GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

The Pantheon of Gymnastics: The Greatest Routines of All Time (COMMISSION)

What are the greatest gymnastics routines ever performed? This commissioned episode [https://gymcastic.com/club/] takes on an impossible challenge: building the Pantheon of Gymnastics. Jessica and Spencer debate the most iconic vaults, bars routines, beam masterpieces, and floor exercises across every era—from Olesia Dudnik, Yang Bo, and Kim Gwang Suk to Simone Biles, Rebeca Andrade, Kaylia Nemour, and Sunisa Lee. Along the way they revisit the artistry of 1989 Worlds, the greatest NCAA floor routines ever performed, and the unforgettable performances that defined generations of gymnastics fans. REFERENCE VIDEOS * Vanessa Atler's double-twisting Yurchenko [https://youtu.be/gST9NLYcYOA?si=jvupoOuN9opd88L3&t=46] from 1999 * Mo Huilan's iconic typewriter floor routine [https://youtu.be/kOqvXkwez-A?si=RoCqphxCoQwvmaof&t=3] from 1994 * Produnova's tango floor routine [https://youtu.be/1F8zGzzAeVU?si=SCx6ljhN41EKsxJp] with a freakin' double-arabian punch front!! * Jesus Rivera proving why Cuba was at the forefront of artistry [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF1Ev0ytVQP/?hl=en] i * Lashenova on why the Soviets weren't messing around with artistry [https://youtu.be/ezcSL-ZhgRU?si=LIrwOr-IIFROmdOf&t=10] * Can you even bring pain of a nation if you don't have a sad violin? Natalia Frolova [https://youtu.be/fJU6weWsOsE?si=NX3G66JJqiw1g-bx&t=41], Brooklyn Moors, and Leah Homma [https://youtu.be/PETSoEs73UQ?si=yL40NUC7ZbP1dhQ9&t=13] CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction & Commission Brief 02:12 VAULT: Greatest Vaults Ever 07:16 Simone's YDP 09:29 Andrade's Cheng 10:56 The Amanar Debate 12:12 Best DTYs 15:27 Shannon Miller's Yurchenko Full 16:18 Greatest Rudis 17:38 Yang Yun's Flying Jesus Vault 18:13 Produnova, Yulo & Davtyan 23:11 BARS: Greatest Bars Routines Ever 25:47 Kim Gwang Suk 28:04 Amy Chow Appreciation 29:04 He Kexin's Beijing Masterpiece 32:06 Beth Tweddle 34:00 Mustafina 42:35 BEAM: Greatest Beam Routines Ever 42:42 Dudnik & Yang Bo 44:10 Li Li & Ke Qinqin 46:39 Gutsu & Lysenko 48:43 Kui Yuanyuan 50:30 Fan Ye 53:01 Soviet Beam Greats 56:04 Anna Pavlova 59:40 Komova & Flavia 01:03:07 Sanne Wevers 01:06:10 Zhou Yaqin & Zhang Qingying 01:09:01 Why Simone isn't the beam GOAT 01:11:12 FLOOR: Greatest Floor Routines Ever 01:11:29 Podkopayeva & Omelianchik 01:14:16 Dominique Moceanu 01:16:39 Mo Huilan's Typewriter Routine 01:17:01 Elena Produnova 01:18:03 Jesús Rivera 01:20:45 Céline van Gerner & Eythora 01:23:02 The Legendary 1989 Worlds Floor Session 01:30:17 Simone Biles 01:31:18 Vanessa Ferrari 01:33:22 Rebeca Andrade 01:33:56 Pain of a Nation: Greatest Choreography 01:38:21 Dobre, Filatova & Petrik 01:41:34 NCAA Floor Pantheon RELATED EPISODES * 252: Myths, Legends and Unexpected Moments in Gymnastics History [https://gymcastic.com/252-myths-legends-and-unexpected-moments-in-gymnastics-history-commissioned/] * 258: The Fluff Cast [https://gymcastic.com/258-the-fluff-cast-commissioned/] * 312: 4th Is the New 1st [https://gymcastic.com/312-4th-is-the-new-1st-commissioned/] * 313: Best Floor Routines EVAH! [https://gymcastic.com/313-best-floor-routines-evah-commissioned/] * History's Best Beam Routines [https://gymcastic.com/historys-best-beam-routines/] UP NEXT * Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/behind-the-scenes/] Fridays at noon Pacific SUPPORT OUR WORK * Club Gym Nerd: J [https://gymcastic.com/club/]oin Here [https://gymcastic.com/club/] * Merch: Shop Now [https://gymcastic.com/shop/] * Newsletters [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/] * The Balance Beam Situation [https://balancebeamsituation.com/]: Spencer's GIF Code of Points * Resistance Resources [https://gymcastic.com/resistance-resources/]

Elite Summer 2026: The New World Order

Elite summer is officially here and GymCastic is breaking down the state of the art in gymnastics heading into the 2026 season. We discuss Simone Biles revealing she "almost died," Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos' emotional return to competition in France, and the gymnasts currently setting the global standard on vault, bars, beam and floor. From Kaylia Nemour's historic bars work to Hezly Rivera leading the all-around rankings, we analyze what it actually takes to contend for World medals in 2026. Plus: French Nationals artistry deductions, NCAA news, and the latest gymternet controversies. SUPPORT OUR WORK * Club Gym Nerd: J [https://gymcastic.com/club/]oin Here [https://gymcastic.com/club/] * Merch: Shop Now [https://gymcastic.com/shop/] * Games [https://gymcastic.com/games/] * Podcast Tour Tickets [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-ncaa-championships/] * 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/] SHOW NOTES Simone Biles shared that she "almost died" in what she called one of the scariest experiences of her life. Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos returned to exhibition competition at French Nationals for the first time since the Paris Olympics, performing floor and discussing her recovery and renewal in Martinique. French Nationals introduced separately listed artistry deductions in live scoring — the future is now. Elena Colas won the French all-around title with a 54.250 and continues her rapid rise as one of the top new seniors in the world. We break down the current world leaders on every apparatus and discuss: • Why Kaylia Nemour is redefining bars • Why Hezly Rivera is currently the all-around world leader • What makes beam composition "state of the art" • Why vault scoring may be changing • What separates a 14 floor routine from a 13 in 2026 GYMTERNET NEWS • Utah gymnastics Ghana trip controversy discussion • NCAA age-rule proposal update • New proposed NIL restrictions in Congress • Texas abortion laws and athlete healthcare concerns • Sam Oldham's charity comeback routine • Jackson Harrison Achilles injury • Emma Slevin transfers to Arkansas • Coaching updates across NCAA • Gymnastics Australia concussion investigation CHAPTERS 00:00 Simone Biles' scary health news 01:21 Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos returns at French Nationals 08:30 French Nationals artistry deductions revolution 09:25 Elena Colas wins French Nationals 17:02 Elite Summer 2026 begins 18:08 All-Around World Leaders: Hezly Rivera vs Kaylia Nemour 27:12 Vault world leaders and why vaulting has changed 35:30 Bars: Why Kaylia Nemour is redefining gymnastics 49:05 Beam world leaders and Chinese beam excellence 1:02:02 Floor exercise: what makes a 14 in 2026? 1:10:18 Gymternet News 1:16:04 NCAA age rule proposal explained 1:19:08 New NIL bill and athlete pay debate 1:21:29 Texas abortion laws and athlete safety concerns 1:23:00 Sam Oldham's charity comeback routine 1:24:01 Jackson Harrison injury and Emma Slevin transfer 1:24:33 NCAA rules and laws limiting athlete income 1:25:58 Australia concussion investigation UP NEXT * Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/behind-the-scenes/] Fridays at noon Pacific

The Rivalries We Never Got: How to Fix Gymnastics

Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade are two of the greatest gymnasts in history. Yet they competed against each other just five times in nine years! In this episode, we tackle what may be gymnastics' biggest structural problem: the world's best athletes rarely get the chance to face each other. We propose a complete overhaul of the competition system, including world rankings, federation-free qualification pathways, athlete-controlled careers, an elite season, and fan-voted wild cards. We also explore how sports like tennis, the WNBA, and other professional leagues handle competition, athlete compensation, data rights, and fan engagement—and what gymnastics can learn from them. Plus, we discuss real-time scoring technology, VR and AR viewing experiences, digital-twin technology, and other innovations that could modernize the sport and make gymnastics easier to follow for fans around the world. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro: Revolutionizing Gymnastics 01:01 – HEADLINES Texas State Adds D1 Gymnastics 03:13 – Canadian Championships & Ellie Black 07:07 – Koper Cup Chaos 14:04 – Behind The Scenes: Sharks, Dysentery & Club Gym Nerd 16:32 – Gymternet News: Texas Coach Indicted, DA looking for suvivors 17:38 – Simone Biles Is Still 50/50 21:18 – Ukrainian Gymnastics Protest Campaign 22:23 – Denver's Achilles Injury Research 24:09 – Florida's Singapore Tour 25:35 – Nadia's 50-Year Perfect 10 Celebration 26:54 – Michigan Men Get a New Facility 27:28 – Gymnaestrada Comes to Las Vegas 28:59 – New Pakistan Gymnastics Documentary 30:25 – 1984 U.S. Men's Team Documentary 33:08 – Iranian Women Win Historic Medal 33:47 – Melanie & Rebeca Return Updates 34:25 – Revolutionizing Gymnastics: How We Fix The Sport 34:45 – The Problem: The Best Gymnasts Never Compete 37:19 – Simone vs Rebeca: Only 5 Times in 9 Years 39:17 – When World-Class Athletes Get Left Home 42:06 – Why Federations Have Too Much Power 47:02 – Borrowing the Tennis Model 50:34 – Rankings, Injuries & Athlete Autonomy 54:24 – Wild Cards System 56:26 – Fixing Judging with Technology 58:26 – Make Scores Understandable 01:01:12 – Real-Time Skill Tracking & Data Visualization 01:01:39 – AR, AI & Digital-Twin Technology 01:03:29 – VR Front-Row Seats for Every Fan 01:09:01 – Alternative Broadcasts & Fan Engagement 01:14:06 – How Gymnasts Should Actually Get Paid 01:16:39 – Athlete Unions, Data Rights & Ownership 01:22:40 – The WNBA Model for Athlete Bio Data 01:24:38 – Designing the Perfect Competition System 01:27:12 – Turning Olympic Viewers Into Real Fans 01:34:15 – Listener Question: Biles I vs Dos Santos

Behind The Scenes: Spy Databases, Georgia's Power Move, Konnor McClain's Health Warning

BONUS Welcome to Behind The Scenes: Secrets of The Podcast We are enjoying a well earned break this week. But we'd never leave you without the news. Here is a little bonus of our weekly Q&A show for Club Gym Nerd members, where we answer your questions live. To listen or watch the full episode login here. [https://gymcastic.com/behind-the-scenes-graduation-tales/] Here's how to ask questions live [https://gymcastic.com/community/club-member-area-club-member-area-member-far/#post-89]. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here [https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/89/]). Not a member? Join here [https://gymcastic.com/club/]. GymCastic Live: Featuring Chae Campbell Replay tickets available → Get tickets here [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-ncaa-championships/] CHAPTERS 00:00 – Behind the Scenes Intro & Che Campbell Replay 01:28 – Georgia News: Laurent Landi Officially Joins Cecile 01:53 – Joscelyn Roberson Transfers to Georgia 05:02 – Which WCC Gymnast Could Follow to Georgia? 07:42 – Konnor McClain's Post-NCAA Season Health Update 11:47 – Chuso at Tashkent & World Gymnastics Score Problems 13:11 – Japan's Worlds Team Heartbreak 15:09 – Worlds Qualification Rules & Rotterdam Tickets 17:00 – U.S. Pan Ams Team Announced 19:06 – Claire Pease's Cheng: Real or Not Yet? 20:42 – GymCastic Updates: Games, Referrals & Merch Sale 22:52 – Liverpool Gets 2030 Worlds 23:21 – Melanie de Jesus dos Santos Returns 25:33 – Melnikova's U.S. Gym Tour 26:14 – Chinese Nationals Beam Queen News 27:35 – Kidney Transplant Update & Sam Oldham Spy Database Follow-Up [https://gymcastic.com/olympic-bronze-medalist-sam-oldham-on-gymnastics-politics-spies-athlete-welfare/] 30:15 – Goodbye to Regular Listeners / Club Gym Nerd BTS Begins 31:24 – Jessica's Graduation Trip to Boston 32:47 – Tufts Graduation Week & Boston Pops 33:57 – Baccalaureate, Jumbos & Tufts Civic Duty 36:17 – AI as a Weapon & Graduation Speeches 38:22 – Plane Seat Hell & Back Row Bathroom Life 40:43 – The Overmedicated Seatmate 42:45 – Cape Cod, Jaws & Great White Shark Warnings 45:59 – Provincetown, Mayflower Money & Gayborhood History 47:04 – The Giant Ship Inside the Library 47:42 – Airbnb Disaster: Wet Dog Smell, Mold & Mineral Deposits 50:54 – Eurovision, Sweden & Body-Part Grammar 54:12 – New Zealand Gymnastics Jail Explained 56:36 – Can College Gymnasts Train Year-Round? 58:42 – What Happens to Competition Equipment? 60:00 – EVO Gymnastics, Men's Training Centers & Funding 62:40 – Does Florida's Elite Focus Hurt NCAA Titles? 64:20 – Why WAG Needs an EVO-Style Model 65:03 – Resistance News & Legal Wins 67:02 – Wrap-Up, Sam Oldham Extended Interview & Memorial Day Sign-Off RELATED * Sam Oldham Interivew [https://gymcastic.com/olympic-bronze-medalist-sam-oldham-on-gymnastics-politics-spies-athlete-welfare/] - Jpanese gymnastics spy network * Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/behind-the-scenes/] - Fridays at noon pacific SUPPORT OUR WORK * Club Gym Nerd: J [https://gymcastic.com/club/]oin Here [https://gymcastic.com/club/] * Merch: Shop Now [https://gymcastic.com/shop/] * Gymnastics Games Suite [https://gymcastic.com/games/] * 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/] Unlock the Episode 1. Join Club Gym Nerd → Choose a plan [https://www.gymcastic.com/club] 2. Complete checkout — your site account is created. 3. Log in here → /my-account/ [https://gymcastic.com/my-account/] 4. Return to this page and refresh. The extended player appears automatically

Olympic Bronze Medalist Sam Oldham on Gymnastics Politics, Spies & Athlete Welfare

Olympic bronze medalist Sam Oldham joins Jessica for a conversation about his personal Japanese Gymnastics Spy, mental health, ADHD, grace and letting coaches learn rather than be cancelled, sports science failures, NCAA gymnastics, and life after the 2012 Summer Olympics. From injury prevention and athlete autonomy to judging politics and storytelling in gymnastics media, this episode dives deep into how the sport is changing — and where it still falls short. Club Gym Nerd [https://gymcastic.com/club/] members, login for the extended version almost 2 hrs long. Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here [https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/89/]). Tip: After logging in [https://gymcastic.com/my-account/], refresh the podcast page and the extended player will appear. Not a member? Join here [https://gymcastic.com/club/]. GymCastic Live: Featuring Chae CampbellReplay tickets available → Get tickets here [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-ncaa-championships/] SAM OLDHAM INTERVIEW * British gymnastics legend Sam Oldham is here, and yes, we're going to talk about everything from winning Great Britain's historic (first in 100 years) bronze medal at the London Olympics that changed everything for British Gymnastics, to the chaos, comedy, and emotional whiplash of elite gymnastics life. Sam brings the rare combination of competition accolades, deep gym nerd-student credentials, and the kind of honesty about athlete culture that makes you gasp-laugh and then immediately need a therapy session. We discuss the pressure cooker of British Gymnastics, his friendship and love for his coach, surviving weight-obsessed culture he swore he would never succumb to, and being followed by a Japanese gymnastics spy! * Login [https://gymcastic.com/my-account/] to reveal the extended version on the website. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro & Why Sam Oldham's Story Matters 02:15 – The Reality of Funding Men's Gymnastics 06:40 – Building Relationships That Save Careers 10:12 – Live Show Replay & Club Gym Nerd Perks 16:11 – Sam Oldham on Coaching Wisdom & Sergei's Influence 22:45 – Why Gymnastics Breaks So Many Athletes 28:33 – Neurodiversity, Burnout & Life After Elite Sports 36:20 – The Pressure of Being "Perfect" as an Athlete 44:08 – Mental Health, Identity & Retirement from Gymnastics 52:14 – British Gymnastics Culture vs NCAA Energy 01:01:32 – Training Through Pain & Learning to Fuel Properly 01:08:45 – Eating Disorders, Fasting & Dangerous Training Culture 01:15:24 – Has Gymnastics Culture Actually Changed? 01:22:50 – Why Athletes Need Control of Their Own Narrative 01:30:57 – Speaking Out Against Harmful Coaching 01:33:44 – Cancel Culture, Grace & Learning in Coaching 01:40:10 – Why Storytelling Changes Gymnastics Culture 01:44:59 – The Japanese Gymnastics "Spy Network" Story 01:48:18 – FIG Studying NCAA Gymnastics & the Future of Pro Leagues UP NEXT * Behind The Scenes [https://gymcastic.com/category/club-content/behind-the-scenes/] Fridays at noon Pacific (next one May 22nd) SUPPORT OUR WORK * Club Gym Nerd: J [https://gymcastic.com/club/]oin Here [https://gymcastic.com/club/] * Merch: Shop Now [https://gymcastic.com/shop/] * Games [https://gymcastic.com/games/] * Podcast Tour Tickets [https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-ncaa-championships/] * 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/] * Thank you to this week's sponsor StoryWorth: Order right now and save up to $20 at STORYWORTH.com/gymcastic [http://STORYWORTH.com/gymcastic]