GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

We predict the future! It's our annual pre-Worlds rules review, where we tell you exactly what kind of accidental gymnastics shenanigans might cost someone a medal.
Plus, Flavia Saraiva is somehow the Szombathely BARS champion, Dulcy Caylor wins floor, Rebeca Andrade returns on beam, and we examine the World Cup of "does anyone actually know what a layout vault is?"
WIN A FULL COMMISSION
The only way to commission a full GymCastic episode right now! You pick the topic, we make the episode, and the whole gymternet hears it. Enter by October 9: Enter the Full Commission Raffle
PRE-WORLDS RULES
When can a traveling alternate replace an injured gymnast?
Why vault remains the apparatus most likely to create chaos.
The Cheng two-hand problem.
Balked vaults: your life is apparently less important than completing the vault.
When you should — and absolutely should not — inquire.
The new post-Paris inquiry rules.
Why springboards are lava.
What happens if your coach gives you the WRONG springboard.
RELATED
Gym Nerd School 101: Rules, Skills, Myths & Gymnastics Lore
The Definitive Guide to the Paris Floor Bronze Medal Debacle
SZOMBATHELY WORLD CUP
Flavia Saraiva wins bars and beam gold plus floor silver.
Rebeca Andrade returns on beam.
Dulcy Caylor wins floor.
Tatum Drusch makes all four event finals.
Greta Mayer wins vault.
And the great Lopez/pike/layout debate continues.
2026 Worlds Roster Tracker — WAG and MAG, updated daily.
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Flavia Saraiva, Leanne Wong & Szombathely Headlines
08:02 – The Rules That Will Decide Worlds
17:04 – Vault Chaos: Chengs, Balks & Bonuses
26:28 – Good Rules: Unitards, Fall Time & Music
38:32 – To Inquire or Not to Inquire
47:54 – Dumb Rules & Springboard Sabotage
56:01 – Szombathely World Cup Deep Dive
01:14:33 – Asian Games, Paris World Cup & What's Next
UP NEXT
Friday at noon PT: Behind The Scenes — U.S. World Team Preview.
Next week: podcast from U.S. World Team Selection Camp in Tennessee.
Then: 10 podcasts from World Championships on site in Rotterdam.
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

SafeSport permanently banned Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong; Arthur Akopian and Galina Marinova are facing yet another investigation; plus World Championships roster shockers and federation drama heading into Rotterdam.

We also sit down with new U.S. Center for SafeSport CEO and Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley to discuss regaining trust, data privacy, case timelines, reporting, resources and what she wants to change.

WIN A FULL COMMISSIONED EPISODE
You pick the topic. We record a full episode about it. This is currently the ONLY way to commission a full episode. Enter the raffle by October 9. We'll draw the winner at Worlds in Rotterdam!

HEADLINES
• Arthur Akopian and Galina Marinova are under investigation by SafeSport AGAIN, years after the Washington Post investigation.
• Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong have been permanently banned by SafeSport.
• Ana Barbosu speaks out about leaving Romania, the Paris medal controversy and finding a healthier training environment in the U.S.
• Oksana Chusovitina declines her Worlds vault spot.
• North Korea declines its Worlds team spot; Malaysia takes its place.
• Taiwan's federation faces a government investigation after allegedly rejecting Worlds invitations for apparatus specialists.
• Yang Fanyuwei is left off China's Worlds team despite having one of the world's top bars scores.
• Georgia Godwin is not on Australia's Worlds team.
• Alice Kinsella returns to the all-around with a 53.900.

INTERVIEW: SAFESPORT CEO BENITA FITZGERALD MOSLEY
We discuss SafeSport's  data security, case timelines, investigations, reporting, prevention and the future of the Center.

SAFESPORT RESOURCES
• In-Person Training Resources
• Abuse Prevention Resources
• Centralized Disciplinary Database Update
• Extended SafeSport Hotline Hours
• SafeSport Investigator Fired After Arrest

GYMTERNET NEWS
• Nadia Comăneci joins the judging panel of "Românii au talent."
• The U.S. Classic returns to Hoffman Estates in July 2027.
• Virgin Atlantic becomes Team GB's official airline for LA28.

WHAT MEETS ARE ON?
• Szombathely World Cup — Sept. 18–20
• Asian Games — Sept. 21–24
• Paris World Cup — Sept. 26–27, the final FIG competition before Worlds.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – SafeSport Breaking News
01:40 – Akopian & Marinova Under Investigation Again
04:13 – Al Fong & Armine Barutyan-Fong Permanently Banned
07:00 – Ana Barbosu Speaks Out
09:50 – World Championships Drama
13:01 – Taiwan Federation Scandal
19:00 – China & Australia Worlds Roster Shockers
25:40 – Alice Kinsella's All-Around Return
31:39 – Full Commission Raffle & Club Gym Nerd
36:04 – SafeSport CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley
37:51 – Interview: The Future of SafeSport
01:29:00 – SafeSport Data Security Follow-Up
01:29:40 – gymternet News
01:34:47 – Upcoming Meets

SUPPORT OUR WORK
• Join Club Gym Nerd for ad-free episodes, weekly Behind the Scenes, our complete members-only archive, games, score tools, forum and live-show discounts.
• Shop GymCastic.

HUEL
Make healthy eating simple. Get 15% OFF online with code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for partnering with and supporting our show!

GYMCASTIC TOOLS & RESOURCES
• LA 2028 Roster Lab
• Elite Score Explorer
• International Gymnastics Calendar
• GymCastic Games
• GymCastic Newsletters
• Resistance Resources

Andrew Chupp — coach, queer adult gymnast, creator and joy distributor — joins us to talk about making gymnastics your own. From Britney Spears floor choreography to competing on beam, Andrew shares how returning to the sport brought him community and creative freedom.
You pick the topic. We make the episode. Our Full Episode Commission Raffle is the ONLY way to commission a full GymCastic episode. It's a fundraiser for our trip to Rotterdam for the World Championships. Enter here for a chance to choose the topic.
The GymCastic store sale is on!
IN THIS INTERVIEW
Inclusive competition and bringing performance back to floor.
Starting adult classes, making time to train and finding your people.
Coaching adults, revisiting basics and letting go of old expectations.
Rethinking deductions, facing internet hate and staying visible.
Queer joy, body image, courage and accountability.
FIND ANDREW AND YOUR COMMUNITY
Andrew Chupp's YouTube channel
Adult Gymnastics Like a Fine Wine: Find your community, meets and classes.
Adult Gymnastics resources
CHAPTERS
00:00 Meet Andrew Chupp
01:42 Adult Meets & Inclusive Competition
05:01 A Different Kind of All-Around
10:26 Growing Adult Gymnastics
13:47 Britney Spears & Finding Joy Again
21:07 How to Start an Adult Class
23:20 Making Time & Finding Community
25:28 Coaching Adults & Starting Small
33:19 Rethinking Deductions
36:34 Queer Sports & Belonging
40:21 Adult Meets at Every Age
46:47 Facing Internet Hate
57:57 Courage, Accountability & Growth
1:00:58 What's Next for Andrew
RELATED EPISODES
It's Never Too Late to Start Adult Gymnastics
Tumble: The Adult Gymnastics Reality TV Show
Tumble Episode 2
Tumble Episodes 3 and 4
Tumble Episode 5
Tumble Finale
Nadia Promotes Adult Gymnastics
New USAG President Kyle Albrecht's First Interview on Athlete Safety & the Future of Gymnastics
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Join Club Gym Nerd for weekly Behind The Scenes episodes and the members-only archive. Shop the GymCastic store sale.
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
GymCastic tools: LA 2028 Roster Lab
Elite Score Explorer
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 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
 
JOIN CLUB GYM NERD FOR BONUS STUFF
Ad-free episodes, weekly bonus shows, our complete archive, members-only games and tools, the community message board and Behind The Scenes every Friday at noon Pacific:
https://gymcastic.com/club/ 
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/