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    GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

    GymCastic Podcast is a weekly gymnastics talk show. The hosts interview people who love gymnastics almost as much as we do, discuss the latest news, events and offensive leotard fashion.
    en-usGymCastic703 Episodes

    Episodes (703)

    Beam Cap-gate Returns

    Beam Cap-gate Returns

    Elite News

    • Gabby's back at WOGA
    • Baku is done! We discuss who is already locked in for an Olympic spot and what the remaining contenders like Emma Malabuyo need to happen to get Olympic spots of their own
    • An important update from the Artistry Corner as Jessica explains why Ellie Black won artistry at 2023 worlds

    College Headlines

    • Haleigh Bryant got the 4th-highest AA score in college history as LSU re-passed Cal for second in the rankings
    • Which of this week's 10s do we consider the realest?
    • Beam cap-gate returns with the audacity to afflict Leanne Wong. We discuss what the rule is—and what the rule should be—when a gymnast dismounts the cap right off the beam
    • Bracketology update: Why Arkansas' ranking is the most important story over the next two weeks, how that will influence a potential Group of Death at regionals, and what other teams might pay the price
    • Choose Your Champion Part 2: Last week we did bars and beam, so now we're choosing our champions among the top-ranked vault and floor workers
    • Plus, an important mini-commission on how gymnasts maintain their bikini lines

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    Choose Your Champion

    Choose Your Champion

    Elite News

    • Gabby left WOGA??? or....
    • Andrade's Amanar is back. That means it's time to play "It's the Olympic Vault Final—What Do You Do?"
    • We have the US spring meet assignments. Why was Suni not selected for Baku? What standard was used to make these choices? We discuss.
    • Important Becky Downie and Amelie Morgan developments at English Championships
    • The apparatus World Cup halftime check-in as we track the qualification journeys of Emma Malabuyo, Nina Derwael, and more
    • How to get credit on a half turning catch release - watch Flip Fly Tumble's exaplanation video
    • Does it matter what subdivision you get drawn into? We have the DEFINITIVE answer!
    • Plus, gymternet news about the GOATour, Andrade singing, and more

    College Headlines

    • Oklahoma set a new all-time NQS record. Is there any stopping Oklahoma at nationals barring a counting fall?
    • Cal defeats Utah and retakes the #2 ranking from LSU, but will that change again this week?
    • Choose your champion: Beam #1 Ragan Smith VERSUS beam #2 Maile O'Keefe. Bars #1 Jordan Bowers VERSUS bars #2 Audrey Davis.
    • Danger zone update: #10 UCLA in a road-score pickle? #17 Minnesota out of the seeded spots? #34-#36 Iowa State, Iowa, and Maryland in qualification trouble? We discuss.

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    Winter Cup 2024 featuring Suni Lee

    Winter Cup 2024 featuring Suni Lee

    Winter Cup 2024

    It happened! Check out podium training podcast here and the photos here. We recorded live right after the meet ended:

      • While everyone else was competing at Winter Cup, Kayla DiCello was competing at Olympic Trials
      • What Suni had to say about her performance after the meet, and what this means for her Baku World Cup chances
      • What missing this meet means for Gabby Douglas and her road to an Olympic team
      • Trinity Thomas hit four for four and got her championships qualifying score
      • Plus, all the most Winter Cuppiest moments—and also some highlights
      • An update from Cottbus, the second of four apparatus qualifiers for the Olympics, including the current Chuso alert level, the latest Kaylia Nemour upgrade, Zhang Yihan new skill (clear hip layout tkatchev) and who's leading in points.

    Club Gym Nerd members can ask questions live, watch the podcast being recorded, see the gymnastics we discuss, plus get access to all of our exclusive interviews,  Behind The Scenes and College & Cocktails episodes. Here's how to ask questions live

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    Winter Cup Podium Training

    Winter Cup Podium Training

    2024 Winter Cup

    • The Gabby Douglas news
    • Suni Lee - the value of her full twisting Jeager and what he coach has to do to keep her healthy when they travel
    • Trinity Thomas - plans, upgrades and what it felt like to be back
    • Jayla Hang and Simone Rose
    • Kayla DiCello
    • Every skill and routine in detail

    We will go live :

    • AGAIN Saturday 24th - live after Winter Cup women’s finishes – 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT

    Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add our Behind The Scenes exclusive content to your favorite podcast player? Instructions here. Not a member? Join here. Not sure if you are ready to join?  Watch a sample, here's College & Cocktails week one from last year for free here.

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    Winter Cup Preview

    Winter Cup Preview

    Winter Cup Developments 

    • Suni Lee is a late entry and wants to get the Jaeger full named after herself! Let's go! 
      • Watch her in our Training Camp update video here 
    • What expectations are fair for Gabby Douglas's performance here?
    • Omens and Prophecies: What Winter Cup developments might function as a positive omen for gymnasts' Olympic prospects?
    • What is a good score right now? What numbers should we be looking for at Winter Cup?
    • The new seniors: Who has emerged from the junior ranks that we should keep an eye on

    US Olympic Selection Procedures

    • They're finally out! We discuss some encouraging developments and identify areas of potential controversy in the injury petition rules
    • Someone can (theoretically) petition directly onto the Olympic team. Should that be allowed? And would that ever be used for anyone other than Simone?
    • How might a two-event gymnast be taken into account for Olympic selection?
    • How the open-ended women's procedures compare to the numerically specific men's, and how two selection procedures for the exact same thing can be so different

    Cairo World Cup

    • The first apparatus qualifier is in the books! We discuss the Heron, a huge result for Emma Malabuyo on floor, the state of New Zealand's Olympic spots, Nina Derwael's beam win, and...gasp...is Chuso in trouble?

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    Paris Olympic Qualifier: Cairo World Cup Preview

    Paris Olympic Qualifier: Cairo World Cup Preview

     Elite News Updates

    • The Winter Cup roster is out, and Gabby Douglas is on it! We spend a while basking in the glory of that and discuss other headliners like Trinity Thomas and Jordan Chiles
    • How to Make the Olympics: Event Specialist Edition. The apparatus world cup series is kicking off in Cairo. We walk through how gymnasts qualify to the Olympics and profile some of the major contenders for qualification

    College Season—Week 6

    • Jessica Hutchinson tied the Denver all-around record, Oklahoma scored 198.450, and the scoring finally (FINALLY) broke Jessica
    • Spencer's Bracketology Update: What would happen if the season ended today, who would be in a good position, and who would really, really, really like the rankings to change?
    • It was a great week for comedy, from the Florida floor rotation, to Maddie Williams' fetal wolf turn, to a woman literally hitting herself in the head with the scores
    • Plus, an injury/resting update, an Arizona gymnast at the Super Bowl, the Paris medals, the gymternet news, and your feedback about fall deductions, Emma Malabuyo's travel schedule, and an assignment for the week involving beat jumps

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    Live From 2024 National Team Camp

    Live From 2024 National Team Camp

    *UPDATE 

    We have edited our discussion of Jordan's floor routine story, not Jordan's quote. Why did we do this? Because there were too many misinterpretations of our discussion online.

    We have heard from USAG that staff are receiving threats. We find this abhorrent! To be crystal clear: The input Jordan received was not from a person within USAG, which we have confirmed. Jordan said “it wasn’t USA” and “not…USAG”. 

    USAG informed us they first learned of the suggested routine change when we shared the clip on the podcast. 

    In our commentary following Jordan’s statements, we were not trying to blame anyone indirectly involved. We were attempting to  highlight the lessons from the BLM movement. 

    Jordan is very excited about her new routine and we have no doubt she will bring all of herself into the routine when it’s performed. 

    We will share more thoughts on our shows Friday and Monday.

    National Team Camp

    This week Jessica is in Texas for US National Team Camp. We recorded with a live Club Gym Nerd member audince for reports from interviews and watching practice at camp. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add GymCastic exclusives to your favorite podcast player? Instructions here

    • Jordan Chiles explains why she was made to change her elite floor routine last year
    • We discuss basically every move Simone and Suni made, and dive into where Suni's D score would rank with her new beam mount combination
    • Plus, Shilese Jones showed her layout Jaeger, progress reports on athletes coming back from injury, and which gymnasts are already in full "we're not going for no city championships" mode
    • Key interview moments with Chellsie and Alicia about artistry and the Olympic selection procedures

    College News

    • LSU broke the vaulting table and then program record, Oklahoma tied the NCAA bars record, and we discuss vault direction lines and whether it's possible to for a 10 to retain its "special" if you can get it every week

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    High-Five Lessons: College Season Week 4

    High-Five Lessons: College Season Week 4
    • The Iowa vs. MSU dance off that reminded us why we love NCAA gymnastics 
    • More about New Zealand Olympic eligibility, and clarification on how the US elite committee's No-Melanies rule applies to other athletes
    • Jessica is heading to national team camp! What are we most looking forward to seeing 5 months out from the Olympic team being named?

    College Season—Week 4

    • Big ranking moves from Kentucky and UCLA, and an important Corrupt or Correct about the Chae Campbell 10.000/9.900 split on floor
    • The scoring broke Bart Conner, plus the major problem of where the judges are sitting
    • Big upsets and emotionally devastating injuries defined the week, and Jessica copes by creating the world's first feet-free beam routine
    • Janelle McDonald's face suffered the best rogue high five of the week, and there was a heinous scoring graphic that destroyed Spencer's life
    • Plus, how many presents does Emma Malabuyo deserve after the travel schedule she is attempting next month?

    Elite and Gymternet News

    • Gymnastics Australia's CEO stepped down, Georgia did a Very Serious Balloon Violation,  which made us reminisce fondly over that time Georgia enjoyed a Broadway show and lost a scholarship the beam layout stepout turned the big 5-0.
    • Plus, your feedback on attending meets in person, best practices for having your teeth knocked out, the scourge of beat jumps and cat leaps, and all this horrible gum chewing!

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    Tennessee Tipping Point: College Season Week 3

    Tennessee Tipping Point: College Season Week 3

    Jessica spams us with something about Simone and Taylor Swift and the sportsballs, but then we discuss new training videos of Gabby Douglas and Suni Lee (!), the US elite committee's new "no foreigns" rule, a documentary crew at camp, and Aly Raisman's commentary debut.

    College Season—Week 3

    • All 7 teams that competed in Tennessee this weekend scored a program record, some by a point and most by more than a fall. It's giving Spencer medical programs but giving Jessica intense revolution vibes in a new segment: Corrupt or Genius
    • The 10s: Which of the 10.000s scored this week do we believe was the 10-iest?
    • The most surprising rankings through three weeks of the season, as we discuss what's going on with UCLA, Florida, Michigan, Cal, and Arkansas
    • Clemson leotards: Ranked 1st for controversy
    • Stray crutches, furries, body rolls, and wedgie picks star in this week's opportunities for comedy
    • Bailey Bunn produced an important addition to the pantheon of amazing beam saves this week. We discuss where it ranks on the all-time list

    Elite and Gymternet News

    • Brody Malone returned to competition, Amelie Morgan and Charlotte Booth are on the list for English Championships, details about Konnor McClain's injuries, and JUSTICE FOR COURTNEY MCGREGOR.
    • Plus, the ABC college gymnastics viewership record, Maggie Nichols' book release, an update on robot judges, a pants-off rings-off moment, and FINALLY an answer to why gymnasts are so clumsy

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    Feet Aren't Real: College Season Week Two

    Feet Aren't Real: College Season Week Two

    News Updates 

    • What we learned from Simone's Vanity Fair interview, who's on the FIG list of eligible non-affiliated athletes, and more follow-ups from last week on altitude and sickle cell

    College Season—Week 2

    • Cal is #2 in the rankings—are they the team best poised to challenge Oklahoma?
    • Does it actually matter whether you're scoring a 197.9 or a 195.9 in week 2?
    • We have another entry in the "Tribute to Mom" floor routine series
    • Program debuts! Clemson, Talladega, and Utica all competed in their first-ever meets
    • Florida opened its 2024 season and Morgan Hurd scored career highs on beam and floor. We discuss.
    • Sierra Brooks set an all-time Michigan all-around record, Konnor McClain scored a 10.000 on bars, and important LEOTARD developments
    • Corrupt or Correct takes on the beam scoring at the Sprouts Quads
    • The new quad-meet broadcast format: Pro or anti?
    • Fantasy gymnastics: Steals of the week, injury and retirement news, and an important advisory

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    New Year, Old Habits

    New Year, Old Habits

    News Updates 

    College Season Begins!

    • The 2024 college season kicked off with the Super 16 Chaos Festival. We have a LOT of thoughts on the commentary trio (the confusion! the interrupting! the popcorn comment!) and also maybe a couple on the routines or whatever
    • Week 1 of the new Finish Position deduction. How did everyone do at remembering this is a thing now? Will it last?
    • Correct or Corrupt takes on the "fully candy bars" UB judging at the Super 16. All those 9.900s were at the same level, RIGHTTTT?
    • Plus, 10.000 Watch, who survived beam the best, the attack of the almost-stick, a coach-interference moment, and more

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    2023 Gymnastics Triumphs and Controversies

    2023 Gymnastics Triumphs and Controversies
    • Simone gave us a most special gift this week: video of her doing the WILDEST gymnastics. What do we think could make it into an actual routine?
    • The FIG released its report from Antwerp. We discuss the glorious trend of increasing competitor age and discuss deep E-score disparity
    • Developments from this week's college preview meets, including the debuts of Konnor McClain's college era and this year's UCLA floor routines

    2023 in Review

    • It's our last show of a truly memorable year, so we're taking you through a timeline of this year's history-making moments
    • A top-10 list! We count down the top 10 controversies in gymnastics this year. Which abject horror will take the ultimate crown???
    • Plus, the best single routine of the year, as well as our top mixed zone moments

    Mini-Commission

    • Today, a mini-commission on the scoring of McKayla Maroney's vaults at the 2012 Olympics. We dive into the individual judges scores in the results book to see if something fishy was going on.

    The Gift of Club Gym Nerd

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    GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast
    en-usDecember 19, 2023

    2024 NCAA Preview Show

    2024 NCAA Preview Show

    Headline News 

    NCAA 2024 Preview

    • Hot topics heading into the season: 10.000 Watch, the end of conferences as we know them, and the influence of NIL on roster construction
    • Why does Oklahoma keep winning? We talk toes, spotting landings, and also casino heists for some reason
    • What Florida, LSU, Utah, UCLA, Michigan, Cal, and Alabama would need to do to knock off Oklahoma in 2024
    • Preseason All-Star Team: Jessica and Spencer are co-head coaches of Team Earth and present their 6-up, 5-count NCAA lineups for intergalactic competition. Who makes the cut?

    Gymternet News

    • Gymnastics news out of the WWE, a yellow card to People Magazine for its four-year-fan headline, an update on Russia from the IOC, going to the gym from the Nadia movie, Gymnasts for Change continuing the fight, and Jessica recaps what's been happening on social media for Spencer since he is a 99-year-old crab.

    The GIFT of Club Gym Nerd

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    Dolly Parton Gymnastics Stampede

    Dolly Parton Gymnastics Stampede

    Headline News

    • In a big win for Gymnasts for Change, British Gymnastics released new safeguarding policies that should be the model for federations around the world
    • Riley McCusker is injured, and Spencer tries to convince you it's all just a bad dream
    • Lindenwood is shutting down its gymnastics team after the 2024 season
    • More on the banning of Elvira Saadi in Canada

    NCAA 2024 - Getting Ahead of the Game

    • Jessica corners you in an elevator and tells you what she loves about college gymnastics
    • Death to the "Alabama Shuffle:" a major rule change is coming to college gymnastics landings in 2024. We administer a quiz on the new regulations, discuss which gymnast the new requirement was obviously modeled after, and give our overall impressions
    • Meet the Ninja Level 10s: Learning the names of gymnasts you can become obsessed with before the bandwagon starts, including KJ Kindler's dream come true, the new queen of bars, and...Nastia's clone?

    Power Rankings Fight

    • A.k.a., why does Jessica hate Flavia? We released our new GymCastic World Elite Power Rankings, and Spencer would like everyone to know that it's not his fault.
    • Plus, an update on Russia at the Olympics, as well as lawsuits about NIL and Title IX

    The GIFT of Club Gym Nerd

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    Emergency Gymternet News

    Emergency Gymternet News
    • Everything we know about Gabby Douglas training at camp!
    • University of Utah head coach Tom Farden has resigned.
    • Double Olympic Champion and Canadian stand out coach, Elvira Saadi has been banned for 10 years
    • Shawn Johnson destroyed her husband in a center of gravity contest despite being very pregnant.
    • FIG Women's Technical Committee member and Olympic Champion, Elena Davydova, is under investigation by Gymnastics Canada and Valentina has thoughts.
    • Nastia was on MTV Cribs and it was everything we ever hoped for.

    The GIFT of Club Gym Nerd

    • Support our work by joining Club Gym Nerd for access to exclusives, extended interviews, Behind The Scenes and College & Cocktails episodes.
    • Rep your favorites with some of our awesome clothing and gifts
    • Everything you need to be the best Gym Nerd auntie, uncle or parent or the most informed and stylish gym nerd in the galaxy with our Holiday Gift Guide

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    Biggest Gymnastics Pet Peeves

    Biggest Gymnastics Pet Peeves

    We’ve got bees in our bonnets! This week, we're celebrating the true meaning of Thanksgiving: pointing out every little thing that bothers you about loved ones. The things in gymnastics that drive us absolutely crazy, no matter how small, shallow, or irrational — the nitpickier the better!

    • Floor Music Pet Peeves. Yes, we mean you, car-engine sounds. And fake endings, Spotify barf, and so much more
    • Peeve or Reprieve: The New Game Show That's Sweeping the Nation!
    • Floor Choreography Pet Peeves. What's the choreographic equivalent of a dad joke? We'll tell you
    • Pet Peeve Skills. Sell the farm because we are tearing some animal leaps to pieces
    • Pet Peeves at the Competition. Wrists, salutes, and meets that look like dog shows
    • The Un-Pet Peeves. Special commendation for the skills and styles we just love

    YOUR STORIES

    • We asked for your craziest meet and training equipment stories, and you delivered, vaulting right out the double doors and into the courtyard!

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    Authorized Neutral Athletes

    Authorized Neutral Athletes
    • Gabby is heading to national team camp!
    • The FIG released its ad hoc requirements for Russian and Belarusian participation in meets in 2024. We ask the important question: does anyone actually meet these requirements?
    • Tom Farden has been placed on administrative leave by Utah, which they say is due to recent behavior "not related to student-athlete welfare."
    • NCAA Signing Day! We run through which top elites will be competing for which schools and who won the Most Famous Names sweepstakes

    MEET NEWS

    • Jade Carey and Yul Moldauer won the title at Swiss Cup, but the real winner was Spencer, who gets to discuss the strategy of Swiss Cup again
    • USAG released the selection committee minutes for the 2022 World team and we feel like something is still missing...

    MINI-COMMISSION

    • Today, we have a mini-commission from Club Gym Nerd member Anthony, who ordered a segment all about Listunova—her achievements through the years, from junior world champion, to the Olympics, to now.

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    Gymnastics Movie Club: Perfect Body (Commissioned)

    Gymnastics Movie Club: Perfect Body (Commissioned)

    We watched the 1997 TV movie Perfect Body and now we REALLY need to talk about it as a family. Especially...

    • That thing where you just started training elite and you're 16-27 years old and also the Olympics are tomorrow and you're going to make it
    • Gender roles: Still going great, no notes
    • How bars coaching means just yelling "TAP" 100 times in a row
    • Why this movie has never heard of high school, or Seattle
    • What the 1996 team gold did to deserve ALL THE SHADE it gets from this movie
    • How you get random cortisone injections from Cathy Rigby over by beam
    • Clingy boyfriends who interrupt training and somehow don't get murdered????
    • The Stunt Doubles of Insane Back Flexibility: Chari Knight and Kristie Phillips, and where this movie ranks in terms of gymnastics skill accuracy
    • Just an extended purple windbreaker fever dream where you train on a low beam in a hotel room
    • Moody vault timers at sunset and whatever an "All City Gymnastics Demonstration" is
    • How the soundtrack NAILED it, and much more

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    Trouble in Romania

    Trouble in Romania

    Romanian Infighting

      • Today, we're checking in with a quick mini-sode (our main commissioned episode will come later this week) about what has happened in Romania since the women's team qualified to the Olympics at worlds last month.
      • We discuss what Jessica has learned from sources who witnessed what happened to Ana Barbosu during podium training at worlds—as well as in the mixed zone—as well as Catalina Ponor's television interview about it, and whether it is appropriate for Ponor to remain in the athlete rep position

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    GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast
    en-usNovember 07, 2023

    Best Cheng Ever?

    Best Cheng Ever?

    Pan Ams Event Finals

      • Did we just see the best Cheng in gymnastics history from Rebeca Andrade? We discuss, with comparisons to the best from Cheng Fei and Simone Biles. Should the judges have given this a 10 E score? Do we want to live in a world where this isn't a 10 in execution?
      • Plus, the best moments from the rest of the event finals at Pan Ams, including titles from Zoe Miller and Kaliya Lincoln, controversy in the beam final, and the comedy stylings of Franchesca Santi and Jordan Chiles.

    Mini-Commissions

      • We have two mini-commissions this week! First, from Beth, we have a mini-commission on Gabby Douglas. We discuss the historic significance of her return, the latest skills she's posting on socials, and how her 2016 routines would hold up against the 2023 US worlds team.
      • Next, from Jay, a mini-commission on Kristie Phillips being left off the 1988 Olympic team. We discuss the greatness of Kristie Phillips as a performer, the data on why she actually should have been on that Olympic team, and the syndrome of TV commentary affecting your memory of how a gymnast actually performed.

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