GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

China are world team champions for the first time since 2006, ending the United States' run of seven straight titles by two tenths in the women's team final at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam. Japan won its first world team medal since 1966. We break down the beam rotation that decided it, the downgrade that cost Skye Blakely, Dulcy Caylor's beam and big floor, Claire Pease's Cheng and 56-point all-around, and why the Fujitsu D-scores belong on the live scoreboard. Plus France in fourth, a rough night for WG2 and Italy, the broken floor that was really the podium, and lunch with Jay Clark. Recorded live from inside Rotterdam Ahoy.
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GymCastic Live
GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST / 10:00 am PT, with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.
GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET, with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets on sale.
Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Limited time offer: make healthy eating simple. Get Huel with 15% off online with code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for supporting our show.
Chapters
00:00 China are world champions; U.S. silver, Japan bronze
01:41 How China broke the U.S. streak
04:22 Skye Blakely's beam and the D-score surprise
07:43 Chasing China on beam
10:31 Japan's first team medal since 1966
14:15 Show us the Fujitsu D-scores
17:42 The broken floor was the podium
19:36 Ellie Black's vault warm-up near miss
21:17 Moment of the day: Morgane Osyssek's floor
23:23 Club Gym Nerd and GymCastic Live
25:28 China's gold, rotation by rotation
31:07 Huel
33:27 Team USA's silver: vault, Claire Pease's Cheng, the bunnies
37:37 U.S. floor and the all-around outlook
40:36 WG2, Italy and the double-pike curse
44:30 France in fourth
47:16 Lunch with Jay Clark and the FIG judging system
50:20 Canada and Brazil
54:42 Japan's Fujitsu award and the podium
57:41 Live Q&A: Fact Checker update, all-around picks, France, the U.S. men
1:10:16 Wrap
Show notes and links · 2026 World Championship Headquarters

The floor broke again. A Dutch gymnast flagged the corner of the floor during the men's team final at the 2026 World Championships, nine years after Bart Deurloo did the same in Montreal. Japan won the world team title despite late falls, the Russian team competing as WG2 took silver and China held on for bronze, while Great Britain's medal hopes came apart one error at a time. Plus when the FIG will update its equipment standards, a final that ran past 10:30 at night, and robot judges catching every out-of-bounds. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy.
This is the free 18-minute preview. The full 42-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 24 more minutes, more than half of the show, including Fact Checker's note from the KLM crew, Japan in depth, Team USA's women's team final lineup, the U.S. men in sixth and our women's team final preview. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.
GymCastic Live
GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST (10:00 am PT), with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.
GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets.
Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to the men's team final
01:00 Japan wins the world team title
02:01 The floor breaks again
04:09 When will the FIG update its equipment standards?
06:16 Russia, not Russia, and the missing headshots
07:17 Great Britain's heartbreak
09:57 China holds on for bronze
11:16 Too late at night to compete
12:32 Robot judges and the out-of-bounds epidemic
13:31 GymCastic Live in Rotterdam with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir
14:11 Switzerland and the last-rotation falls
15:55 Join Club Gym Nerd for the rest
17:25 Club preview: the arena's location tag
2026 World Championships Headquarters: every session in your time zone, every qualified team and gymnast.
Episode page and show notes

When beams attack. Great Britain counted a full beam meltdown and missed the team final by less than two-tenths, Flávia Saraiva's vault got Brazil in, and Kaylia Nemour leads the all-around even with mistakes. China survived a rare bars disaster to qualify first, the Russian team competing as WG2 is third with its B team, and Skye Blakely held on to a bars final spot. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy after day two of women's qualification at the 2026 World Championships.
This is the free 25-minute preview. The full 51-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 26 more minutes, more than half of the show, including the hair dryer story, a Fact Checker update, and every subdivision in depth: France, Sanne Wevers' last routine, Canada's floor secret and Brazil. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.
GymCastic Live
GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST (10:00 am PT), with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.
GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets.
Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Rotterdam, day two
01:23 Breaking news from the Spanish federation
02:55 Kaylia Nemour leads the all-around
08:45 China qualifies first
12:06 Flávia Saraiva saves Brazil
14:18 Russia, not Russia, in third
15:34 Great Britain's beam meltdown
16:47 Becky Downie delivers
18:36 Biggest surprise: Skye Blakely makes the bars final
19:48 Opportunities for comedy
21:08 Best moments: Hillary Heron and the Thriller
23:18 Join Club Gym Nerd for the rest
24:45 Club preview: the hair dryer story
2026 World Championships Headquarters: every session in your time zone, every qualified team and gymnast.
Episode page and show notes

Hezly Rivera is out, Dulcy Caylor is in, and Skye Blakely had the day of her life. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy after day one of women's qualification at the 2026 World Championships: Team USA leads with no falls, Italy is one floor hit from something special, Japan counted three misses, and Mexico beat Belgium and Romania. Plus robot judging downgrades Carlos Yulo's vault, Manila Esposito's perfect-execution beam and Sabrina Voinea's raven.
This is the free 26-minute preview. The full 74-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 48 more minutes, nearly two-thirds of the show, including Team USA event by event, the men's qualification recap, the Gymnasts for Change boat party and your letters. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.
GymCastic Live in Rotterdam on October 24 with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir is sold out in person, but virtual tickets are still available.
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
01:17 Breaking news: Hezly Rivera withdraws, Dulcy Caylor in
03:07 Jade Carey and the "stay-at-home alternate"
05:34 Hezly's blanket
07:44 Robot judging: Carlos Yulo's vault downgrade and Frederick Richard's floor deduction
11:12 Team USA leads after day one
13:44 Skye Blakely leads the all-around
15:10 Claire Pease and the Cheng
16:36 Mexico beats Belgium and Romania
19:22 Opportunities for comedy: Sabrina Voinea's raven
21:30 Scott Bregman's Gymnastipedia
22:38 Manila Esposito's beam and Marta Pihan-Kulesza
24:28 Join Club Gym Nerd for the rest
25:32 Club preview: Cécile Landi's story
Links
Episode page
2026 World Championships Headquarters
Worlds Coverage Bundle: 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99
Rotterdam Worlds Roster Tracker

Day two of women's podium training at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam. Kaylia Nemour had a mixed day on bars and vault, Russia brought a full team without Angelina Melnikova and still looked good, and the qualification lists have turned into chaos. Plus Rebeca Andrade's vault, the judges who coach from the sidelines, and why Fact Checker is in the hospital.
This is the free 21-minute preview. The full 47-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 26 more minutes, more than half the show, including our full conversation with Aliya Mustafina and the live Club Q&A. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.
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 podium training, day two
01:07 Rebeca Andrade on vault
02:18 Watching the judges up close
04:58 A Tim Gunn for every event
05:29 Will Andrade's Lopez get layout credit?
06:39 Kaylia Nemour: bars, beam and vault
09:34 GymCastic Live in Rotterdam with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir
10:58 Russia's B team
13:25 The qualification and registration chaos
16:51 The French team vs. the beam sticker
18:11 Aliya Mustafina, and our conversation continues for Club members
20:03 Why Fact Checker is in the hospital
Links
Episode page
2026 World Championships Headquarters
Worlds Coverage Bundle: 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99
Rotterdam Worlds Roster Tracker