
• Oksana Chusovitina is training for 2026 World Cups
• Jayla Hang announced on Instagram she had surgery on her wrist
• Giovanni Maria Fares, a lawyer formerly at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is the new head of the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation
• Lawsuits and Dumpster Fire News
  • Chows is being sued after an investigative piece by Eddie Pells of the AP
  • Former Rutgers coach Umme Salim-Beasley is suing the school for wrongful termination
  • The Trump administration is refusing to administer visas to athletes from Caribbean countries, preventing them from participating in LA28 qualifying events
• NCAA photo shoot drama
  • Two top schools are using horses as their photo theme... (1) (2)
• Kaylia Nemour has released a book, ''The Shadow of Gold''
• The University of Minnesota Men's Gymnastics Club has a new facility
• European Gymnastics will allow Russians to participate in competitions as neutral athletes, opening up Olympic qualification paths for artistic and rhythmic gymnasts
• Ashikawa Urara has retired after years of battling worsening scoliosis
• Claire Pease commits to Utah!
• Dulcy Caylor is deferring her NCAA start at Florida to focus on LA28

• What are updates to the National Qualifying Score?
  • What are the differences between the new and old versions?
  • Do we think the changes are positive?
  • Controversy radar activated: some teams will have to drop 2 high scores and some teams will have to drop 1
• The Yellow Card Game - becasue these caoches are going to get yellow cards constantly

• Gymnastics Medicine interview: pain myths & better injury care with Dr. Elspeth (Elly) Hart DScPAS and Dr. Ezara Greene DPT

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• 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

• Jakarta Worlds Debrief: The Romanian Drama Explained With Coaches Daymon Jones & Patrick Kiens
• Trouble in Romania
• The History of Romanian Gymnastics (Commissioned)
• 80's Fight! The great Soviet Romanian Rivalry (Commissioned)
• The Fluff Cast: Deva isn't a castle?!
• World Championships Headquarters Videos, Interviews, Podcasts, Fantasy, Guides from Jakarta World Championships
• Behind the Scenes - all episodes

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  • 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

We talk with Emma Webb (pseudonym), author of the new book Historic: The True Legacy of Childhood Sport - The Book Every Parent Needs to Read, a memoir detailing the trauma and abuse she endured under convicted child sex offender Brian Phelps, plus the aftermath of how the British legal system chose to protect abusers over children

CHAPTERS (pre-auto inserted ads)

00:00 – Trigger Warning SA

01:03 – Brian Phelps' criminal charges and conviction

01:39 – The broader British gymnastics abuse reckoning

02:01 – Gymnasts for Change and the Whyte Review

02:36 – Restorative Program & the £15,000 split survivor offer

03:28 – How Emma first contacted GymCastic

03:44 – The long-term psychological and medical impact

04:10 – Doctors discovering internal injuries from childhood abuse

06:10 – Phelps' police interviews and his admissions

07:26 – Why survivors didn't pursue further prosecution

08:05 – Brian and Monica's life in France & public exposure

10:19 – Mapping all Olga locations & survivor triggers

11:05 – The pandemic pause and worsening mental health

11:33 – Discovery of the Phelps Legacy Club in 2022

12:10 – Multiple Phelps family members and their roles

12:22 – The "new" Renascence club operating despite convictions

12:28 – Timeline of Phelps fleeing & survivor disclosures

13:01 – A disturbing encounter: the club near Emma's son's bus stop

14:20 – Emma's decision: "Enough." Why she wrote Historic

15:06 – Reporting to the Whyte Review & British Athletes Commission

16:30 – Why reporting in the UK is a bureaucratic nightmare

17:36 – How reporting was mishandled & why systems fail

18:22 – How British Gymnastics and the council were complicit in Brian Phelps crimes

19:24 – Employment history: Phelps employed by the government & BBC

21:00 – Coaches and community "knew something was wrong"

21:14 – Other roles Monica and Brian held despite accusations

21:23 – The name "Renaissance" and why it matters

22:03 – How the club reopened after his release

22:45 – A fully avoidable tragedy: Phelps' first arrest in 1966

23:31 – Commonwealth Games cover-up to protect his career

24:34 – Royal audiences for Phelps & protected reputations

25:05 – The 10-year gap between his arrest and Emma meeting him

26:09 – How court attitudes toward sexual abuse haven't changed

27:03 – The Nik Stuart Foundation honoring Monica Phelps

28:13 – British Gymnastics leadership celebrating the Phelps family

29:29 – Video clip from the ceremony: denial of the Whyte Review

30:23 – Widespread knowledge in diving and gymnastics

32:03 – Comparing the Whyte Review to US investigations

33:25 – How the Whyte Review minimized sexual abuse

34:00 – Abuse in British Gymnastics: a larger pattern

35:55 – Non-sexual forms of abuse and lifelong harm

36:20 – Warning signs parents should not ignore

37:04 – Why the culture enables predators

38:17 – Parents' responsibility & due diligence

39:26 – Closed-door clubs & lingering dangers

40:39 – Male survivors vs. female survivors: unequal response

41:13 – How BG acted quickly for boys, not for girls

42:06 – Phelps' public statement denying Emma's reporting

43:29 – No mandatory reporting for the public in the UK

44:33 – Comparison to mandatory reporting vs good samaritan laws

45:05 – The UK protects money better than children

45:46 – How political leadership minimizes child abuse

46:12 – British boarding school culture & abuse

47:10 – What reforms are needed: national banned list & ombudsman

48:05 – Name changes allow offenders to disappear

48:14 – Hundreds of convicted offenders now untraceable

48:18 – How many survivors have come forward

49:01 – How many survivors known before the book

49:27 – Realizing past abuse only after adulthood

50:07 – Childhood context and normalization of abuse

51:01 – "Trust and Obey" culture at Olga and British school

52:53 – The moment Emma became a survivor, not a victim

53:30 – Returning to Olga decades later

54:01 – Parental responses and guilt

55:05 – What acknowledging PTSD unlocked

56:02 – How the trauma resurfaced during the pandemic

57:23 – Complex PTSD and real recovery work

58:07 – Finding effective PTSD support

TOPICS

• Read Whyte Review Investigation, a full independent review into the allegations of abuse in British Gymnastics
• How we got in contact with Webb after our Commentator Hall of Shame episode
• What moved Webb to write this book?
• How many times had Brian Phelps been investigated and was still allowed to coach?
• That time Monica Phelps (neé Rutherford) was still recognized at an award banquet and thanked her "partner"
• How can we convince parents to act quickly and take their children out of dangerous situations?
• Difference between how British Gymnastics treated male victims vs female victims?
• Should countries pass mandatory abuse reporting laws similar to good samaritan laws?
• How she finally got help and finding a great therapist.
• Silver linings in her journey.
• What does justice look like for Emma.

• GymCastic's Safeguarding checklist - questions everyone should ask a gym before signing up or working at a gymnastics club
• Historic book website
• Brian Phelps diving when he should have been in jail
• BBC Gymnastics historical sex abuse case: Survivor claims 'catastrophic failures'
• Monica Phelps awarded at 2003 Nik Stuart Foundation
• Mike Swallow speaks against Whyte Review at Nik Stuart Foundation awards
• Olga Gymnastics / Renascence Club corporate documents
• British Gymnastics hired private investigator to track down survivors of judge
• British Gymnastics banned list
• Report - Childhood trauma increases risk of MS
• SafeSport Training
• British Gymnastics Safeguarding
• The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles
• Aly Raisman book
• GymCastic Episodes
  • Gymnastics Commentary Hall of Shame
  • Aly Raisman Interview
  • British Ute Amelie Morgan
  • Lady Lisa Mason
  • Beth Tweddle Interview

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• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Behind the Scenes - all episodes

pre-automatic ad insert

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 Sabrina 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 40:26 – Judging Shoutout: Silvia Brescia Nails It 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 46:23 – Storyworth Ad Read (Spencer's Mom's Skirt Story) 49:54 – Huel Ad Read (Daily Greens + Peach Flavor Stan Club) 51:55 – Should Trials Use the Same Equipment Brand as Worlds? 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? 57:04 – Why Alternates Need the Experience 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 01:14:12 – 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!"

• 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

• 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?

• 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?

• 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)

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

• World Championships Headquarters Videos, Interviews, Podcasts, Fantasy, Guides from Jakarta World Championships
• Jakarta Worlds Debrief: The Romanian Drama Explained With Coaches Daymon Jones & Patrick Kiens
• Trouble in Romania
• The History of Romanian Gymnastics (Commissioned)
• 80's Fight! The great Soviet Romanian Rivalry (Commissioned)
• The Fluff Cast: Deva isn't a castle?!
• Behind The Scenes: Back from Jakarta
• Eythora Thorsdottir and Coach Patrick Kiens
• Behind the Scenes - all episodes

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• Sign up for all three GymCastic newsletters

• 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.

CHAPTERS - pre auto-ad insert

00:00:00 – Intro Cold Open: Romania abuse reports surface

00:03:36 – Headlines: Romania context (Golgota, Voinea, leadership turmoil)

00:10:02 – Interview: The Romanian Situation with Daymon & Patrick 00:10:34 – Abuse allegations and what coaches witnessed firsthand 00:20:15 – Old-school culture, leadership failure, and bad press

00:31:13 – Federation power dynamics, elections, and fallout

00:41:28 – Updates & programming notes

00:45:17 – Jakarta Worlds Debrief: Overall medal table (WAG/MAG highlights)

00:49:16 – China's event-specialist strategy (7 routines, 3 medals) 00:51:54 – Judging parity: Melnikova's AA score & floor 14 club

00:55:51 – Selection & pipeline fixes (camp vs real meets)

01:06:44 – Who needs a reset? USA, Italy & Brazil post-Olympics

01:24:11 – FIG talk: host selection, logistics & equipment issues

01:32:02 – Gymternet News: Canada CEO, Arthur Gander results, Liverpool 2030 bid

01:36:56 – Listener feedback & notes

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

• World Championships HeadquartersVideos, Interviews, Podcasts, Fantasy, Guides from Jakarta World Championships
• Trouble in Romania
• The History of Romanian Gymnastics (Commissioned)
• 80's Fight! The great Soviet Romanian Rivalry (Commissioned)
• The Fluff Cast: Deva isn't a castle?!
• Behind The Scenes: Back from Jakarta
• Eythora Thorsdottir and Coach Patrick Kiens

• Behind the Scenes - all episodes

• 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/

• Sign up for all three GymCastic newsletters

• 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.

Cover Art & Photos: Steve Cooper ©Gymcastic

This week, we have a group commission from Brianna, Stephanie, Atwood, Laura, Karla, and Emma, all about [deep breath] the collective nightmare that was the 2000 Olympic Trials. We discuss:

• The gymnasts: Elise Ray, Amy Chow, Kristen Maloney, Morgan White, Jamie Dantzscher, Vanessa Atler, Dominique Dawes, Alyssa Beckerman, Tasha Schwikert, Rachel Tidd, Jeanette Antolin, Amanda Stroud, Shannon Miller
• The breaking news that there actually was official selection criteria, and it was technically followed.
• The significance of 2000 Trials as the worst thing that has ever happened ever, the controversy of the selection process, the low point this represented in athlete-first commentary, and just…the Bela of it all
• Shannon's comeback
• What if Atler had been able to compete on the "new" vault?
• The way the commentators talk about Alyssa Beckerman
• The infamous Rybacki fluff piece
• DLO + Punch front
• Shannon's vault injury
• BEIGE DRAPES
• Steve Nunno's performance piece
• The Moceanu sadness forest
• Why they selected the team they did, and was it the right call?

• The History of Olympic Trials Controversies
• Shannon Miller Interview Part 1
• Shannon Miller Interview 2015 part 2
• Vanessa Atler
• Jamie Dantzscher Interview
• How to Stage a Gymnastics Protest
• Tokyo Olympics Recap

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• Jakarta Worlds Headquarters page
• The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

Get all Jakarta Worlds videos, interviews, podcasts, fantasy, and guides there.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes stories, and listener questions. Ask questions live. After logging in, refresh this page to see the extended player below.

• We have new World Champions!
  • MAG VT: Carlos Yulo
  • WAG BB: Zhang Qingying
  • MAG PB: Zou Jingyuan
  • WAG FX: Sugihara Aiko
  • MAG HB: Brody Malone
• We actually had a high-quality beam final?!!
  • Zhang Qingying takes gold, just as Jessica predicted
  • Amanda Yap becomes the first Singaporean gymnast ever to make an event final!
• Did Carlos Yulo do the best vault men's gymnastics has ever seen?

00:00 – We have World Champions! Carlos Yulo, Sugihara, Zhang, Zo, Brody Malone 00:40 – Day Two Recap: Beam, Floor, Vault, High Bar, Parallel Bars 01:42 – Rain, Bats, and PG-14 Warnings 03:10 – Women's Beam Final 03:42 – Zhang Is Beam World Champion 04:25 – Chinese Beam Precision Explained 06:45 – Nemour & the Artistry Revolution 09:12 – Leaps, Rhythm & Scoring Deep Dive 11:33 – Favorite Beam Moments 12:05 – Women's Floor Final 12:42 – Sugihara Wins Floor Gold 14:15 – Execution vs Difficulty 16:40 – Dance Deductions & Music Choices 18:27 – Crowd & Celebration Moments 19:10 – Men's Vault Final 19:52 – Carlos Yulo Vaults to Another Gold 22:14 – Power vs Form 24:38 – Surprise Podium Finishers 26:05 – Parallel Bars Final 26:48 – Zou Jingyuan Dominates P-Bars 28:17 – His Technique & Difficulty Explained 30:12 – Why It Still Shocked Everyone 31:10 – High Bar Final 31:44 – Brody Malone Repeats as World Champion 33:12 – Form, Amplitude, & Why He's Unbeatable 35:18 – American Men's Medal Recap 37:02 – Team Moments & Athlete Stories 39:20 – Behind the Scenes: Travel & Interviews 41:35 – Jessica's Notes from the Arena 43:10 – BTS Teaser – "So Listen to This…" 47:59 – Dinner Plans & Jakarta Stories 49:20 – Spencer's Restaurant Review 51:45 – VIP Banquet, Athlete Sightings & Card Games 01:16:22 – Wrapping Up Jakarta Coverage

• • • All sessions of the competition will be streamed on Eurovision Sport. Follow along here!
    • Gymnastics Indonesia's YouTube channel will stream all qualification sessions
    • Live scores from the FIG and Swiss Timing
    • Check out NBC's behind-the-scenes mini-doc on the US Women's World Trials
    • US viewers check out Peacock and NBC broadcast schedlue here.

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Headlines

• IOC stops Olympic talks with Indonesia over Israeli athlete ban
• How to Report Exploitative Photography during a FIG meet
  • Contact the FIG and LOC safeguarding officers on site. They are listed in the work plan, which is accessible on the event page (e.g. Jakarta: https://live.gymnastics.sport/event_detail.php?idevent=17810 They can also be reached by phone or WhatsApp.
  • Anonymous reports can be filed directly to the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation
    • FIG Safeguarding page

• All sessions of the competition will be streamed on Eurovision Sport. Follow along here!
• Gymnastics Indonesia's YouTube channel will stream all qualification sessions
• Live scores from the FIG and Swiss Timing
• Check out NBC's behind-the-scenes mini-doc on the US Women's World Trials
• US viewers check out Peacock and NBC broadcast schedlue here.

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Coming Up 6 days of LIVE podcasts at World Championships in Jakarta
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• Play our World Championships Fantasy Game!
• Win a Club Gym Nerd Scholarship:
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• Jakarta schedule & times: See our live podcast times on the Worlds HQ schedule
• Guides: Download the quick-reference guide on the Jakarta Headquarters page
• The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
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• Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

1. Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan
2. Complete checkout — your site account is created.
3. Log in here → /my-account/
4. Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, and answering your questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Tip: After logging in, refresh this page and the extended player will appear below.

• All sessions of the competition will be streamed on Eurovision Sport. Follow along here!
• Gymnastics Indonesia's YouTube channel will stream all qualification sessions
• Live scores from the FIG and Swiss Timing
• Check out NBC's behind-the-scenes mini-doc on the US Women's World Trials
• US viewers check out Peacock and NBC broadcast schedlue here.

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Coming Up 3 more days of LIVE podcasts at World Championships in Jakarta
  • Club members get extended coverage and can join us live to ask questions immediately after the meet
• Play our World Championships Fantasy Game!
• Win a Need-Based Club Gym Nerd Scholarship:
  • Go to our Forum > Show Stuff > GymCastic Scholarship
  • We are matching every new sponsorship
  • If you would like access to the club content, but financially able to purchase a membership, all you need to do is fill out the form that's linked in our message board
  • If you would also like to sponsor a scholarship, please email editor@gymcastic.com. Thank you!

• Club Gym Nerd: Join Here
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  • Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far
  • Learn More
• Headstand Game: Play Now
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• Thank you to our Sponsors
  • Gymnastics Medicine
  • Beam Queen Bootcamp's Overcoming Fear Workshop
  • Huel Daily Greens Ready to Drink - Get 15% off your purchase for New Customers with our exclusive code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. Use our code and fill out the post checkout survey to help support the show!

• Jakarta schedule & times: See our live podcast times on the Worlds HQ schedule
• Guides: Download the quick-reference guide on the Jakarta Headquarters page
• The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

1. Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan
2. Complete checkout — your site account is created.
3. Log in here → /my-account/
4. Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

Tip: After logging in, refresh this page and the extended player will appear below.

• All sessions of the competition will be streamed on Eurovision Sport. Follow along here!
• Gymnastics Indonesia's YouTube channel will stream all qualification sessions
• Live scores from the FIG and Swiss Timing
• Check out NBC's behind-the-scenes mini-doc on the US Women's World Trials
• US viewers check out Peacock and NBC broadcast schedlue here.

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Coming Up 6 days of LIVE podcasts at World Championships in Jakarta
  • Club members get extended coverage and can join us live to ask questions immediately after the meet
• Play our World Championships Fantasy Game!
• Win a Club Gym Nerd Scholarship:
  • Go to our Forum > Show Stuff > GymCastic Scholarship
  • We are matching every new sponsorship
  • If you would like access to the club content, but aren't currently in a position to purchase a membership, all you need to do is fill out the form that's linked in our message board
  • If you would also like to sponsor a scholarship, please email editor@gymcastic.com. Thank you!

• Club Gym Nerd: Join Here
• Become a Sponsor: GymCastic is matching all donations
  • Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far
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• Forum: Start Chatting
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  • Thanks to our sponsor, Huel. Get 15% off your purchase for New Customers with our exclusive code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. Use our code and fill out the post checkout survey to help support the show!
  • Gymnastics Medicine
  • Beam Queen Bootcamp's Overcoming Fear Workshop

• Jakarta schedule & times: See our live podcast times on the Worlds HQ schedule
• Guides: Download the quick-reference guide on the Jakarta Headquarters page
• The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

1. Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan
2. Complete checkout — your site account is created.
3. Log in here → /my-account/
4. Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

• All sessions of the competition will be streamed on Eurovision Sport. Follow along here!
• Gymnastics Indonesia's YouTube channel will stream all qualification sessions
• Live scores from the FIG and Swiss Timing
• Check out NBC's behind-the-scenes mini-doc on the US Women's World Trials

• Women's qualifications are complete! Angelina Melnikova is leading the women's all-around and vault standings, Kaylia Nemour is leading bars, Zhang Qingying leads beam, and Sabrina Voinea is the top scorer on floor
• What were moments that made us want to call the gymnastics police?
• Who were our all-star queens of the day?
• What did Chellsie Memmel have to say after the USA's qualification performance?
• Takeaways from pre-Worlds international score rankings
• The tale of Flavia Saraiva vs the giant bug

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Coming Up 6 days of LIVE podcasts at World Championships in Jakarta
  • Club members get extended coverage and can join us live to ask questions immediately after the meet
• Play our World Championships Fantasy Game!
• Win a Club Gym Nerd Scholarship:
  • Go to our Forum > Show Stuff > GymCastic Scholarship
  • We are matching every new sponsorship
  • If you would like access to the club content, but aren't currently in a position to purchase a membership, all you need to do is fill out the form that's linked in our message board
  • If you would also like to sponsor a scholarship, please email editor@gymcastic.com. Thank you!

• Club Gym Nerd: Join Here
• Become a Sponsor: GymCastic is matching all donations
  • Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far
  • Learn More
• Headstand Game: Play Now
• Forum: Start Chatting
• Merch: Shop Now
• Thank you to our Sponsors
  • Gymnastics Medicine
  • Beam Queen Bootcamp's Overcoming Fear Workshop

• Jakarta schedule & times: See our live podcast times on the Worlds HQ schedule
• Guides: Download the quick-reference guide on the Jakarta Headquarters page
• The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

1. Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan
2. Complete checkout — your site account is created.
3. Log in here → /my-account/
4. Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically.

+30 extra minutes of analysis, behind-the-scenes secret stories, plus member questions. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here).

• All sessions of the competition will be streamed on Eurovision Sport. Follow along here!
• Gymnastics Indonesia's YouTube channel will stream all qualification sessions
• Live scores from the FIG and Swiss Timing
• Check out NBC's behind-the-scenes mini-doc on the US Women's World Trials

• Is this Montreal all over again? The high bar COLLAPSED in the training hall
• Asher Hong got injured during warm-ups. Should there always be an accredited traveling alternate with the team for situations like this?
• Sugihara Aiko is leading the all-around standings after the first day of women's qualifications with a 54.099
• Kaylia Nemour put up a casual 15.533 on bars. What did her other events look like?
• We do a deep dive into each subdivision from today's competition
• What were the coolest/best/most fun skills we saw today?

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Coming Up 6 days of LIVE podcasts at World Championships in Jakarta
  • Club members get extended coverage and can join us live to ask questions immediately after the meet
• Play our World Championships Fantasy Game!
• Win a Club Gym Nerd Scholarship:
  • Go to our Forum > Show Stuff > GymCastic Scholarship
  • We are matching every new sponsorship
  • If you would like access to the club content, but aren't currently in a position to purchase a membership, all you need to do is fill out the form that's linked in our message board
  • If you would also like to sponsor a scholarship, please email editor@gymcastic.com. Thank you!

• Club Gym Nerd: Join Here
• Become a Sponsor: GymCastic is matching all donations
  • Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far
  • Learn More
• Headstand Game: Play Now
• Forum: Start Chatting
• Merch: Shop Now
• Thank you to our Sponsors
  • Gymnastics Medicine
  • Beam Queen Bootcamp's Overcoming Fear Workshop

• Jakarta schedule & times: See our live podcast times on the Worlds HQ schedule
• Guides: Download the quick-reference guide on the Jakarta Headquarters page
• The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

1. Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan
2. Complete checkout — your site account is created.
3. Log in here → /my-account/
4. Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically.