GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

0:01:25 Headlines * Kaliya Lincoln: Olympian, or Not? * Correction/Clarification: in the U.S, the USOPC recognizes traveling alternates as Olympians, but the IOC does not. Non-traveling alternates are not officially considered Olympians. * West Virginia gymnasts did a photoshoot in a coal mine and now they have a Plunger Stick Crown [https://bsky.app/profile/gymcastic.bsky.social/post/3lfvmx2anek2h] * Rutgers head coach, Umme Salim-Beasley, on administratie leave [https://whyy.org/articles/rutgers-womens-gymnastics-coach-on-leave-report-volatile-team-environment/] after investigation. * The investigation concluded that there was an inappropriate relationship between Salim-Beasley and the former AD Pat Hobbs. * Salim-Beasley refused to answer any questions about her relationship with Pat Hobbs, a violation of her employment contract. * The gymnasts on the Rutgers team noticed things that seemed wrong with the relationship between Salim-Beasley and Pat Hobbs. * Parents and gymnasts had complaints that were not being addressed. * Pat Hobbs forwarded emails with the names of the parents and gymnasts that were complaining to Salim-Beasley. * Children at practice were unattended and running around, causing dangerous situations. * Gymnasts reported their complaints to the head coach and AD, but felt unsatisfied with the results. * Rutgers investigation stated that they are keeping records of complaints. * Avery Neff  (Utah) suffered double sprains on a rebounding pass. * Yul Moldauer (USA) has been suspended for whereabouts violations from USADA. 0:25:37 Spencer is Raising an Army of baby bloggers 0:26:58 GymCastic Updates  0:29:24 Gymternet News * The Gymnastics Canada CEO, Andrew Price, is leaving. * Donnell Whittenburg is joining EVO. 0:30:48 NCAA * Jade Carey is ranked number one in the all-around. * Brooklyn Moors competed on three events, and her vault has improved over the last two weeks. * The crowd at the Maryland meet was large and supportive. * Chae Campbell wants to be a dancer, and her floor routine is her audition tape. * Jordan Chiles finally got a 10 on bars. * The First 10's OF 2025 * * Helene Hu beam [https://youtu.be/eJv2k152Ly0?feature=shared] at Oklahoma with a Johnson (Valedez full turn to handstand) * Jordan Chiles bars at Maryland  [https://youtu.be/w2Cn-YCqDGQ?feature=shared] * Dominique Dawes went to the Maryland meet. * Simone Biles went to the Georgia meet and participated in some of the athletic traditions. 0:48:52 Corrupt or Correct * Aleah Finnegan floor routine at LSU received a 9.975, which is impossible. * She stepped back on her final pass, which was a forward landing. * A step back on a forward landing is a mandatory tenth deduction, making the score a 9.85. * Audrey Davis's beam routine received a 9.925 * She had a balance check on her aerial and soft knees throughout the routine. * Oklahoma gymnasts are very good at covering up errors with choreography. * Use choreography to gaslight the judges! * Faith Torrez's beam routine received a 9.80. * Defining built-in deductions 0:59:05 NCAA Week 3 Highlights * Riley McCusker is back on bars for Florida. * Sloane Blakely looks amazing this year. * What makes a meet entertaining versus boring. *  exhibitions, time to go or save for your favorite who can't make the lineup * Bring back phones on desks to make judges conferences shorter. * Iowa State was a beam team on Friday night. * Grace McCallum hit her routines after witnessing Avery Neff's injury. * Jaycie Ranger needs a radar gun to clock her DLO speed. 1:09:40 Where Would 90's Romanians go for ncaa gymnastics? 1:17:53 Feedback 1:22:30 Sisters in Lineups * McBride and Co sisters competed in the same lineup for Southern Utah in 2023. * The Blakely sisters being the first sisters in the same lineup for Florida since 2014 . 1:28:02 Judging News *  FIG Intercontinental Judging exam are available. * The majority of level one judges from the last cycle did not make it back to level one this cycle. * There is no U.S. judge with a level one rating (the World and Olympic rating). * Cheryl Hamilton received a level three rating.This is not the first time Cheryl Hamilton has not passed the exam for the top level. * The U.S. has a big disadvantage because there are no level one judges. * The hosts discuss how the U.S. brevet testing invitation system works and why some people have complaints about it. UP NEXT:  * College & Cocktails live Q&A podcast: Friday, January 24th * Immediately following the Meet of the Week: * Full NCAA schedule and links here [https://balancebeamsituation.com/2025-ncaa-schedule/] * Fantasy [https://gymcastic.com/fantasy/] Lineups Lock: Friday, Jan. 16 - 3:30pm   Join Club Gym Nerd [http://gymcastic.com/club] (or give it as a gift!): * * Weekly Q&A  Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/club-content/] podcast, dedications, mini-commissions [https://gymcastic.com/club/] , group commissions [https://gymcastic.com/product-category/group-commission/], exclusive extended interviews, and College & Cocktail [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/]s [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/] episodes. Plus discounts and first dibs on Live Show tickets and merch. * Exclusive VIP section on the message board Forum Join Our Fantasy League [https://gymcastic.com/fantasy/] MERCH * GymCastic Store [https://gymcastic.com/store/]: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even “tapestries” (banners [https://www.teepublic.com/tapestry/48925286-simone-freakin-biles-tapestry?ref_id=1646], the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast! * Baseball hats available now in the GymCastic store [https://gymcastic.com/store/] NEWSLETTERS * Sign up for all three GymCastic newsletters  [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/] FANTASY GAME: * * GymCastic 2025 College Fantasy Game [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-2025-college-fantasy-league/] now open. Never too late to join! THE LATEST  * College & Cocktails: Florida at LSU [https://gymcastic.com/college-cocktails-florida-at-lsu-2/] * The 5th Rotation: January 14, 2025 [https://gymcastic.com/the-5th-rotation-january-14-2025/] * Still No 10s [https://gymcastic.com/still-no-10s/] * The Ultimate 2025 NCAA Gymnastics Season Outlook [https://gymcastic.com/the-ultimate-2025-ncaa-gymnastics-season-outlook/] * College & Cocktails: Oklahoma, LSU, Cal, Utah [https://gymcastic.com/college-cocktails-oklahoma-lsu-cal-utah/]

* Anna Li and Jiani Wu have been suspended [https://www.ocregister.com/2025/01/08/anna-li-jiani-wu-suspended-by-u-s-center-for-safesport-for-abusing-athletes/] after a six year investigation * We have an update on Ella Zirbes (Utah) floor incident [https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-utes/2025/01/11/why-utah-gymnasts-were-frustrated/]. * Olympic floor medalist, Ana Barbosu (ROM) is headed to Stanford. * The Sprouts Meet: Oklahoma vs. LSU and Leanne Wong taking the AA crown. * Plus the return of all the elites around the NCAA to competition. * Q&A When is it a bail and when is it an overshoot? * Corrupt or Correct: Should it get credit -  back pikes, 2 foot back layouts and layout pikes on beam. * A Mini-Commission [https://gymcastic.com/product/world-champion-level/] on the Best UCLA Choreography of all time. * Kim Hamilton [https://youtu.be/R44rsRNR0Sc?feature=shared], Chae Campbell [https://youtu.be/5i0S8GtF6QM?feature=shared], Ariana Berlin, [https://youtu.be/wpXCRLi1jNk?feature=shared&t=18] Stella Umeh [https://youtu.be/A5cqZEcNvio?feature=shared], Yvonne Tousek [https://youtu.be/uPyK7RQa4CI?feature=shared&t=44],  Nia Dennis [https://youtu.be/UYZ4GvoZih8?feature=shared], Sophina De Jesus [https://youtu.be/GTIwOHQ_udg?feature=shared], Kristina Comforte [https://youtu.be/RORHhzmFPMM?feature=shared&t=11], Leah Homma, [https://youtu.be/PETSoEs73UQ?feature=shared&t=59] Katlyn Ohashi [https://youtu.be/4ic7RNS4Dfo?feature=shared], Brittney McCullough, [https://youtu.be/WZttjfJ_m4E?feature=shared&t=46] Alison Stoner [https://youtu.be/F_I8gqmmRX4?feature=shared&t=8] * NEXT PODCAST: College & Cocktails -  Friday at 6:15pm PT after Florida/LSU * Full NCAA schedule and links here [https://balancebeamsituation.com/2025-ncaa-schedule/] Join Club Gym Nerd [http://gymcastic.com/club] (or give it as a gift!): * * Weekly Q&A  Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/club-content/] podcast, dedications, mini-commissions [https://gymcastic.com/club/] , group commissions [https://gymcastic.com/product-category/group-commission/], exclusive extended interviews, and College & Cocktail [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/]s [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/] episodes. Plus discounts and first dibs on Live Show tickets and merch. * Exclusive VIP section on the message board Forum UP NEXT:  * College & Cocktails: Friday, January 17 6:15pm PT * Meet of the week: Florida @ LSU (ESPN 2) * Fantasy Lineups Lock: Thursday, Jan. 16 - 3:30pm Join Our Fantasy League [https://gymcastic.com/fantasy/] MORE GOODIES: * * GymCastic newsletters  [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/] * College & (M)Cocktails menu [https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/2728/] * GymCastic Fantasy Games [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-2025-college-fantasy-league/] * * Baseball hats available now in the GymCastic store [https://gymcastic.com/store/]GymCastic Store [https://gymcastic.com/store/]: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even “tapestries” (banners [https://www.teepublic.com/tapestry/48925286-simone-freakin-biles-tapestry?ref_id=1646], the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast!

Interview: Luisa Blanco (48:17) NCAA champion for Alabama, Colombian Olympian and Paris all-around finalist talks about her career and what's next. In this week's interview we discuss: * Her next chapter in gymnastics * Growing up at WOGA * What her parents did to afford gymnastics * Her most embarrassing fall of all time * Learning a Patterson * Why she went elite and what she learned about herself * Details about her shoulder injury * The Paris Olympic experience Gymternet News * German gymnasts are speaking up [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/mehr-sport/tabea-alts-vorwuerfe-hat-der-turner-bund-hinweise-zu-missbrauch-ignoriert-110201009.html] about abusive coaching practices. (2:31) * Oceanside quad meet's organizational disaster and the 2019 article in Variety [https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/gamers-choice-awards-lawsuit-2-1203101452/] detailing a lawsuit against the organizer. * We said goodbye to Olympic great and holocaust survivor, Agnes Keleti. Watch her gorgeous beam routine under trees. [https://youtu.be/c6ldo3YHYug?feature=shared&t=14] Week 1 Meet News * Jessica and Spencer attended the American Gold Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Classic in Oceanside, CA and share their impressions * How Jade Carey, even after all her success, continues to improve * The return of Brooklyn Moors to three events * Cal's steady performance to open the season * Reactions to the scoring and Score Board from Cal co-head coach, Justin Howell (27:02) * Ondine Achampong (Cal/GB) on adjusting to life at Berkeley and her ACL recovery (46:26) Join Club Gym Nerd [http://gymcastic.com/club] (or give it as a gift!): * * Weekly Q&A  Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/club-content/] podcast, dedications, mini-commissions [https://gymcastic.com/club/] , group commissions [https://gymcastic.com/product-category/group-commission/], exclusive extended interviews, and College & Cocktail [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/]s [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/] episodes. Plus discounts and first dibs on Live Show tickets and merch. * Exclusive VIP section on the message board Forum * More goodies: * GymCastic newsletters  [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/] * College & (M)Cocktails menu [https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/2728/] * GymCastic Fantasy Games [https://gymcastic.com/fantasy-2024-us-classic/] * GymCastic Store [https://gymcastic.com/store/]: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even “tapestries” (banners [https://www.teepublic.com/tapestry/48925286-simone-freakin-biles-tapestry?ref_id=1646], the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast! * Baseball hats available now in the GymCastic store [https://gymcastic.com/store/] RELATED * * Things You Only Know if You Are A Gymnast [https://gymcastic.com/386-things-you-only-know-if-youre-a-gymnast-with-bram-verhofstad-commissioned/] * Growing Up at Round Lake [https://gymcastic.com/episode-17-growing-up-in-the-soviet-gymnastics-system-and-training-at-round-lake/] * Behind The Scenes: every Friday find them all here [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/behind-the-scenes/] * Behind The Scenes: GOAT Tour & Jordan's Swiss Appeal [https://gymcastic.com/behind-the-scenes-goat-tour-jordan-case/] COMMISSIONED EPISODES * * The FluffCast [https://gymcastic.com/258-the-fluff-cast-commissioned/] * Gymnastics Dumest Rules  [https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-dumbest-rules/] * GymKata starring Kurt Thomas [https://gymcastic.com/gymkata/] * A Quitters Try: The CNN Parkettes Documentary  [https://gymcastic.com/best-of-gymcastic-a-quitters-try-the-cnn-parkettes-documentary/] * The Leotard Episode [https://gymcastic.com/the-leotard-episode/] * Uncle Tim's Mythbusters [https://gymcastic.com/uncle-tims-mythbusters/] * Find them all here [https://gymcastic.com/category/episode/commissions/]

WATCH REPLAY for a limited time only! [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-in-portland-with-special-guest-mohini-bhardwaj/]  GET MOHINI LIVE SHOW REPLAY NOW! [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-in-portland-with-special-guest-mohini-bhardwaj/] Gymnastics' Dumbest Rules (Best of GymCastic) Recorded in June 2023. We’re calling out the worst, stupidest, most self-defeating and awkward rules and conventions in gymnastics, starting with... * Leotard Rules - aka the Olympics of regulating women's bodies * Venture with us to a world where "elegant," "proper," and "modest" are all words found in the official rule book of a competitive sport in the year 2023—and breasts are expressly prohibited * Why Is Gymnastics Still the Military? * Saluting and lining up in front of the generals for inspection? Where are we? (with a Simone Paris update) * The Apparatus World Cup of Stupidity * From the assumption that all women are the same height, to what the FIG considers to be "undisciplined and abusive behavior," to that thing where a double front doesn't fulfill the front tumbling requirement, we take on the worst rules on each event * Rules Mythbusters * Things someone (usually Martha) pretended were rules, and everyone believed it, but they actually aren't * Plus, they may not be rules, but some old-fashioned and infantile gymnastics conventions are on our list! JOIN CLUB GYM NERD * Join Club Gym Nerd [http://gymcastic.com/club] (or give it as a gift!) for access to weekly Behind the Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/club-content/] episodes. * Club Gym Nerd members [http://gymcastic.com/club] can watch the podcast being recorded and see some of the gymnastics we discuss, plus get access to all of our exclusive interviews and Behind The Scenes episodes. * Not sure about joining the club?  College & Cocktails [https://gymcastic.com/college-cocktails-lsu-at-utah/]: The Friday Night NCAA Gymnastics Post-Meet Show is available to sample (even if you aren't a Club Gym Nerd member yet). Watch or listen here [https://gymcastic.com/college-cocktails-lsu-at-utah/]. * Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here [http://gymcastic.com/store/#.VkvSaq6rRE4]. RELATED EPISODES & RESOURCES * Behind The Scenes: * The Bladder [https://gymcastic.com/behind-the-scenes-thebladder/] * Suni's Home [https://gymcastic.com/sunis-home/] * Sportsball Straight Breaks News [https://gymcastic.com/behind-the-scenes-sportsball-straight-breaks-news/] * Steve Butcher Interview [https://gymcastic.com/139-steve-butcher-president-of-the-fig-mens-technical-committee/] * Asian Championships & Worlds Qualification [https://gymcastic.com/road-to-paris-asian-championships-worlds-qualification/] * 1984 Fight: Olympics vs Olomouc [https://gymcastic.com/1984-fight-olympic-games-vs-olomouc-friendship-games/] * She Was Robbed! [https://gymcastic.com/she-was-robbed-gymnastics-biggest-medal-thefts/] * Mexico's Moment [https://gymcastic.com/mexicos-moment/] * Logistical Sweating & the Emma Spence Interview [https://gymcastic.com/logistical-sweating-the-emma-spence-interview/] * History's Best Beam Routines [https://gymcastic.com/historys-best-beam-routines/] * Gymnastics Mythbusters 4.0 [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastics-gymnastics-mythbusters-4-0/] * Romanian Gymnastics Secret Police Files [https://gymcastic.com/project-k-operation-olympia/] * Project K Episode 2 [https://gymcastic.com/project-k-episode-2-interview-with-nadia-the-secret-police-author-dr-stejarel-olaru-part-two/] * Project K Episode 1 [https://gymcastic.com/project-k-interview-with-nadia-the-secret-police-author-dr-stejarel-olaru/] * Gymnastics History [https://www.gymnastics-history.com] and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim * The Highest D and E scores from The Gymternet [https://thegymter.net/2023/03/14/the-best-scores-in-2023-march-update/] MORE WAYS TO LISTEN HERE [https://linktr.ee/gymcastic]

WATCH REPLAY for a limited time only! [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-in-portland-with-special-guest-mohini-bhardwaj/]  MOHINI LIVE SHOW! [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-in-portland-with-special-guest-mohini-bhardwaj/] Headlines * Finally: Utah brought in a live piano * Jordan Chiles did a genius farewell last ever performance of her bronze medal winning floor routine * Kentucky had a proposal at their instrasuqad * Rhys McClenaghan on Dancing with the Stars * We have a New Skill Alert [https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8VGcf3utCv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==] Interview: Vanessa Zamarripa Stunt woman, author, NCAA Champion, national team member while in college, first U.S. woman to ever successfully compete a Cheng tells us about her career and her new children's book, Mia and the Win From Within [https://a.co/d/2KJB0Vj]. Zam also shares her best advice for other gymnasts or athletes looking to break into the stunt world and what skills she recommend they sharpen up on. Gymternet News * The FIG announced an increase to the number of athletes competing in the 2025 world championships in Jakarta, Indonesia *  It was also announced that the 2027 Worlds will be hosted in Chendu, China * Illia Kovtun is leaving Ukraine for Croatia * Hezly Rivera expressed her intentions [https://olympics.com/en/news/olympic-champion-hezly-rivera-eyes-2025-worlds-la-2028-olympic-games] of competing a full elite quad * WCC announced new coaches * Monica Phelps has died * ‪The Japan Gymnastics Association has decided [//english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/12/2c2860151732-gymnastics-no-penalty-for-japanese-gymnast-in-underage-drinking-case.html] not to “penalize” Shoko Maya * Utah NCAA Champion, Jayden Rucker, is out * Follow up: Arrest of Matthew Shriver, co-owner of Everest Gymnastics in New Jersey * Are we getting a mixed event in the 2028 Olympics? Join Club Gym Nerd [http://gymcastic.com/club] (or give it as a gift!): * * Weekly Q&A  Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/club-content/] podcast, mini-commissions [https://gymcastic.com/club/] , group commissions [https://gymcastic.com/product-category/group-commission/], exclusive extended interviews, and College & Cocktail [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/]s [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/] episodes during NCAA season. Discounts and first dibs on Live Show tickets and merch. Exclusive VIP section on the message board forum. * More goodies: * GymCastic newsletters  [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/] * College & (M)Cocktails menu [https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/2728/] * GymCastic Fantasy Games [https://gymcastic.com/fantasy-2024-us-classic/] * GymCastic Store [https://gymcastic.com/store/]: clothing and gifts to let your gym nerd flag fly and even “tapestries” (banners [https://www.teepublic.com/tapestry/48925286-simone-freakin-biles-tapestry?ref_id=1646], the perfect to display in an arena) to support your favorite gymnast! * Baseball hats available now in the GymCastic store [https://gymcastic.com/store/] RELATED * * Gift Guide * Slaying the Trolls! Why the Trolls are Very, Very Wrong About Women and Sport [https://a.co/d/fjCxvlG]s * Andrea Joyce's gymnastics picture book [https://a.co/d/hgi3W0e] * Mia and the Win From Within [https://a.co/d/2KJB0Vj] * The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles [https://a.co/d/5O8AhZe] by Aimee Boorman * Jordan Chiles book [https://a.co/d/2m5xOSk] * Maggie Nichols book  [https://a.co/d/0Kcz3y7] * Behind The Scenes: every Friday find them all here [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/behind-the-scenes/] * Behind The Scenes: GOAT Tour & Jordan's Swiss Appeal [https://gymcastic.com/behind-the-scenes-goat-tour-jordan-case/] COMMISSIONED EPISODES * * The FluffCast [https://gymcastic.com/258-the-fluff-cast-commissioned/] * Gymnastics Dumest Rules  [https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-dumbest-rules/] * GymKata starring Kurt Thomas [https://gymcastic.com/gymkata/] * A Quitters Try: The CNN Parkettes Documentary  [https://gymcastic.com/best-of-gymcastic-a-quitters-try-the-cnn-parkettes-documentary/] * The Leotard Episode [https://gymcastic.com/the-leotard-episode/] * Uncle Tim's Mythbusters [https://gymcastic.com/uncle-tims-mythbusters/] * Find them all here [https://gymcastic.com/category/episode/commissions/] Image courtesy of Utah Gymnastics; Illustration: Steve Cooper