Gymcastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

M'rcy Matsunami (Univ. of Alaska) has a toe-on Counter Kim shorthand tattoo (as seen above-left). She is our Game of Regions Champion. In the news, Uncle Tim, Emma, Evan Heiter, Spencer and Jessica chat about NCAA Women's Regional Championships (AKA GAME OF REGIONS) and the Ljubljana World Cup: 2:05 Our reactions to McKalya Maroney’s heartfelt and funny video about her struggle with Adrenal Fatigue and its devastating symptoms. 11: 45 Game of Regions round-up; we created special headlines to describe the drama, tears and triumphs at each Regional and let you know which individuals, competing without the benefit of a team to boost their scores, stole our hearts. Should individuals have a separate regional qualification meet for NCAA Championships? Would it be more fair? We discuss. We declare M'rcy Matsunami the most exciting thing to happen to NCAA gymnastics since Kennedy Baker's Dos Santos and Danusia Francis's "Nush" beam dismount. She competed a toe-on Counter Kim at the Cal Regional! See petition bel

Reigning all-around Olympic Champion, Gabrielle Douglas returned to competition for the first time in three years at the Trophe Jesolo in Italy. © Filippo Tomasi In the news, Mary-Anne "Mez" Monckton, Emma and Jessica chat about Jesolo: The Italian crowds reaction to the triumphant return of the reigning Olympic all-around Champion, Gabby Douglas and the reigning Olympic floor champion, Aly Raisman. Which gymnasts made a case for themselves  not to be ignored at Jesolo: Erika Fasana, Alysssa Bauman, and Laurie "Baby Sharkira" Hernandez. How to tell how Marta feels; The Marta's head-squash vs. the scruff of the neck kitten-grab. Was the mood between Gabby and Chow strained? The XL Center Bat, The Antwerp Moth, The Nanning Bee and now, The Jesolo Dog. Mez tells us what it's like to compete on the infamous Janssen-Fritzen floor which put half of the competitors on their butts Jesolo Judges: Why were the judges 100 miles away from the apparatus and did it effect the scores? Plus, how the judges broke protocol;

South Durham Gymnastics Club, home of English champion all-around champion, Amy Tinkler.   English Nationals, NCAA Conference Championships and Jesolo are on the menu this week. Uncle Tim, Emma, Spencer, Spanny, Evan, and Jessica chat about: Princess Catherine leading her troops to battle to strike fear into the heart of the balance beam. Senior champ Amy Tinkler, is her pepto-pink gym at South Durham, the key to her success? Claudia Fragapane's improvement from her American Cup fall-a-thon. Lisa Mason's triumphant performance, pep talks to the baby gymnasts, Artistry award and practically leaping onto the judges table to dare them to deduct from her floor routine! The British Bars Revolution: Kelly Sim and Becky Downie are doing bars that make you wonder if their routines aren't actually YouTube edited pranks. Jingoistic floor routine musical advice for the Rio Olympics, from a self-proclaimed Brazilian cultural expert. Louis Smith competed well but raised some eyebrows with his post-meet exit. The reason

This week it's an all-listener feedback show. An entire episode dedicated to you, our dear listeners. Uncle Tim, Spanny and Jessica chat about: Nastia giving good face on Dancing With The Stars Why Nastia said she has never taken a ballet class. Who are the best freshman in NCAA this year? American Cup judging discussion.  Why were Tory Wilson and Bridgette Caquatto given mathematically impossible scores last week? How many economically disadvantaged gymnasts have made it to the top in elite? Why do we have such crazy gymnastics dreams, and we share some of our own. Rule Change! When a gymnast has more than one eponymous skill, should she be able to give her subsequent skills the name of her choice? Cheerleading friend or foe? Jingoistic music, is it only advantageous to the home competitor? E-Score home judging for all? Someone please find overdubbed or English subtitled copies of Ginnaste - Vite Parallele on MTV Italy. Photo Gallery: 2015 American Cup 140: The 2015 American Cup Podium Training Photo

Alexandra "Sasha" Tsikhanovich of Bridgeport University   In the news, Uncle Tim, Evan, and Jessica chat about: Brazil's Amanar vaulting superstar,  Rebeca Andrade. The best gymnastics job posting we've ever seen ever - help make grand exit with flips as I quit my job. Cintia Rodrigues (ESP) and Niamh Rippin (GB) instagram-nastics, a hecht full and Yurchenko double tuck respectively. Play Nerd-Jack : by relating any topic to gymnastics in as few words as possible. (16:50) The results, skills and return of Victoria Moors to competition at Elite Canada. (24:00) Debate who has the better pike front on beam: Ellie Black or Alicia Sacramone. Evan yearns for more substantive and instructional commentary from the newest college television hosts in his own version of the rage-o-meter. (29:00) NCAA rankings, which 10 was really worthy (can it be a 10 if the gymnast has full out syndrome, AKA "I have to pee" legs on her landing?), and gush about Kennedy Baker and Division II powerhouse, Bridgeport star, Sasha Tsikhan

Simone Biles hugs Katelyn Ohashi after winning the 2015 American Cup.   This week we are joined by very special guest and World Cup silver medalist, Mary-Anne Monkton of Australia. Uncle Tim, Evan and Jessica recap of the 2015 American Cup in Cowboy Stadium AKA Simone Biles new house: Marta was on the Nastia Cup broadcast doing commentary again and it was fantastic! Oleg gave Uncle Tim the best birthday present ever! MyKayla Skinner crashed her Cheng in podium training and completely missed her hand. (see photo gallery link below). Head Scratcher of the week: How does a gymnast get invited to a World Cup. Read all 16 pages of Rules here or this: The top seven all-around placers at World Championships are invited. If that includes the host country already, the 8th placer is invited. If it doesn't include the host, the 8th spot is reserved for the host. The FIG Executive Committee can invited a 9th wildcard. If after inviting the top eight they don't have eight participants, they then invite placers nine thr

FIG Men's Technical Committee President, Steve Butcher.   This week the President of the International Gymnastics Federation Men’s Technical Committee, Mr. Steve Butcher is here. Yes, the Nelli Kim of men’s gymnastics talks about spring board thieves, fashion rules, Execution score data analysis (nerdgasm!), tons of Code of Points nerdtastic details, gymnastics jail and if he would want his own son to do elite gymnastics. This is important to you women's gymnastics fans becuase MAG and WAG rules must now inform each other. What happens in men's effects the women's rules! We discuss: The FIG's analysis of Execution score parity between men's and women's judges. The downfall of having too many examples of Execution scores on the FIG Helpdesk. Bruno Grandi's statement that biomechanics will become a bigger part of the Code of Points versus the medical aspect of athlete health. Bringing back the 10.0 and making it Execution score more visible during competitions. Date for the next Code of Points newsletter with

The original diva, 14 time Olympic and World medalist, the Belarusian Swan tells all

  In the news,  Jessica and Spencer from The Balance Beam Situation chat about: Auburn could be the bar dismount champions, especially Caitlin Atkinson half-in half-out (look out Katie Bailey) Ranch News: Gabrielle Douglas, Aly Raisman, Simone Biles vs. Bailie Key, plus Laurie Hernandez is back on the team! The latest NCAA rankings and why they don't really mean anything right now. Our thoughts on the latest 10’s from Brenna Dowell, Haley Scaman and Ashley Lambert. Did we think Florida was underscored on beam at Alabama? Did Alabama recover from last week's beamsaster? Thank goodness the SEC Network is obviously listening to the show because they've fixed Courtney's Keys. The good, the gorgeous (Kari Lee's beam! Peng's bars! DABRITZ) and the beam start-value apocalypse from Utah vs. UCLA. Kentucky at Georgia: Brittany Rogers saves the team with all of her patented Mapleleaf stadler action bar genius. Comeback-MANIA in Romania! Marian Drăgulescu joining Ponor to save Romanian gymnastics! Tabitha Yim gave one

The PSU gymnastics team wrote 409 on their hands. Jessica is furious, find out why.   In the news, Uncle Tim, Spanny Tampson, and Jessica chat about (time stamps in parenthesis): Catalina Ponor is training again. Will she make the Romanian team? (3:30) Texas Prime Meet:  Texas Dreams is raising an army of artistic gymnasts. Our listeners really liked this girl Colbi Flory Lilia Podkopayeva  resorted to thievery and dancing as a form of protest in order to defend the efforts of her team at the Legendz Classic. (11:00) Katelyn Ohashi returns to competition! (14:35) Spanny declares Oklahoma the new queens of choreography and has an out-of-body gym-gasm experience watching Chayse Capps in person.(40:15) Kyla Ross working new skills and applying to Stanford next year. (23:30) NCAA rankings and a review of the 10's on vault. (33: 28) Kennedy Baker (Gators) does the sassiest arabian double pike in all the land. (48:45) Our picks for NCAA floor champ if as of right now, including Denver's Nina McGee. (51:45) Alabam

  She is the gymnastics equivalent of panda cubs playing in snow for the first time, combined with the feeling you got when Nastia did a pirouette on bars; the perfect gymnastics happiness pill. The 2013 American Cup all-around champion, Katelyn Ohashi, has committed to UCLA and we have the exclusive interview just hours after she announced her decision to her future teammates. We discuss: The candlelit moment when she told the team Why she chose UCLA and when she will start The status of her return to bars and what skills she's working on Surprising her coach by busting out crazy dismounts The look on her face after her second pass on floor at Texas Prime last weekend What she thinks of the Tumblr posts you make about her Switching from coach Valeri Luikin to Laurent Landi If she knows that the gymternet is obsessed with Laurent Episode 23: Lloimincia Hall & The American Cup Episode 33: Simone Biles & Her Coaches Episode 39: Victoria Moors 61: Katelyn Ohashi Clears The Air   Watch all of Ohash

Peng Peng Lee (CAN/UCLA) gracing the cover via fan art of a game that we all wish we could to play. Our weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet include: Could it be Aliya Mustafina's love life that drew her to a new gym? If a gymnast like Shawn Johnson became a spokesperson for safe sex and contraception, could it change the image of gymnastics for the better? Scandal in Singapore! How do you get revenge when your coaches are fired? Hire them like Lim Heem Wei did. US elites, Ariana Guerra and Deanne Soza are back after injury and illness. Pac-12 Conference adopts changes that could put them ahead of the SEC. In the news, Uncle Tim, Evan, and Jessica chat about: Updates and recaps from the NCAA meets: Georgia, UCLA, Florida, Michigan, LSU, Oklahoma, SJSU, and the men of Stanford and Cal. New rules you should know about for the NCAA competition this year. Elites premiers in college: Brenna Dowell, Peng Peng Lee and Brianna Brown from the famed Cincinnati Gymnastics. Favorite l

In the news, Jessica, Uncle Tim and Evan chat about: The freshly made senior elites, why we are excited about them, from Nia Dennis (USA) and Ryannon Jones (GB) to Flavia Saraiva (BR). (7:30) The best thing about new gymternet sweetheart Ksenia Klimenko's beam video, aside from her gymnastics; the gong show. Evan reports in from the first and most mind blowing NCAA meet of the year so far; at the NorCal Classic where Cal won and Stanford came in fourth. Elizabeth Price murdered the vault, Taylor Rice made us imagine her beating Britney Spears down with a glittery hammer while Indian Princess, Kalliah McCartney, strummed at our heart strings with her tall-is-gorgeous-ness. (16:30) Evan predicts the eventual rise to power of Cal's new competitor, Toni Ann Williams, the owner of a double front dismount on beam. NCAA season means we get to see our favorite elites in a whole new light. Find out who we are most excited to see - hint it's Captain Canada for Jessica. (35:00) What should the best qualities be in an

Mary-Anne Monckton doing her aerial layout series on beam. Photo by Nadia Boyce. The 20 year-old is a student of the sport, should probably be a in the next episode of The Hard Way To Success, she still loves gymnastics despite seven surgeries, she gym nerded-out because she made a beam final with Catalina Ponor, is inspired by the number of women (20 and older) who held their own in the all-around final in Nanning -- she is Australia's Mary-Anne Monckton! Emma and Jessica discuss the following gymnerdery with Miss Mez: Why she hated gymnastics at first and being chosen like Nadia at age 7. Surviving seven surgeries with her love for gymnastics intact! Trying not to freak out while competing in beam finals with her gymnastics idol, Catalina Ponor. Thinking the wrong score was posted when she placed second to Larissa Iordache on beam in Doha. Her description of the beloved post-beam finals celebration with Ellie at the Commonwealth Games. Tales from Nanning, food report, her favorite competitors there and h

Larisa Iordache ended the year on a high, winning the 2014 Glasgow World Cup. This week we've included time stamps for each segment of the show per your request. Let us know if you like it.  Uncle Tim, Emma, and Jessica chat about: The Glasgow World Cup (00:00): massive moments of joy, shooting fire, Vanessa Ferrari looking tired, pulling shorts up to belly buttons, John Orozco and Oleg Verniaiev scamping around Glasgow, why Pauline Schaefer of Germany stole the show. Plus the juniors we fell in love with from Espoir. The Mexican Open (34:14): The Four Amiga's: Boguinskaya, Daniela Silivas, Podkopayeva, and Chusovitina; the greatness that is Marta Pihan-Kulesza's exquisite form; the return of the fierce little Italian, Enus Mariani to international competition; and most importantly, our review of the latest super bling $10,000 leotard by GK. NCAA previews (52:49): Our thoughts of Chayse Capps new floor routine, the genius that is Stacey Ervin's stick-a-thon floor routine and our gratittude for NCAA gymnast

AlyRaisman training in the recent USA Gymnastics documentary   Uncle Tim and Jessica chat about: Komova's triumphant return to international competition (nobody cares if she watered down) Oleg's baby mohawk, Ruggeri's floor , Roxana Popa's hot new bars steal the show at the Blume Memorial. Why does Boguinskaya make Chusovitina pose in front of lingerie shops wherever they go? Our jazz hands filled love for Elythora Thorsdottir and Axelle Kinckaert's big band choreography. Why the Romanian juniors are leading the charge for artistry and uniqueness in eastern Europe. Should all competition bibs feature names instead of numbers like the did at the Stuttgart World Cup? Afanaseyeva is back with a new floor routine and a huge neck tattoo. Seriously. We lament for the Mustafina who could have been in Stuttgart (it wasn't pretty, e.g. helicopter legs triple full is back). The adorable VK fan chat with Oleg Vernaiev. That American's are the friendliest and he still hates high bar! All the reasons to love german anno

   Uncle Tim and Jessica chat about: Our favorites from Tumbling and Trampoline World Championships and what we think artistic gymnastics can learn from these daredevils with good form. Are fake music endings acceptable in floor routines or a cruel joke on the audience? The floor routine to the Sia song Chandelier by Ellie Boterell of England is everything! The GymCastic Floor Music contest playlist is up on Spotify here. A guide to shapashnikova variations on uneven bars, because Jessica sometimes needs help with bars. Standouts at the Medellín World Cup: Yamilet Peña, Mariana Chiarella of Peru and Jossimar Calvo Moreno. Mustafa's latest interview where she discusses her injuries, coaching (can't because she doesn't dislike children enough) and frustrations with the bar code. Will the open division at Shawn Johnson's new NCAA-esque meet series allow for international elites to compete? Oleg Vernaiev talks about training in war-torn, pit-less Ukraine. The Gymternet's Ultimate Floor Music Playlist is ready

Oklahoma's showstopper Raymond White (center), Victoria Komova (bottom L), Michigan repeat as NCAA Champions and Luo Huan, Bailie Key with Nia Dennis (far R) at Pacific Rim Championships.    In the news, Jessica, Blythe, Uncle Tim, Evan and Scott Bregman chat about: A star is born! Why everyone flipped out when Oklahoma's Raymond White was shown on TV during the men's NCAA Championships! Russian Championships and Tokyo World Cup recap do-over with Blythe! Yes, yes, you were all upset, we didn't devote enough time to it. Please forgive us! Pacific Rim - the US gets serious on bars, Nia "Silent Assassin" Dennis, Chinese babies, Ting Ting and Luo Huan, plus from Canada, Miss Alleza Yu's "mysterious" floor choreography. Which sponsor will snatch up Sam Mikulak now that he can go pro? Women's NCAA Championships Super-Fight: we debate why LSU, Florida or Oklahoma could become the 2014 champions. Whether or not we like this new "welcome" arm sweep the US team is using to enter their floor routines. If tiny, tan an

        In the news, Uncle Tim, and Jessica chat about: Sepcial guest, Scott Bregman, Communications Director at USA Gymnastics stops by to lets us know how to watch Tumbling and Trampoline World Championships starting this week in Florida. Jessica hit Scott with the hard hitting question about China - the squat toilets, the lavishness of the event and being an exotic foreigner. Our favorite saves from Worlds. Lots of emails and voicemails from the listeners! Who is the Nanning Bee on Twitter? Articles about artistry that drive us nuts, especially when they rely on nostalgia to make their arguments. Kenzo does a triple double at the Swiss Cup. Hip thrusting and Lilia Podkopayeva at the Gala de Estrellas de Gimnasia in Mexico. Jessica's favorite new Romanian junior Alexandra Mihai and her 2.5 backspin. Khorkina lets it be known that she was pissed off after the 2008 Olympics; we discuss the recent interview (there's a lot of discussion about public crying). To watch TTWorlds.com outside of the United States