GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

This week, it's the commissioned episode you've all been waiting for...the FLUFFCAST! We jump into all the most insane, hilarious, horrifying, sexist, perfect, amazing, diva-tastic, butterfly-gazing, Romanian candle-holding fluff pieces in the history of gymnastics broadcasts. Thank you so much to Fluff Feels for commissioning the episode we were born to do, and thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions! Jessica and Spencer dissect: 2000 Olympic All-Around fluff  NBC's Living-Parents Championship, starring Russian daddy issues and soldiers kidnapping Zamo. Prod's shaved eyebrow Prod's convertible flexing fluff, the only verifiably true fluff ever The legendary Romanian candle cups Elise Ray and the butterfly NBC's weird obsession with 1950s-style nuclear families 2000 Atler v. Dantzscher v. Beth Rybacki's tears How much resentment and blame? ALL OF IT! What's the deal with that wild west picture? And that helicopter-parent one? 1996 Kerri Strug lives in everyone's shadow fluff  Is this the most sexist fluff of all time? Jessica's expletive parade Invention of the Bechdel Test for gymnastics fluff pieces "A diva is magical" That time Khorkina was perfect in every way Was saying, "I want to win as much as I want to mother my own child" really such a big deal? 1994 Romanian terrifying fluff of horrors The twist ending and the LITERAL DEAD BODY Trouble with keeping communist narratives straight NBC's fascination with Romanian people's eyes 1995 Moceanu fluff A creepy pedophile wonderland of a fluff piece Why is Bela so bad at boats? That insane 1997 "I Will Remember You" fluff Moceanu standing in a forest in a leo clawing that tree in 2000 1992 Bogi and her coach fluff How respectfully and maturely do we think NBC handled the issue of suicide? Bogi has no time for family or your sexist coach narratives Kim Kelly gets bumped Blurry smoke-filled rooms! Shadiness! “Who’d they drop?” “You, Kim.” Mohini delivers pizzas (1) (2) Why let fact get in the way of narrative? Important question: what are raffle bars? The most upsetting and bizarre fluff you will ever see A lesson on which issues should never be addressed in fluff pieces Elvire Teza 1998 More fun with racist Chinese music! Why we want to move to France and live with the French team SUPPORT THE SHOW Join Club Gym Nerd here with brand new membership tiers, commission your own episode, or commission your own segment. Buy some of our awesome merchandise here. CONTEST WHAT: #BeerWithBetty: The Greatest Scavenger Hunt in the Galaxy! PRIZE: The winner will share a beer (or root beer if you are under 21) with the great Betty Okino, Olympic and World medalist, creator of the triple turn on beam, and a member of the Precision Choreography team. HOW IT WORKS: In August, we will release a list of 10 items on this photo scavenger hunt. Your mission will be to complete each one and post a photo to Twitter or Instagram tagging @GymCastic and @PrecisionChoreo and using #BeerWithBetty. The winner will be selected at random among everyone who completes all ten items. The hunt will start at 8am on Thursday August 17 and will end at 12pm on Saturday, August 19. The winner will meet with the Betty Okino at 3pm that day! If you enter, be READY FOR BETTY because winner will meet this gymnastics legend at 3pm that day! PLUS: We will give six additional prizes for Most Outrageous photos! The top three most outrageous photos on Friday will win a personal voice message from one of Precision Choreography's gymnastics stars (people like Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone, Houry Gerbesian, and Holly Vise)! The top three on Saturday will get a special shout-out on the GymCastic podcast. BUT WAIT: Before this contest starts, we need your help coming up with the scavenger hunt list! Please tweet us your suggestions using #BeerWithBetty from now until July 31. Something like socks with sandals, overused beam poses, someone over 50 doing the splits. We will give you full credit for any suggestions we use! RELATED EPISODES 257: The Daniels Report 256: 1996 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned) 255: 1996 Olympic Team Final (Commissioned) 254: Vanessa Atler 200: Alicia Sacramone 197: Betty Okino 187: McKayla Maroney 38: Svetlana Boginskaya 31: Elise Ray 28: Kristen Maloney 19: Andreea Raducan 17: Growing Up In The Soviet Gymnastics System And Training At Round Lake 225: 1992 Olympics Recap with Wendy Bruce (Commissioned) 185: 2008 Olympic All-Around Finals (Commissioned) 252: Myths, Legends, and Unexpected Moments in Gymnastics History (Commissioned)  

Originally aired in June 2017 BEST OF GYMCASTIC Originally released in June 2017. Vanessa Atler is an American treasure and fans have loved her from the moment they first saw her elegant power. She's a multi-time national champion, multi-World Cup champion, Goodwill Games event champion. She would probably have made the 1996 Olympic team had she been age eligible. She was one of those gymnasts for whom nothing ever worked out the way it should have and fans hearts broke along with her through the 1996-2000 quad. We discuss: Why she requested the interview with us Her thoughts on age limits and specialists (13:10) Elements she worked on but never competed (19:25) Dealing with emotions and tears of frustration The Comaneci-Salto & The Rybackis - (22:34) Why didn't she just take the Comaneci out of her routine and win all the things?  Beth and Steve's differing opinions on bars  What worked and didn't work with the Rybackis  How being at Charter Oak effected her own coaching Did she seek counseling or therapy? (31:01) Her early online presence… and her mom's (32:50) Epic fluff from 1997 on Vanessa's online diary 1999 Goodwill Games and Sang Lan's vault accident (34:43) Why she left the Rybackis (39:00) The real story behind the ankle injury (47:57) Why she did not train with Bela Karolyi (50:47) The letter Larry Nassar said USAG received about him that caused him to be banned from the Ranch (52:16) Pre-2000 Olympics, moving to WOGA (1:00:01) What did and didn't work for her with Valeri  How Valeri helped make her more confident on bars Weigh-ins (1:04:29) 2000 Olympic Trials When an agent gets into the mix: where the "you didn't make the team because you were fat" rumor came from (1:08:35) Bela told her he'd put her on the team  Did she try and compete after 2000? What are her feelings toward gymnastics now? Being on the realty show "Starting Over" Outside influences: family members and agents The decision to turn professional Fibromyalgia after her motorcycle accident Dealing with anxiety and food Talking about her support for the defendants in the Larry Nassar case (1:36:00) Worlds in China: Nassar asking who wanted a cortisone shot without parental consent and alone in room (1:39:36) What she overheard during a coaches meeting through the walls of a hotel (1:44:11) Would she want her son to participate in elite gymnastics? What she does to keep gymnastics fun for her gymnasts What are her upcoming plans… is another book in the works? What are her thoughts on the Nassar situation and USAG today? How terrible the food was when she was at the Ranch for national team camp (2:00:11) The group message exchange asking for support for Nassar (2:02:04) Asking for help for her bulimia and being told to do what it takes (2:03:55) GUEST LINKS Witness her amazing beam skills. Her floor at the height of her awesomeness. Vanessa Atler blog and diary Vanessa Atler Children's Book: Let the River Flow SUPPORT THE SHOW Join Club Gym Nerd here. Buy one of our awesome goodies here. RELATED EPISODES Episode 15: Joan Ryan Author of Little Girls in Pretty Boxes Episode 17: Growing Up In The Soviet Gymnastics System And Training At Round Lake Episode 31: Elise Ray Episode 28: Kristen Maloney Episode 33: Simone Biles & Her Coaches 187: McKayla Maroney 163: ENOUGH 246: Kathy Johnson Clarke Regionals Preview Episode 56: Preventing Abuse in Gymnastics 63: Doctor Larry Nassar 245: Steve Penny is GONE 244: Russian Nationals & Gymnix 2017 243: Senate Bill 534 242: Standards 241: The Pittsburgh Incident 240: Chalkography 239: Elite Canada, Reykjavik & NCAA

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. HEADLINES Alyssa Beckerman penned a Google Doc about the emotional manipulation, ostracism, pettiness, and mishandling of weight and injury that she experienced at UCLA under Miss Val What lessons other coaches can learn about the best ways to help athletes who experienced abusive club careers Does this change how we look at Miss Val's positive coaching tour? Thoughts on Miss Val's response and whether she should have said anything at all Discussed: International Socio-Cultural research group on Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (ISCWAG) research and interview Jenny Pinches  explanation on August 7, 2020 before Alyssa's letter) of the #AthleteAlliance movement re coaches One Face: Project Gravitas Related articles on Beckerman :  Beckerman questions dismissal Team supports Beckerman's dismissal Out of Balance: A look inside USA Gymnastics' culture of abuse More #GymnastAlliance news Cassidy Hyman's statement about elite development coordinator Dan Baker Athletes speak out about Amanda Reddin, WAG head coach at British Gymnastics The NCAA Gym is dying Alaska's women's program and Iowa's men's program will be shut down after 2021. We mourn. MINI COMMISSION Erin has commissioned us to bring back fluff pieces and reimagine the non-racist, non-condescending, non-awful versions we'd like to see. Obviously, we go right to Elena Produnova, Catalina Ponor's closet, and lesbians GYMTERNET NEWS Kensley's article on Female judges in MAG, Suni Lee's COVID scare, an exposé of the Brazilian club Pinheiros, and what we think of the survivors' attorneys asking the court to reject Terin Humphrey's claim JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 437: Lineup Racism? 436: 2000 Women's Team Final (Commissioned) 435: Let's Talk about Terin 434: Svetlana Khorcanceled 433: Weirdest Gymnastics Exhibitions of the 90s (Commissioned) 432: #GymnastAlliance 431: 2003 Team Final (Commissioned)

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. HEADLINES Texas Dreams Fallout Statements from more athletes about their Texas Dreams experiences, including Ragan Smith and Macy Toronjo Discussion: What responsibility do college coaches have to speak out about abusive coaching in the elite world? ESPN article on racism in college gymnastics The details on Alabama's Title IX investigation, and...Dana what are you doing? "Skin-tone" and the NCAA demographics database D-D Breaux retired Her epic legacy at LSU and what's next for the team MINI-COMMISSION Last week, Kennedy Baker discussed her experience with racism at Florida and mentioned the much-discussed history of Florida floor lineups. We use that as a lens for this week's mini-commission, in which Sophie asked us to discuss NCAA lineup strategy, what each of our strategies would be if we were making lineups, and whether there's a program that excels at lineup strategy. GYMTERNET NEWS Amy Tinkler's former coaches suspended by British Gymnastics, Memmel upgrade news, the Kathie Klages sentencing, USAG's 5-tier system for SafeSport reports, Donnell Whittenburg's piece for Team USA, Nina's new dismount, and more JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 436: 2000 Women's Team Final (Commissioned) 435: Let's Talk about Terin 434: Svetlana Khorcanceled 433: Weirdest Gymnastics Exhibitions of the 90s (Commissioned) 432: #GymnastAlliance Best of GymCastic: The Leotard Episode 431: 2003 Team Final (Commissioned)

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubbubbs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. TEXAS NIGHTMARES Before we get to this week's commission, a few...erm...rage thoughts on what we've heard about Texas Dreams this week from Ashton Kim and Kennedy Baker. 2000 TEAM FINAL This week's episode was commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Casey because "it's all fun and games until Russia goes to beam." We discuss: Vault conspiracy theories. Was the vault also set incorrectly in the team final? Everything on beam is a Shushunova. We fight about it. The US team getting locked out of the arena and what it symbolizes Support, refute, or qualify: "Romania wins with boring gymnastics." The concept of Maria Olaru Khorkina's vaulting, Leonardo Da Vinci, and pumpernickel The importance of Liu Xuan and Ling Jie on floor Russia. Beam. It happened. We need to talk about it Dong Fangxiao's age and the stripping of China's bronze JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 435: Let's Talk about Terin 434: Svetlana Khorcanceled 433: Weirdest Gymnastics Exhibitions of the 90s (Commissioned) 432: #GymnastAlliance Best of GymCastic: The Leotard Episode 431: 2003 Team Final (Commissioned) 430: Athlete A with Jennifer Sey

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. THIS WEEK Mark Alesia, formerly of the Indy Star and part of the team that reported the Criminal Ex-Doctor story, joins us to discuss Athlete A and #GymnastAlliance The Dutch federation has shut down the women's elite program to conduct an investigation into coaching abuse. What does it all mean? Terin Humphrey is a survivor. We discuss reconciling that with her...other behavior and why her complaints about USAG removing her don't really add up. What Terin has to say about Steve Penny trying to influence team selection Chellsie's comeback – it's officially official! We talk about her skills and her interview with the Olympic Channel Sam Mikulak says he will retire after the Olympics, citing a chronic wrist injury and a desire to preserve his mental health MINI-COMMISSION Desirae asked us to come up with a gymnastics coaching qualification system for the US—what courses, information, and classes would we require? We have a lot of suggestions. GYMTERNET NEWS A story of abuse allegations coming out of New Zealand that we have some questions about Australia's Human Rights Commission is reviewing Australian gymnastics Some...unfortunate incidental translation issues from the FIG The Pac-12 football boys are making Jessica's dreams come true Plus, spending the day with Aliya JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 434: Svetlana Khorcanceled 433: Weirdest Gymnastics Exhibitions of the 90s (Commissioned) 432: #GymnastAlliance Best of GymCastic: The Leotard Episode 431: 2003 Team Final (Commissioned)

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. GYMTERNET NEWS #GymnastAlliance is growing: We discuss the latest news out of Belgium and the Netherlands We have some THINGS to say on what we've now learned about Ellis O'Reilly's health How do we handle abusive coaches who admit their mistakes? SIGHx100000. Khorkina. Reflections on the Heavy Medals podcasts and what Geza Pozsar has been saying lately The Human Rights Watch report on sports in Japan MINI-COMMISSION We have been commissioned to add two events to women's gymnastics. Let's go. PLUS Wearing tights in gymnastics competition Riley's new bars dismount Feedback on majoring in gymnastics, smoking while tumbling, Sarah Jantzi and Rhonda, Spencer needing to figure skate, Jane Allen, and Khorkina things JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 433: Weirdest Gymnastics Exhibitions of the 90s (Commissioned) 432: #GymnastAlliance Best of GymCastic: The Leotard Episode 431: 2003 Team Final (Commissioned) 430: Athlete A with Jennifer Sey 212: Rio WAG Olympic Prelims

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubbubbs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. COMMISSION!  No, Spencer didn't self-commission this episode. Instead, an anonymous patron asked us for an episode all about the "professional" "gymnastics" "competitions" to "rock music" that populated the "1990s." And we are more than happy to oblige. We discuss: Queen Kristie Phillips, the only one who understood. Like when she did a Gianni Versace/Princess Diana tribute beam routine. Or when she did a Vietnam War protest routine. Or when she did a different Vietnam War protest routine. Or that time her genie pants came off during floor. Being too 90s to function: Dominique Moceanu's Titanic beam routine, and Chris Waller doing the Macarena Men taking their shirts off. Like all the time. And sometimes Alexei Nemov took his pants off. The award for most awkward – Shannon Miller's virginity floor routine, Valentin Moguilny's alcoholism floor routine, and Dmitry Bilozerchev's baby rings routine The MAG Seven: Who cared the least about this nonsense (a tough category!) and a conspiracy theory about Shannon That time Elena Produnova did an ill-advised floor routine to Who Let the Dogs Out That time May Lee Tracy had Kim Zmeskal do a beam routine to God Bless America That time Svetlana Khorkina went to Disney World, and that time Ukrainians did ALL the 1994 shopping JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 432: #GymnastAlliance Best of GymCastic: The Leotard Episode 431: 2003 Team Final (Commissioned) 425: GymCastic Fixes Judging (Commissioned) 422: Stick It (Commissioned) 400: 2024 Fantasy Compulsories (Commissioned) 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned)

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. GYMTERNET NEWS #GymnastAlliance British Athletes, like our queen Catherine Lyons and co-queen Lisa Mason, are speaking out about the coaching abuses they've suffered and culture of fear in British gymnastics. We discuss what makes this moment different. Athlete A Aftermath The influence of this documentary and Dave Tilley's must-watch reflection and analysis Moving the women's age limit to 18—how do we feel about it now? OK. But. We really need to unpack this narrative that Maggie was snubbed for a spot on the 2016 team. Spencer made a spreadsheet. Because of course. Feedback on what we make of Geza Pozsar, whether Sarah Jantzi bears the same responsibility as Rhonda Faehn, and how sportsball boyfriends reacted to the documentary Copenhagen withdraws Denmark will not host worlds in 2021. Jessica and Spencer are currently in different stages of grief. Simone is the first gymnast on the cover of Vogue And the twitters are NOT happy with the pictures More abuse news Terry Gray—formerly of Cincinnati, Browns, and SCEGA—has been arrested for 14 counts of "lewdness with a child under 14" Thierry Pellerin—Canadian pommel horse specialist—has been arrested for sexual offenses against minors. Plus Gymnastics survives the Stanford sports purge, all our favorite under-the-radar internationals are going to LIU—except international students might not be able to stay in the US (petition), everyone is coming out, and Jessica's mouth goes to sleep while trying to say Ana Padurariu, which is our cue to stop. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned) 367: Shawn and Nastia: From Feud to Friendship (Commissioned) 366: Virtuous Value Parts 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned) 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned) 363: Five Is the New Four (...Is the New Five) 362: Morgan Hurd & Heath Thorpe

Club Gym Nerd member, Gym Coach Diana, has commissioned an episode all about the glorious leotard! Spencer, Lauren, and Jessica chat about leos leos leos; biggest leotard fails, the most patriotic, custom theme leos, Australia, cut outs, crushed velvet, rules for leotard design, technology, sewn in underpants, leotard deductions, controversies and the most notorious leotards of all time. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LEOTARDS WE DISCUSS IN ORDER: https://gymcastic.com/?p=61421&preview=true  This episode originally aired in November 2016.

This episode was commissioned by Club Gym Nerd member Jasmine, who asked for an episode all about the 2003 worlds team final. Hollie's number. "Oh, that's too bad." Warming up on the podium. "So little talent." A truly iconic choice! WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and watch the videos of the routines we're discussing right along with us. BUT FIRST A little breaking news nugget: We discuss Shawn Johnson's latest YouTube video about being given Adderall for weight loss, not an approved therapeutic exemption, for this banned substance, and what the potential fallout could be, if any. 2003 TEAM FINAL US injury drama – and more questions about the US team medical care Jessica's behind-the-scenes story about Khorkina interacting with children! The birth of the legend of Chellsie Freaking Memmel A frame-by-frame dissection of Tasha trying to block Martha's head smack "So little talent" and what Shevchenko herself thinks of that comment Interpreting Khorkina's choreography Jessica's tale of spying on a US practice and Carly's crazy bars training Hollie's number: Was the US team given preferential treatment? China's neutral deduction for warming up on the podium "Ooooh, that's too bad" AND MORE! JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 430: Athlete A with Jennifer Sey 429: John Orozco Does Not Hold Back 428: Black Lives Matter This Week Too 427: The Gymnast Who Kneeled During The National Anthem 425: GymCastic Fixes Judging (Commission) 422: Stick It (Commissioned) 368: No-No-Nunnoisms (Commissioned) 365: 1988 Olympics Team Competition (Commissioned) 364: 80s Fight! (Commissioned) 344: Shushunova vs. Silivas 1988 (Commissioned) 308: 2004 Olympic All-Around Final (Commissioned)

Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW Jennifer Sey became the US national champion in 1986, just seven months after breaking her femur at the 1985 world championships, an injury that led to a change in rules about bars spotting. In 2008, she published her groundbreaking memoir Chalked Up and has since been an advocate for survivors and those fighting against abuse in gymnastics. She produced the documentary Athlete A about the failures of USA Gymnastics to deal with the criminal ex-doctor, which premieres on Netflix this week. We talked with her about what she hopes the general public learns about gymnastics culture from the film, whether the Maggie Haney suspension represents progress or not, why watching Kerri Strug vault in 1996 didn't feel like a glorious moment to her, and balancing the horror of Athlete A with hope by focusing on the triumphs of Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher, and the Indy Star journalists. Related Reading: Jen Sey's Op-Ed in the New York Times: How Gymnastics Culture Breeds Sexual Abuse   Why Not Being Racist is Not Enough  Chalked Up by Jennifer Sey Athlete A trailer  GYMTERNET NEWS A vital episode dedication to Natalia Frolova URGENT: An email from someone who coached at the Karolyi summer camps Feedback on the John Orozco interview and Kensley's response Seattle Pacific eliminates its gymnastics program Major dumpster fire developments in bankruptcy court Germany (kind of?) did a gymnastics over the weekend Simone did a triple double off beam and we need to talk about it JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES Behind The Scenes: Laurie Hernandez Interview 187: McKayla Maroney Episode 28: Kristen Maloney 420: Jamie Dantzscher Aimee Boorman and Maggie Haney: The Olympic Experience Aimee & Maggie Extended Interview Episode 41: Laurie Hernandez & Coach Maggie Haney 423: Little Dumpster Fires Everywhere 422: Stick It (Commissioned) 420: Jamie Dantzscher 277.5: McKayla Maroney Alleges Abuse from Nassar 429: John Orozco Does Not Hold Back 428: Black Lives Matter This Week Too 427: The Gymnast Who Kneeled During The National Anthem 426: Body Roll Abomination 425: GymCastic Fixes Judging (Commission) 424 Emotional Abuse: The Maggie Haney Eight Year Ban

THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW John Orozco is here and ready to blow it up. In this interview, he discusses the Black Lives Matter movement and the racism he experienced from leadership in the US men's program, different standards applied to white and black athletes in national team selection and drug/alcohol enforcement, favoritism and score changing, the reality of a family situation that was far from what was painted by NBC, what really happened in the 2012 Olympic team final, the lawlessness of the post-Olympic tour, his nationality switch to Puerto Rico, and so much more. You don't want to miss this one. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 72: John Orozco (January 2014) 241: The Pittsburgh Incident (Legendre's accuse OTC coach of assault) 428: Black Lives Matter This Week Too 427: The Gymnast Who Kneeled During The National Anthem 420: Jamie Dantzscher 319: Aly and Lynn Raisman 187: McKayla Maroney

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. HEADLINES Kurt Thomas, 1978 and 1979 world champion, died of a stroke at age 64. We discuss his legacy. More athletes detail stories of racism in college gymnastics—what Alabama's Tia Kiaku, Auburn gymnasts Kennedy Finister and Telah Black, Florida's Kytra Hunter, and Nebraska's Ashley Lambert said this week Why the aggressively empty platitudes from coaches like Dana Duckworth and Courtney Kupets-Carter bother us so much—and why we love the statement from Sac State Plus, do we need to change our outro? And what should it be? GYMTERNET NEWS European Championships have been rescheduled for December in Baku. Jessica is concerned for COVID reasons. Spencer is concerned for rule-consistency reasons. Kensley is optimistic. No one is surprised by any of this. The FIG published the new, official Olympic qualification rules for 2021 The retirements of Courtney McGregor, Senna Deriks, and most of Romania Which US elites have decided to keep training for Tokyo NCAA transfer news for Addy De Jesus, Bailey Ferrer, and Mercedes Sanchez Problems with the FBI, NCAA, and Kathy Klages, as per usual, and a coach suspension at Chelsea Piers Nile Wilson released a documentary on his battle with addiction and mental health—we watched and have thoughts Plus, feedback on Alexis Brown, why the gymternet didn't come for Sam Mikulak like it did for Ashton, and sports' exploitation of black athletes JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 427: The Gymnast Who Kneeled During The National Anthem 426: Body Roll Abomination 425: GymCastic Fixes Judging (Commission) 424 Emotional Abuse: The Maggie Haney Eight Year Ban Behind the Scenes: Scott Bregman Behind the Scenes: May 15, 2020 Behind The Scenes: Denis Vachon

WATCH HERE Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded (pre-edits with all the flubs and hiccups) and see video of the routines we discuss. THIS WEEK'S INTERVIEW Alexis Brown was a UC Davis gymnast, is the co-program record holder on beam, and knelt during the national anthem in the 2017 and 2018 NCAA seasons. We caught up with Alexis to hear her thoughts on kneeling now—two years on—and how she feels about the current protests against police brutality of black Americans. She tells us whether she feels more hopeful or disheartened about the experience in retrospect, what she makes of the NCAA programs who haven't made statements, and what she would like to see from white members of the gymnastics community. Resources For Action: https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234 https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/media-center/dismantle-white-supremacy https://www.obama.org/wp-content/uploads/Toolkit.pdf https://www.obama.org/anguish-and-action/ GYMTERNET NEWS We round up the reactions (and occasionally lack thereof) to the protests from those in the gymnastics community, including Kennedy Baker, Tia Kiaku, and Steve Butcher. Plus, what we can do in the gymnastics community, obliviousness and defensiveness, reasons there might be silence, compassion fatigue, and how there's no better time to get rid of IOC's Rule 50 against demonstrations. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 426: Body Roll Abomination 425: GymCastic Fixes Judging (Commission) 424 Emotional Abuse: The Maggie Haney Eight Year Ban Behind the Scenes: Gymnast Nicknames with Scott Bregman Behind The Scenes with coach Denis Vachon Behind the Scenes: May 15, 2020 Behind The Scenes: Exactly What is Going on With Gymnast's Special Underwear? Video Podcasts