GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

The good, the bad and the BARTA of it all - Before social media, there was GGMB—the Gymnastics Gossip Message Board. We revisit the influential, informative, bizarre and sometimes deeply toxic message board that helped shape the early gymternet—and GymCastic itself. Plus, the developing Rich Stenger/Cal gymnastics Instagram story, Suni Lee's stolen bronze bust is recovered, we fix Claire Pease's floor construction, and draft dream seven-member Olympic teams.
FULL COMMISSION RAFFLE: This is currently the only way to commission a full GymCastic episode. Entries are $10, enter as many times as you want, and other prizes will be available. Winner(s) drawn in Rotterdam. Enter here.
HEADLINES
Russian lobbying and financial flows in World Gymnastics
Developing Rich Stenger/Cal gymnastics Instagram story
Suni Lee's stolen bronze bust has been recovered
World Team Camp roster
GGMB: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BARTA
What was the Gymnastics Gossip Message Board? We revisit the scandals, gossip, insiders, bizarre word filters, genuinely valuable gymnastics knowledge and toxicity of one of the early gymternet's most influential communities. We discuss how GGMB influenced GymCastic, why our earliest episodes resembled an "audio message board," what we intentionally left behind and what we kept—including chasing down rumors to find out what is actually true.
MINI-COMMISSIONS
Fix Her Routine: We attempt to build a smarter, realistically achievable floor routine for Claire Pease.
Dream 7-Member Olympic Teams: Jessica and Spencer select dream U.S. and international teams using the classic seven-member format.
GYMTERNET NEWS
Former Rapid City gymnastics coach sentenced to federal prison
Gymnastics Australia launches its growth blueprint ahead of Brisbane 2032
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Russian Lobbying, Rich Stenger & Breaking News
03:45 – Suni Lee's Head Was Found
07:30 – World Team Camp & Raffle
12:21 – GGMB: The Good, the Bad and the BARTA
36:01 – Updates & Live Show Replay
36:48 – Mini Commission Fixing Claire Pease's Floor Routine
58:21 –  Mini Commission Dream 7-Member Olympic Teams
1:19:43 – Dumpster Fire & Gymternet News
HUEL: Limited Time Offer – Make healthy eating simple. Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show!
Club Gym Nerd: Ad-free episodes, Behind The Scenes every Friday, mini-commissions, immediate post-meet coverage and more at GymCastic.com/club.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Club Gym Nerd: Join Club Gym Nerd for weekly Behind the Scenes episodes, our complete members-only archive, games, the forum and live-show discounts.
Shop GymCastic: Shop merch.
GYMCASTIC TOOLS, GAMES AND RESOURCES
GymCastic tools: LA 2028 Roster Lab — Now with auto-fill highest-scoring team, team comparisons and updated roster briefs.
Elite Score Explorer — U.S. Championships scores are in, plus new charting options and the vault bonus toggle.
International Gymnastics Calendar

GymCastic Games
GymCastic Newsletters
The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer Barnes' GIF Code of Points
Gymnastics History: Gymnastics history and Code of Points archive from Uncle Tim
Resistance Resources

The GymCastic Movie Club takes on FLASHDANCE—the runaway 1983 hit that is essentially a collection of MTV music videos held together by sparks, leg warmers and vibes. Thank you, Rose for commissioning this episode. 
We discuss the stunt wigs, the film's gymnastics influence, and the gayest welder's burlesque bar in Pittsburgh.
Alex's complete lack of ballet training and the legendary final audition featuring a dive roll performed by collegiate gymnastics history-maker Sharon Shapiro. Jessica also brings us firsthand stories from Sharon about filming the scene. Commissioned by Rose. 
WIN A FULL-EPISODE COMMISSION
Enter the raffle for the chance to choose the subject of an entire GymCastic episode—as long as it is tangentially gymnastics-related! The raffle helps fund our on-site coverage of the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam.

IN THIS EPISODE
• Which one is Flashdance again?
• The true story that inspired the movie
• Jennifer Beals and Pittsburgh Ballet Versailles
• How Flashdance influenced gymnastics floor routines
• Sharon Shapiro's iconic audition dive roll
• The stunt doubles and constantly changing wigs
• The gayest welder's burlesque of all time
• Tina Tech's "Manhunt" routine
• Jeanie's disastrous skating audition
• Everything wrong with Alex's boss-turned-boyfriend
• The "What a Feeling" finale
• Casting a gymnastics remake
 
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Welcome to the Flashdance Movie Club
02:51 – The True Story and 1983 Phenomenon
07:05 – Why Flashdance Is Gymnastics-Related
11:37 – The Plot, Such as It Is
21:06 – The Gayest Welder's Burlesque
40:49 – Montage-a-Palooza
49:25 – Jeanie, Skating and the Supporting Characters
59:20 – Who Is Hannah?
1:02:53 – Lobster and the Horrible Boss Romance
1:14:23 – The "What a Feeling" Audition
1:18:52 – Sharon Shapiro's Stories from the Set
1:25:08 – Casting the Flashdance Remake
 
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GYMCASTIC TOOLS
LA 2028 Roster Lab:
https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/
Elite Score Explorer:
https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/
International Gymnastics Calendar:
https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/
GymCastic Games:
https://gymcastic.com/games/
SHOP GYMCASTIC
https://store.gymcastic.com/

How "Russia" reclaimed its title to become European champion. We break down Angelina Melnikova's return, the Russian visa drama, Sabrina Voinea's D-score inquiry saga, a controversial beam-final robbery and what these results mean for the upcoming World Championships.
GYMCASTIC LIVE REPLAY
Watch our U.S. Championships live show with surprise guest Shannon Miller. Replay tickets:
https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-u-s-championships/
HEADLINES
Team "World Gymnastics 2," aka Russia, topped the medal table with six medals. Angelina Melnikova led the team with three golds in the team, all-around and vault competitions, plus bronze medals on beam and floor.
Italy finished second in the medal standings, led by European floor champion Manila Esposito. France placed third, with first-year senior Elena Colas winning beam gold and finishing second in the individual medal count.
We discuss:
Sabrina Voinea's latest D-score inquiry saga and how an inquiry dropped her beam score by three tenths, knocking her out of the final

Russia's triumphant return and what its team score could foreshadow for Worlds

Melnikova's five-medal performance and how her all-around score compares internationally

Elena Colas' breakout senior European Championships

Why holding apparatus finals before the team final produced mixed results

Why Pauline Schäfer-Betz was robbed of a beam medal

Great Britain missing the medals after Becky Downie was replaced by Ruby Evans in the team-final bars lineup

Memorable skills from Estella Volkoff, Morgane Osyssek and Schäfer-Betz

Event-final victories for Melnikova, Helen Kevric, Colas and Esposito

The teams and individuals who qualified for the 2026 World Championships

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:36 Sabrina Voinea's inquiry saga
04:03 U.S. national team and vault clarifications
06:33 European Championships medal table
13:48 Angelina Melnikova and Elena Colas
21:31 GymCastic updates and Club Gym Nerd
25:01 Pauline Schäfer-Betz beam robbery
30:43 Manila Esposito
33:04 Unique beam mounts and skills
35:46 Helen Kevric and the bars final
38:09 Apparatus finals before the team final?
40:19 Huel
41:37 Competition-format discussion continues
50:47 Team final: Russia, Italy and France
57:13 All-around results and Worlds comparisons
59:12 Vault final
1:04:02 Bars final
1:05:45 Beam and floor finals
1:10:32 World Championships qualifiers
SPONSOR
Limited-time offer: Make healthy eating simple with Huel. New customers receive 15% off online with code GYMCASTIC at https://huel.com/GYMCASTIC. Thank you to Huel for partnering with and supporting our show.
LINKS
European Championships results:
https://results.smartscoring.com/live-results/7bbd2dc9-ea89-49c4-84a2-5009458acca0/live
AD FREE & BONUS EPISODES
Join Club Gym Nerd for ad-free podcasts, weekly Behind the Scenes episodes, our members-only archive, games, forums and live-show discounts:
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Add Club bonus and ad-free episodes to your podcast player:
https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/89/
LA 2028 Roster Lab:
https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/
Elite Score Explorer:
https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/
Gymnastics Calendar:
https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/
GymCastic Games:
https://gymcastic.com/games/
Newsletters:
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Shop GymCastic:
https://store.gymcastic.com/

We're back from the 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships! Hezly Rivera is a two-time national all-around champion, Fred Richard won the men's title, the U.S. men's World Championships team is set, and we have plenty to say about the women's road to Worlds and those domestic execution scores.
Plus, Shannon Miller surprised us at our Phoenix live show, Euros began with breaking news, and Suni Lee, Shilese Jones and Jordan Chiles all have comeback updates.
LIVE SHOW REPLAY
Missed our U.S. Championships live show with a surprise appearance from Shannon Miller? Get live show replay tickets.
IN THIS EPISODE
Hezly Rivera wins her second consecutive U.S. all-around title.
Claire Pease takes silver and Charleigh Bullock bronze after both go 8-for-8.
Event champions: Jade Carey (vault), Claire Pease (bars), Hezly Rivera (beam) and Reese Esponda (floor).
We revisit Chellsie Memmel's comments about realistic domestic scoring.
Thirteen senior women are named to the national team and we break down the Worlds selection procedure.
The U.S. men's World team is Richard, Wiskus, Leykin, Nelson and Hoopes, with Moldauer as traveling alternate and Kim as non-traveling alternate.
Fred Richard's pajama deduction, Salute-Gate and the comeback status of Suni Lee, Shilese Jones and Jordan Chiles.
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Breaking Euros News & U.S. Champs Recap
05:11 – Live Show Replay: Shannon Miller & Fiesty Judges
07:41 – Hezly Rivera Wins U.S. Title
14:26 – Event Champions: Carey, Pease, Rivera & Esponda
21:34 – National Team & Who's Moving Forward
24:21 – Women's Worlds Selection
26:39 – Men's World Team & Salute-Gate
30:25 – Suni Lee, Shilese Jones & Jordan Chiles
RELATED: 
All podcasts and photo galleries from 2026 Championships here
European Championships Results
148: Shannon Miller
Shannon discusses It's Not About Perfect, her career, compulsories, coaching, cancer and life after gymnastics.
168: Shannon Miller, Belarusgate, NED vs GB
Shannon returns to discuss body commentary, adult gymnastics, Worlds, Chusovitina and more.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Club Gym Nerd – Get ad-free podcasts, Behind The Scenes, our bonus archive, games, score tools, members-only community and live-show discounts.
GymCastic Merch
GYMCASTIC TOOLS
LA 2028 Roster Lab
Elite Score Explorer
International Gymnastics Calendar
GymCastic Games
Newsletters

The men's national champion has been crowned and more from women's at the 2026 U.S. Championships! This is our live post-meetQ&A show. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here) Join Club Gym Nerd for the ad-free extended episode, live Q&A and complete members-only archive.
GYMCASTIC LIVE AT U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS
GET IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL LIVE-SHOW TICKETS
WHEN: Sunday, August 9 after the Senior Women's Final podium ceremony at approximately 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Stream it online or join us in person at the Residence Inn by Marriott Phoenix Downtown, directly across the street from the arena.
WHAT: It's the post-meet debrief -enjoy a cash bar/snacks and games while Jessica and Spencer will discuss the meet immediately after it happens, and you never know who will appear at a GymCastic live show.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m, show at approximately 6:00 p.m. In-person and virtual tickets are available. A limited-time replay will be available to virtual ticket holders.GET IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS LIVE-SHOW TICKETS
CHAPTERS
 
Members Only begins Not a member? Join here.
HOW TO FOLLOW U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 — MEN'S DAY TWO
10:30 a.m. — Junior Men on USAG YouTube
4:30 p.m. — Senior Men on Peacock/NBC ; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube
PODCAST ~8:00 p.m. — Senior Men's Final Meet Report
SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 — WOMEN'S DAY TWO
10:00 a.m. — Junior Women on USAG YouTube
3:00 p.m. — Senior Women on Peacock / NBC; outside the U.S. on USAG YouTube
LIVE SHOW ~6:00 p.m. — get tickets now GymCastic Live: Senior Women's Final
Build your U.S. Championships team at GymCastic Fantasy League. 
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Club Gym Nerd: Ad-free podcasts, weekly live Q&A episodes, bonus content, complete archive, games, scoring tools, VIP forum and live-show discounts
Shop GymCastic
TOOLS, GAMES AND RESOURCES
LA 2028 Roster Lab
Elite Score Explorer
International Gymnastics Calendar
GymCastic Games
GymCastic Newsletters