The Sam Oldham Podcast

At the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, the young Italian vault specialist Tommaso Brugnami came within touching distance of the podium, finishing fourth in a world-class men's vault final. It was confirmation that one of gymnastics' brightest junior stars had arrived on the senior stage, capable of challenging the very best in the world.
But success has never come as a surprise to those who have followed his journey.
Brugnami's junior career was nothing short of extraordinary. He helped Italy capture the European Junior team title in 2022 before collecting three European junior gold medals in total. As his junior career reached its peak, he established himself as the world's premier young vaulter, becoming Junior World Champion on vault while also claiming two individual European titles. It was a statement that Italy had another world-class gymnast ready to make the leap to the senior ranks.
His rise mirrors that of Italian men's gymnastics itself.
Once defined by the brilliance of individual legends such as Olympic champion Yuriy Chechi and Olympic horizontal bar champion Igor Cassina, Italy has transformed into one of the strongest and deepest men's programmes in the world. Years of investment, belief and emerging talent have elevated the Azzurri into consistent contenders on the biggest stages, with a new generation carrying the sport into an exciting era.
Tommaso Brugnami is one of the leading faces of that generation.
Now, the next chapter begins.
His immediate focus is the Italian National Championships, where every routine offers another opportunity to prove he belongs among Italy's elite. Beyond that lies another chance to represent his country at this year's World Championships in Rotterdam—the first major milestone on the road towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Olympics are no longer a distant dream.
They are just two years away.
Every landing, every tenth of a point, every competition from now until 2028 carries greater significance than the last. The margins are small, but so too is the gap between fourth in the world and standing on a World Championship or Olympic podium.
For Tommaso Brugnami, the foundations have already been laid through years of junior dominance and a breakthrough senior season. The talent is undeniable. The ambition is clear. The destination is within reach.
The journey to Los Angeles starts now.
And this is his story.

🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic gymnastics, alongside post-competition debriefs with some of the sport's most passionate experts, coaches, and analysts.
In Episode 6 of The Gymnastics Show, Sam is joined by Katie Foster — a women's artistic elite gymnastics coach, qualified judge, and respected commentator with a lifelong passion for the sport.
This week, we preview the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, breaking down both the men's and women's competitions.
Team England will be looking to defend their men's team title, but with Max Whitlock ruled out through injury, the squad—led by 2025 World floor silver medallist Luke Whitehouse—will face fierce competition from Australia, Canada, and an experienced Scottish team.
England's women will also have a tough challenge in their pursuit of team gold. Australia, led by Georgia Godwin, and Wales, featuring Ruby Evans, will both arrive with medal ambitions. Canada bring a wealth of experience through multi-time Olympian Ellie Black, alongside Lia Monica Fontaine, who has surpassed the 54-point mark twice this season and is widely tipped as a leading contender for the all-around title.
The men's all-around competition promises to be one of the highlights of the Games, with Jesse Moore and Felix Dolciexpected to battle for gold. A strong chasing pack—including Adam Tobin, Reuben Ward, and Marios Georgiou—will all believe they have a realistic shot at the podium.
In the women's all-around, defending Commonwealth champion Georgia Godwin will aim to retain the title she won in Birmingham in 2022. Standing in her way are Ruby Evans, Abigail Martin, and Canada's talented all-around squad.
British fans will also be eager to watch Luke Whitehouse chase Commonwealth floor gold, while Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan takes on Britain's exciting new generation of pommel horse specialists, including Reuben Wardand Alex Yolshin-Cash.
World floor medallists Ruby Evans and Abigail Martin are expected to contend for multiple apparatus medals, while Ruby Stacey and Francesca Stone look set to deliver standout performances throughout the competition.
Our mission remains the same: to share the stories behind the finest athletes in gymnastics and celebrate the sport we love.
Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 6 of The Gymnastics Show! 🎙️

Few athletes have demonstrated the resilience, artistry, and determination of Danusia Francis. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, she proudly represented Jamaica in the women's artistic gymnastics competition, fulfilling an Olympic dream that had been years in the making.
Before competing for Jamaica, Danusia enjoyed an outstanding international career representing Great Britain. As both a junior and senior elite gymnast, she competed at the highest level at the European and World Championships, establishing herself as one of Britain's leading female gymnasts in the lead-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Although she was selected as the reserve athlete for Team GB, she narrowly missed the opportunity to compete on home soil.
That same summer marked the beginning of a new chapter. Danusia moved to the United States to pursue higher education while continuing her gymnastics career. At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she flourished, graduating in 2016 as an NCAA balance beam champion. Renowned for her creativity and originality, she performed some of the most distinctive and innovative balance beam skills in the world, earning admiration from fans, judges, and fellow gymnasts alike.
The opportunity to compete for Jamaica reignited her Olympic ambitions and provided a second chance to achieve the dream she had chased since childhood. Nine years after narrowly missing the London Games, Danusia stepped onto the Olympic stage at Tokyo 2020, proudly representing her Jamaican heritage and completing one of the sport's most inspiring comeback stories.
Since retiring from artistic gymnastics, Danusia has successfully transitioned into a diverse creative career. She has become a respected broadcaster, choreographer, and stunt performer, continuing to combine athleticism with artistry in new and exciting ways.
This is Danusia Francis's story—a journey of perseverance, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of an Olympic dream.

Over the past decade, Pegasus Gymnastics Club has consistently nurtured some of Great Britain's finest men's artistic gymnastics talent. Among those athletes is Sam Ghinn, who has proudly represented both Great Britain and Team England throughout his competitive career.
Alongside Olympians James Hall and Courtney Tulloch, Sam is a product of the exceptional culture cultivated at Pegasus under the guidance of head coach Ionut Trandaburu.
At the 2025 Northern European Championships, Sam enjoyed one of the most successful competitions of his career. He claimed gold medals on his favoured apparatus, the pommel horse and parallel bars, while also earning bronze in the men's all-around, silver on the horizontal bar, and team silver with England.
Beyond the competition floor, Sam co-founded Satus, a sportswear brand designed by Olympians for athletes, alongside World, European and Commonwealth medallist James Hall.
After years of competing at the highest level, Sam has recently made the decision to step away from elite gymnastics, choosing instead to focus on growing Satus and pursuing his passion for freelance videography.
This is his story.

At the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, Sebastian Sponevik delivered the performance of his career, capturing the vault gold medal for his home nation of Norway.
The victory marked the culmination of a remarkable 12 months. Sebastian announced himself on the international stage by collecting multiple medals on the World Cup circuit before qualifying for the men's all-around final at the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Indonesia, where he finished among the world's top 20 gymnasts.
Behind his rise stands one of Norway's greatest gymnastics icons, Espen Jansen. An 11-time Norwegian national champion, Jansen represented his country at 14 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships during an extraordinary career. It was Jansen who first spotted Sebastian's talent at a local sports fair after watching the young athlete perform a backflip—despite having never received any formal gymnastics coaching. Recognizing a rare natural ability, he took Sebastian under his wing.
Their partnership has transformed raw talent into world-class success.
Norway has become known for producing elite athletes despite its population of just 5.6 million people. The nation made global headlines at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan by finishing at the top of the medal table, highlighting the success of its unique approach to sport and athlete development.
Now, Sebastian is preparing for the next chapter.
Later this year, he will compete at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam with his sights set on breaking into the world's top 15. More importantly, every routine brings him one step closer to achieving his ultimate dream—qualifying for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
This is the story of Sebastian Sponevik.