GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

Judge Breaks Silence: "There's no real accountability system"

"They're guessing." 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 [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-ncaa-championships/] 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 [https://gymcastic.com/2026/03/] 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 SUPPORT THE SHOW: Join Club Gym Nerd: gymcastic.com/club [https://gymcastic.com/club/]

2026 Fantasy Gymnastics Update - NCAA Week 11

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 12 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ [https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/] Week 12 Lineups lock on Friday, March 20 at 10:45am PT 00:00 Intro 00:58:22 Roster Bargains 01:16 Roster Bargains - All-Around 03:26 Roster Bargains - Vault 05:50 Roster Bargains - Bars 07:40 Roster Bargains - Beam 09:53 GymCastic Updates 11:33 Roster Bargains - Floor 14:51 League Leaders 15:16 10.0 Deals 16:05 League Stats This Week's College & Cocktails: March 21 after Conference Championships. Join us at 7:00pm PT

Exclusive: New USAG President Kyle Albrecht's First Interview + NCAA AA Debate

British Gymnastics has suspended its trampoline high performance program amid athlete safety concerns—Jessica sat down with new USA Gymnastics President Kyle Albrecht to talk about athlete safety, the future of the sport, and the GAGE suspension. HEADLINES * British Gymnastics Suspends Trampoline High Performance Program GYMTERNET NEWS * Iowa State gymnastics alumni start raising money [https://www.change.org/p/reinstate-the-gymnastics-program-at-iowa-state-university] 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 [https://tickets.la28.org]. * Aimee Boorman is no longer working with the Germans [https://www.sportschau.de/regional/swr/swr-nicht-funktioniert-wie-gewuenscht-dtb-und-trainerin-aimee-boorman-beenden-zusammenarbeit-100.html] * Tickets for the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships [https://usagym.org/single-day-tickets-now-on-sale-for-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 [https://www.bbc.com/sport/gymnastics/articles/c2e49380l28o] * Livvy Dunne joins Fox's 'Baywatch' in a recurring role [https://deadline.com/2026/03/livvy-dunne-baywatch-cast-fox-gymnast-influencer-1236748987/] GymCastic Exclusive: New USA Gymnastics CEO Kyle Albrecht's First Interview * 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 NCAA * 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 [https://gymcastic.com/college-cocktails-utah-at-ucla-with-special-guests/] 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, CHAPTERS 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 UP NEXT * Fantasy Gymnastics podcast [https://gymcastic.com/tag/fantasy-gymnastics/] every Wednesday * College & Cocktails [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/]: after SEC Championship session 2 on Sat at 7:00 Pacific * 2026 Cocktail and Cocktail menu here [https://gymcastic.com/community/dossiers-downloads/2026-college-cocktails-menu-single-file/] SUPPORT OUR WORK * Club Gym Nerd: J [https://gymcastic.com/club/]oin Here [https://gymcastic.com/club/] * Merch: Shop Now [https://gymcastic.com/shop/] * Fantasy: 2026 College Fantasy Game [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-2026-college-fantasy-league/] now open with weekly winners * Games [https://gymcastic.com/games/] * Podcast Tour Tickets * Replay tickets on sale [https://gymcastic.com/2025-winter-gymcastic-live-show/] for our fundraiser show with all the tea from Cecile Landi * 2026 Live Show Season Pass [https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/] is now available, 4 shows for the price of 3 * Newsletters [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/] * The Balance Beam Situation [https://balancebeamsituation.com/]: Spencer's GIF Code of Points * Gymnastics History [https://www.gymnastics-history.com/] and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim * Resistance Resources [https://gymcastic.com/resistance-resources/]

2026 Fantasy Gymnastics Update - NCAA Week 10

Your fantasy gymnastics update as you enter week 11 of the 2026 NCAA season: who's a steal, who's on a bye, who's competing twice, who's a bargain and much more. Season Pass on sale now: https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/ [https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/] Week 11 Lineups lock at noon on Thursday, March 12 at 3:15pm PT 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

China Dominates the New Mixed Team Format + USAG Pulls Out of World Cups

China wins the first-ever Mixed Team American Cup using the new LA28 Olympic format—and the result might reveal a major flaw in the event design. 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 [https://China%20wins%20the%20first-ever%20Mixed%20Team%20American%20Cup%20using%20the%20new%20LA28%20Olympic%20format%E2%80%94and%20the%20result%20might%20reveal%20a%20major%20flaw%20in%20the%20event%20design.%20If%20women%20only%20need%20bars%20and%20beam%20to%20win,%20was%20this%20competition%20basically%20built%20for%20China?%20%20We%20break%20down%20how%20the%20three-round%20elimination%20format%20worked,%20why%20some%20teams%20advanced%20despite%20falls,%20and%20what%20strategies%20teams%20used%20when%20choosing%20apparatus.%20%20Plus,%20data%20analyst%20and%20figure%20skating%20official%20Dr.%20Elliot%20Schwartz%20joins%20the%20show%20to%20explain%20the%20strategy%20behind%20the%20format,%20whether%20teams%20should%20be%20allowed%20to%20change%20lineups%20mid-competition,%20and%20what%20gymnastics%20could%20learn%20from%20figure%20skating%E2%80%99s%20scoring%20system%20and%20judging%20transparency.] 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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-schwartz-3491852] 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 UP NEXT * Fantasy Gymnastics podcast [https://gymcastic.com/tag/fantasy-gymnastics/] every Wednesday * College & Cocktails [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/college-cocktails/]: Utah at UCLA on Sat at 9:30ish * 2026 Cocktail and Mocktail menu here [https://gymcastic.com/community/dossiers-downloads/2026-college-cocktails-menu-single-file/] SUPPORT OUR WORK * Club Gym Nerd: J [https://gymcastic.com/club/]oin Here [https://gymcastic.com/club/] * Fantasy: 2026 College Fantasy Game [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-2026-college-fantasy-league/] now open with weekly winners * Merch: Shop Now [https://gymcastic.com/shop/] * Podcast Tour Tickets * Replay tickets on sale [https://gymcastic.com/2025-winter-gymcastic-live-show/] for our fundraiser show with all the tea from Cecile Landi * 2026 Live Show Season Pass [https://gymcastic.com/2026-gymcastic-live-shows-season-pass/] is now available, 4 shows for the price of 3 * Thank you to our sponsor Huel Limited Time Offer – Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with code GYMCASTIC15 at huel.com/GYMCASTIC15. New Customers Only. * Newsletters [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/] * The Balance Beam Situation [https://balancebeamsituation.com/]: Spencer's GIF Code of Points * Gymnastics History [https://www.gymnastics-history.com/] and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim * Resistance Resources [https://gymcastic.com/resistance-resources/]