GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

Our first daily show from inside Rotterdam Ahoy at the 2026 World Championships. Three Russian women, including Angelina Melnikova, were refused visas days before the meet. Reese Esponda's coach tells us why she had to change her floor routine at the last minute, and we explain how robot judging is deciding difficulty here in Rotterdam.
This teaser is just the beginning. Club Gym Nerd members get the full episode, including Hezly Rivera's ankle, the alternate rules, the rest of podium training and our behind-the-scenes stories, plus a daily show from every competition day of Worlds. Join Club Gym Nerd.
Congratulations to our raffle winners, and thank you to everyone who supported our Worlds fundraiser. Get tickets for GymCastic Live in Rotterdam on October 24 with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir.
This episode is presented by Sand and Sea Luxury Travel Advisors. Plan your dream trip at go.sandandsea.travel/gcnotes and use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Rotterdam
01:20 Breaking news: Russia's visa drama
04:46 GymCastic Live in Rotterdam with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir
06:30 Reese Esponda's floor change: our interview with her coach
10:56 Explainer: robot judges, Fujitsu and the barani
16:50 Who gets told what, and when
19:45 Our conversation continues for Club members
20:35 Raffle winners
Links
Episode page
2026 World Championships Headquarters
Worlds Coverage Bundle: 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99
Rotterdam Worlds Roster Tracker

Part two of our Rotterdam World Championships preview, subdivisions 6 through 10. We're living in the age of Rebeca Andrade and Angelina Melnikova, so what history is on the line for two of the most decorated gymnasts ever? We size up breakout star Elena Colas and France, Great Britain on the team-final bubble, a veteran Netherlands team on home soil, Russia (competing as AIN), Canada, Spain and Brazil, then ask whether China has the vaults to go with its beam and bars. Plus a Man Break with Carlos Yulo, Casimir Schmidt and reports that Zhang Boheng is off China's roster, and our vault and beam final previews.
Club Gym Nerd members get every episode ad-free, live Q&A after every day of Worlds and hours of extra Rotterdam podcasts. Join Club Gym Nerd. Want a taste first? The Worlds Bundle: three months of Club Gym Nerd, one payment, no auto-renewal.
Our Worlds coverage is brought to you by Sand & Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Live shows
Rotterdam, Saturday October 24 after event finals, with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir
New York City, Friday December 4, with Katelyn Ohashi
Streaming and in-person tickets at gymcastic.com
Worlds tools
2026 World Championship Headquarters: the schedule in your time zone and the 2026 leaderboard
Worlds Roster Tracker
Elite Score Explorer
Chapters
00:00 Welcome + Sand & Sea Travel
01:15 Worlds schedule and what's on the line
02:24 The age of Andrade and Melnikova
05:23 Subdivision 6: France and Malaysia
11:35 Live shows: Rotterdam and NYC with Katelyn Ohashi
12:06 Subdivision 7: Great Britain and the Netherlands
20:00 Man Break: the men's all-around
27:50 Carlos Yulo, Casimir Schmidt and an upside-down iron cross
33:06 Updates: Worlds HQ leaderboard and the Worlds Bundle
35:47 Subdivision 8: Russia (AIN), Canada and Spain
43:43 Subdivision 9: Brazil and Switzerland
48:18 Vault preview
51:13 Subdivision 10: China and South Korea
1:00:52 Beam preview
1:03:33 See you in Rotterdam
Our daily Rotterdam podcasts start October 15 after women's podium training.

SafeSport has made Artur Akopyan, McKayla Maroney's former coach, permanently ineligible and suspended Galina Marinova for a year. Florida has removed Skylar Draser, Ly Bui and Lily Bruce from its roster. And days before Worlds, Russia still doesn't have its visas. Jessica and Spencer break it all down as they pack for Rotterdam.
This teaser is just the beginning. The full episode continues for Club Gym Nerd members with a recruiting-trip story, your questions on Danie Ferris and the Worlds entry list, U.S. vault dominance, the biomechanics of the Cheng, Kaylia Nemour and France, and more. Join Club Gym Nerd, or try the Worlds Coverage Bundle: three months of daily coverage from Rotterdam, no auto-renewal.
GymCastic Live: virtual tickets are on sale for Rotterdam with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir and New York City with Katelyn Ohashi.
Brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Everything you need for Worlds is at our 2026 World Championships Headquarters and Worlds Roster Tracker.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Behind the Scenes
02:56 Breaking: SafeSport sanctions Artur Akopyan and Galina Marinova
04:03 Cecile Landi to Worlds with Mexico; Gymnasts for Change in Rotterdam
05:01 Russia still waiting on Worlds visas
08:19 GymCastic Live in Rotterdam and New York City
08:53 Worlds withdrawals, including Jennifer Williams
11:12 Florida removes three gymnasts

Part one of our Rotterdam World Championships preview, subdivision by subdivision. Are the U.S. women the team favorites after seven straight world titles, and what counts as a successful Worlds for Skye Blakely, Hezly Rivera, Claire Pease, Reese Esponda and Charleigh Bullock? We size up Japan's first real shot at a team medal in 60 years with Aiko Sugihara and breakout star Misa Nishiyama, ask whether Kaylia Nemour is the all-around favorite, preview the floor and bars finals, and run through Germany, Romania, Australia, Belgium, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Belarus, Argentina, Ukraine and the individuals you shouldn't miss. Plus: the Worlds nominative roster scare and a Ukrainian report alleging Russian money behind the FIG.
Get every episode ad-free, live Q&A after every day of Worlds and hours of extra Rotterdam podcasts with Club Gym Nerd. Want a taste first? The Worlds Bundle gets you three months of Club Gym Nerd with no auto-renewal.
Our Worlds coverage is brought to you by Sand & Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
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!
Live shows: Rotterdam, Saturday October 24 after event finals, with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. New York City, Friday December 4, with Katelyn Ohashi. Streaming and in-person tickets at gymcastic.com.
Win a full commissioned episode: you pick the topic, we talk about it for an hour and a half. Enter the raffle by October 9.
Worlds tools: 2026 World Championship Headquarters (schedule in your time zone and the new leaderboard), Worlds Roster Tracker and the Elite Score Explorer.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome + Full Commission raffle
00:57 Breaking news: the Worlds roster scare
02:05 Report: Russian money and the FIG
05:34 Worlds schedule and what's on the line
09:45 Live shows: NYC with Katelyn Ohashi and Rotterdam
11:09 Subdivision 1: Is Team USA the favorite?
20:48 Germany, Romania and Amanda Yap
29:39 Subdivision 2: Japan, Australia and Belgium
36:16 Floor preview
40:35 Updates: Worlds HQ leaderboard and the Worlds Bundle
43:45 Subdivisions 3 and 4: Italy, Mexico, Sweden and Belarus
49:15 Subdivision 5: Kaylia Nemour, Argentina and Ukraine
58:16 Bars preview
Part two (France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Russia, Canada, China and a Man Break) is out next week. Our daily Rotterdam podcasts start October 15.

The 2026 U.S. women's World Championships team is set: Skye Blakely, Charleigh Bullock, Reese Esponda, Claire Pease and Hezly Rivera, with Dulcy Caylor as traveling alternate and Jade Carey as non-traveling alternate. Fresh off Day Two of World Team Trials in Tennessee, Jessica and Spencer break down why the five is the team, debate Jade's Cheng and the alternate decision, and run a lightning round on Rotterdam qualification and team final lineups.
This teaser is just the beginning of our weekly Behind the Scenes live Q&A. Club Gym Nerd members get the full 83-minute episode, ad-free: Jessica becomes tech support for the judges, Shilese Jones' comeback news, Rotterdam live show plans, gymnastics' floor music "Lore Horses," the case for the comebacks and more. Join Club Gym Nerd.
You pick the topic. We make the episode. Enter our Full Commission Raffle by October 9.
Brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Chapters
00:00 The 2026 U.S. Worlds Team Is Set
01:51 Jade Carey's Cheng and No Upgrades on Concrete
04:36 Day Two Recap: Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock on Beam
07:20 Dulcy Caylor vs. Jade Carey: The Alternate Debate
13:35 Lightning Round: Worlds Qualification and Team Final Lineups
21:27 New: World Headquarters, Score Explorer and Roster Lab
24:13 The Commission Raffle, Rotterdam Tee and How to Support Us
Links
U.S. Worlds Team Announcement
GymCastic 2026 Worlds Headquarters
Elite Score Explorer | LA 2028 Roster Lab
Join Club Gym Nerd | Episode page