News Updates
– More about New Zealand Olympic eligibility, and clarification on how the US elite committee’s No-Melanies rule applies to other athletes
– essica is heading to national team camp! What are we most looking forward to seeing 5 months out from the Olympic team being named?
College Season—Week 4
– Big ranking moves from Kentucky and UCLA, and an important Corrupt or Correct about the Chae Campbell 10.000/9.900 split on floor
– The scoring broke Bart Conner, plus the major problem of where the judges are sitting
– Big upsets and emotionally devastating injuries defined the week, and Jessica copes by creating the world’s first feet-free beam routine
– Janelle McDonald’s face suffered the best rogue high five of the week, and there was a heinous scoring graphic that destroyed Spencer’s life
– Plus, how many presents does Emma Malabuyo deserve after the travel schedule she is attempting next month?
Elite and Gymternet News
– Gymnastics Australia’s CEO stepped down, Georgia did a Very Serious Balloon Violation, which made us reminisce fondly over the that time they enjoyed a Broadway show and lost a scholarship the beam layout stepout turned the big 5-0.
– Plus, your feedback on attending meets in person, best practices for having your teeth knocked out, the scourge of beat jumps and cat leaps, and all this horrible gum chewing!
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Whave some opportunities for comedy this week, some further opportunities for comedy. Not the foot free beam routine Jessica just created.. So we have a new award, apparently, which is the high five on the face of the week, because as we’ve discussed, gymnasts can do beam routines but cannot walk on the ground.
They also cannot high five. And we maybe need to integrate this into early training, like how you always say ballet should be integrated into early training. High five lessons I think are really an underrated point and we need to work on them more because it’s getting to be a problem.
As Janelle McDonald learn this week Remember the show is PG 13, so you might hear a naughty word or two. Norberts is having a sale on Taiwanese chalk. You can get the whole block. Go to Norbert Stock. Common stock calm now, you guys for. A 10% discount off anything with the code Jim.
Tastic just Jim tastic You don’t need any months attached just. GymCastic. Novus is also giving away a 50. Dollars Norbert gift card that can be used on anything in their online store. No minimum. Just follow Norbert Athletic on Instagram and then like and comment on the giveaway post. It’s been a big week.
Updates on the New Zealand situation. The Anti Melani enforcement rule and our elite system in the U.S.. Shakeups and defeats. In NCAA meets. We have a corrupt or correct on Chae Campbell’s Black Panther floor routine. It’s the 50th anniversary of the layout step. Out on beam. And Georgia suffers from NCAA violations. Discuss.
It’s January 29th, 2024 and welcome to the number one gymnastics podcast in the galaxy I’m just got them here with Spencer from the balancing situation and. I would like to start this week with something that explains in the one video.
But if you’re you can watch along with us this is a video posted by Iowa of MIT, mostly the Michigan State team, but it’s an Iowa gymnast and a MSU gymnast having a dance off in a circle all together. This is why we love and it’s they’re going so hard, these two.
It is. This is why Carina Munoz and Skyler Schultz always make our list of the ones who are doing it correctly. As in the most on floor. Yes, I would. This is why if there’s going to be another tour, I would like these two to be on the
Tour because they’re flirty and they could do one together. That would be. But this is what I’m saying, because they’re they’re great dancers. They’re doing it all. And I will posted this about the two of them dancing together like this is why we love
College gymnastics, because it’s just like fun and the like, the competition is there, but it’s like. Who cares if the other you’re having a dance off for the other team anyway. There’s less competition. More art is what I’m saying, depending. On who you are.
And also a good lesson that floor performance is not an in the moment thing. It’s a lifestyle. You live your ability to perform on floor through every moment. Even if you’re not being scored for a floor routine right then, as they have shown us. Exactly. Thank you, Spencer. That is the lesson. Okay.
We have an update on the. Courtney McGregor situation. So McGregor, athlete New Zealand Olympian went to Boise State tore Achilles couldn’t do Tokyo medical school comes back we talked about it last week has been training and then suddenly was told f you didn’t compete for the last few years so basically you can’t
Do any athlete means you can’t qualify to Paris. So the question that we had about this was like, well, what about Georgia? Rose Brown? Because Georgia Rose Brown, great Australian athlete. This is not having anything to do with her or super stoked for her. But why is she allowed to.
Compete in these meets for New Zealand when Courtney McGregor is not so? Georgia was bound, Brown got switched her nationality to New Zealand, which is fine. Everybody can do that. But normally there’s a two or three year waiting period to compete. But what we found out, yeah.
Georgia rolls out a three year rule between the last time you competed for your original nationality is what the rules say. And then they say, but there is an exception if you get approval from everybody. Yes. And she got the exception. So thank you to the reporting from inside the games.
She did get the exception, which means that she does not have to sit out despite having competed for Australia in a world championships or an Olympics. She was in the Liverpool world. She competed for Australia. She is allowed to go ahead and compete for New Zealand. So this explains a lot, I think.
I think New Zealand was like, You’re you’re going to be our Olympian. Here we go. To George Rose Brown. Which good for her. Then do what you have to do. It’s a competition. So that’s the update about that bump for Courtney McGregor and hope that she sticks around.
But also medical school and the Legion masks at the same time. How do these these are not normal people, you guys. This is what I want. They’re not normal people that don’t play yourself to elite gymnasts, just in case you attempt it. You’re not like them. Don’t come back.
I’m just saying, like maybe you are. You’re one of those. Exceptional people, like the 15 doctors who are like. Full time doctors and also judge gymnastics on the weekends because, you know. But anyway, you guys, that’s that’s what I’m saying. Okay. We also have an update on the what. We’re calling the.
No, we changed your mind, Melanie can’t compete raw. So last year, Melanie de, his sister Santos of France, competed at the US classic. It was amazing. And we got some mon and Melanie together. Melanie got to be coached by her WCC coaches, Cecile in the role. It was this the happy.
It was like a giant party, almost like a college meet. That’s how much fun it was. And then we got news in the IEC minutes, the International Committee minutes, that they were like, We’re going to go ahead and enforce the rules this year. So, Spencer, can you explain? Can you explain?
No, I can’t. But one of the things I wanted to go back to that we talked about last week was we questioned what the actual definition of a foreign athlete is, because in the elite committee minutes in their meeting, they said they’ve decided that foreign athletes can’t compete at Winter
Cup US classic this year. And we were questioning how does that apply to an athlete that maybe has U.S. citizenship but has an fig license used, maybe used to have enough idealize for the U.S. now has an RFID license for another country who’s qualified for the Olympics? Can Luisa Blanco compete?
Can only a Finnegan compete? Malibu? Yeah. How does it apply to that? So in the U.S., AG elite rules and policy is they do specifically use the language to describe what for an athlete means. And it says, quote, They represented another country in international competition, regardless of citizenship.
So that tells us that if you your representing another country you classify are classified as a foreign athlete and generally while you know, sorting through the U.S. ag rules and policies will make anyone like maybe resort to arson or something as you try to be like
When I wait, what does this apply to and how is this section different from the one six pages ago that says the exact same thing but also kind of different? And maybe it starts to be about tops and then it’s about senior women’s elite and you’re like, I can’t even deal with this.
But basically when reading the USA rules and policies, they absolutely have cover to deny participation to Melanie And all of these means they are they can point to, you know, paragraph C of blah, blah, blah. They absolutely have cover.
I think what they still need to answer is why they were okay with very reasonably applying exception standards to Melanie last year to compete at U.S. Classic, even though that’s on the pathway to world championship selection. But they’re not this year. What changed or what are you reacting to?
And this is what I’ve always asked. I’ve like and I’ve suggested this to a committee member as well as like. When you make. Rules and you’re on a committee. Like the way that it works. In, say, U.S. government is there’s committee meetings.
They discuss what they’re going to do with a rule or what they’re going to do with the law. They look at evidence, they look at studies, and there’s a meeting minutes that talk about their reasoning for things. Why? Why are we not going to do this? Why are we going to do this?
Sometimes there’s tape recordings of the meetings, right? Well, I wish USA Gymnastics. And then so many great things with transparency. Is way better than it used to be. You guys just trust me. It it really is. They’ve made so much progress. But what I wish is that they would.
Have a notation about why they made decisions. And the reason for that is not only for the sake of everyone understanding and not wondering why this was done, why was it why did they go against their own policy one year and then follow their policy the next year?
But also it’s because you want to be able to look back like say. There’s someone that’s on this committee for the first time. They don’t know the reasons for why things were done in the past. They can go back and look at effectively a legislative history of why these rules were
Made, like what happened in 1980 when we used to invite foreign athletes or what? You know, I’m using this as an example. We used to invite foreign athletes to train with us. We learned so much from them. Why are we, you know, not allowing it now?
So why not just say what we found was it would be fine if it was an athlete that nobody knew. But because Melanie is so. Popular. Internationally, we felt. She got. You know, too much of the media attention and or something like that. I mean, Simone was there.
Like clearly, you know, Melanie did not get all the media attention, but. You know, just put a little note in there. Why did we make this decision? And then someone can go back and look and just saying we’re following the policy is not really an answer. I think. So.
We don’t know what we still don’t know why. Let’s talk about some other headlines that are happening. Yes, this is one. Of the headlines I think it’ll leave before we get to college gymnastics, because if you haven’t heard what people are still upset about, the scores, sunrise, sunset, but elite
Things to talk about your go international team camp. We’re T-minus five months until the U.S. Olympic team is named at this point. So I want to talk about anticipation for this elite camp, national team camp. What is what are we looking out for? What’s happening, first of all?
QUESTION So this is not a selection camp for any means, right? Or camp No. Okay. Because I know. For seniors or juniors, it’s not a selection camp. Yes, that is my is my assumption as well. Although the selection procedures for like Stuttgart and yes, allow are not on the USA
Website yet which would be helpful. Last year winter camp was used as a competition as the selection competition for seniors for those meet. So I would assume it’s the same this year. We want to talk about something. Weird that happened. If you. Came across this page.
On Flip Now, which is USA Gymnastics, a streaming service that they have. There was a page that said that they were. Streaming camp on February 5th, and now we just went back to confirm it. And now the page is gone. It was quietly removed.
It was surprising to us to begin with because as far as we know, this is not a selection camp. And the USCG has typically not streamed the meet if it wasn’t a selection for anything. So we were surprised and pleased like, we get more exposure, but is this real? It seems like no.
It’s going to be there. and. We are having our live podcast. The day after in the morning. So we’ll talk about it and I’ll tell you everything that I saw that. the things that I’m kind of looking for like this, these are my. Questions and I’m going into camp with.
I you know, there’s. Number one, obviously, I really like how Simona is doing, right. Is she. Did she is she going for some crazy things so she can have also a skill named after her on. Bars? Like I don’t think that’s going to happen. But, you know, where is she? How’s she doing?
What she up to? Is there anything fun she’s adding or she’s just like, these are my routines. I can do them in my sleep. This is what I’m doing. Also, I’m looking at, you know, we don’t know who’s going to be at camp yet, but I’m very
Interested to see how Jordan and Jade are doing if they come to camp versus somebody like Trinity and how they’re all doing. We also did find out that Trinity is going to compete at Winter Cup and do all around. So that’s exciting.
So I don’t know if she’ll come because she has two weeks still till Winter Cup. You’ve got two veteran athletes have been around long enough to be like, I know what I need, I know what I need to go to and what I doubt. And this is what’s happening.
And that’s one among the reasons we love the adult women, veteran athletes competing because they’re like, No, I know what I’m doing. Listen to me. And that’s the smart thing about like, go to Winter. Cup now, qualify two championships, and then you can just pace yourself and pick right
At the end of the championships. You don’t have to do any of these classics or any of this stuff or go to camp or whatever. Just qualify yourself now and then you take a nap because you know famously how this very important sermon has our hour and a half nap every day.
The other thing I’m. Looking for is at the juniors, because there is and thanks the gym for dot net you know we love the gym forgot net here and we link to them in every show. They have a.
List of who’s training senior and 2024 and if you scroll down to the US you can see who’s turning senior. And I’m really interested in. Who of these juniors because there’s always one is going to all of a sudden show. Up and. Snatch one of those senior spots who thought they were safe.
Maybe they already went to an Olympics, or maybe they’ve been on all the world teams. Maybe they may make all the finals. And then there’s a junior who’s. Like, I’m new to this and I’m taking all the spots. anybody going to bust. Out something as just somebody we haven’t. Really paid attention to.
Who all of a sudden has been waiting in the wings and they’re going to have a 7.0 bar routine and all of a sudden we’re like, my God, they hit a seven point on bar routine all the time.
How do you leave this person off an Olympic team, which obviously we think they want because we think they’re just going to go and all around order as usual. But that’s. Kind of. That’s what I’m I’m looking at. Yeah. Who would be?
And I think too to that point but about not juniors I’m interested to see if there’s someone who has like the Jordan Chiles pathway of last Olympic cycle like 2 seconds ago. But you know the it wasn’t even a quad, but it feels like it was 900 years ago.
But the last Olympics were about heading into the Olympic year. The narrative on Jordan Chiles last time was still very like all the talent in the world. Of course, she hasn’t put it together. She hasn’t put it together consistently. She hasn’t shown her hit difficulty in meets.
And then we really saw her emerge through 2021 as, not only are you now a contender when we have kind of written you off, but you are a lock for this team. At a certain point in that process, as she kept finishing third all around and hitting
And so I want to see if we see the germ or the birth of that for someone else who is just like I figured it out at exactly the right time. And now all of the talent that I have shown since I was a junior and you’ve been excited
About forever is all crystallized coming to fruition right at the exact correct time? Yes. And we will discuss it. Together as a family on Tuesday. That Tuesday, after speaking of which, some gymnastic updates, We are going to be at U.S. national team camp this week.
So you are going to be a U.S. national team campus. I’m going to be there. You’re going to be comfortably at home. You’ll be a little spreadsheet. With wings on one of my. Shoulders. That’s what have.
So we’re going to do a live podcast from camp, which is always open to our club members, and that’ll be our regular show as well. So that’s Tuesday, February 6th at 8 a.m. Pacific, 10 a.m. Texas time. So I think that’s 11.
So take your lunch break early so you can join us live. 411 Eastern. 11 Eastern, Yeah, 11 Eastern. 8 a.m. Pacific. So that’s on this coming Tuesday, February 6th. If you’re not already a club member, this is one of the reasons to join these kind of behind the scenes special episodes for everyone.
College and Cocktails is Friday night, 8 p.m. Pacific. Yes. So this February 2nd, Friday, we’re doing 8 p.m. Pacific. So the main meat we’re focusing on is going to be Oregon State against Utah, who we haven’t really talked about in college and cocktails yet this year.
But we wanted to wait until eight Pacific to start it because we also want to finish watching Oklahoma and Cal. Both are at Oregon State and they’re the one and two teams and they’re going to be at the same meet. So that’s kind of important to watch and talk about maybe.
So we’re going to do that as well. So eight Pacific, so it’s a little later, but you know, just gives you time to get booze a year before we start, which is always great. The reveling relevé revolution meet. That’s what I’m calling it. Oklahoma versus Cal, the precision off.
Also fact Checker would like to remind everyone that the drink for this week, which everyone has access to on the forum, is up in the rankings and it requires some prep that has to start now unless like fact checker who’s a total like chef nerd, you have a chamber vacuum
Sealer, then you can do it in like 10 minutes right before the show starts, like Fact Checker does. So also our new power rankings are up Fantasy Gymnastics. We have a new YouTube show which we just give you all the updates. Who’s a steal? How much is a ten going to cost you?
Who are the people that you should add. To your roster? Who’s on a. Buy so that is up now. You can check it out on YouTube. we have a live show, Virtual Pass. It’s only available to club gym members were doing for live shows this year and Sears is
The first one that we’re doing. Infamous the. NCAA. NCAA championships and say live show infamous for all the shenanigans that go down and how extremely fun it is and so that you’re going to get for your live show tickets, virtual tickets for the price of three. And that’s only available club members.
And before they go away after that first live show and of course, we have the Gymnastic Fantasy league in beta right now with weekly prizes. And this week for week four, we are adding a mini commission winner. check out Jim Cast sitcom for all the details.
If you want to share your favorite moments on the socials from the show, we love to share those. So if you want to share the audio, the video, anything you like, we always like to share those. So thank you so much to everybody who’s who’s sharing what they. Enjoyed with the show.
All right. College headlines, the rankings. Drama, quite some drama. Yeah, I think there was some drama this week about some upsets. I think the big ranking news, the big ranking mover this week was Kentucky going from number seven, moving up to number three, which is a huge deal for Kentucky.
Top two ranked team in the SCC right now, which if you know anything about the SCC, they care about that. So it’s kind of a big deal if you are Kentucky and you can be like guess who’s ranked ahead
Of Florida and LSU it was kind of a thing so Kentucky scored a 190 795 which tied Cal for the highest score of the week this week to ten point OU’s Mackenzie Wilson on vault who we talked about who has emerged as the monarch monarch of club Handspring pick half
In Kentucky’s vault lineup because they have three of the six vaults in the lineup are Handspring pick outs, which they have for several years now. But now she is like, you know what? I’ve got sticks. And so she stuck and got a ten Rayna Worley floor time.
You kind of felt like this was like coronation for Kentucky and the way it was being scored and everything was like, I feel like it’s one of those things where you’re like, this whole meet existed to build toward Rayna Worley, finishing the meeting, getting a ten on floor. And then she did.
And you were like, Yes, this is what happened. I mean, did you expect that to happen based on Jenny Hanson? Was there the three time national champion and Ryan got TV time? Are Ryan the greatest Kentucky fan of all time? So, you know, it was a great meet all around.
And Kentucky’s in third. It’s so I think it is as much as we are frustrated by how you know ratings are being evaluated which we’ll get to in a second. It is fun that we’re seeing Caleb. Number two, Kentucky at number three, teams that have typically or at least recently been
In the top, but have not been like second and third spots that are usually we see like Florida there, Utah there. And so it is exciting to see different names there and I think warranted based on the quality of gymnastics we’re seeing.
I have no issue with Kentucky, like even though the scores, you can look at them and be like, all right, let’s settle down for everyone. I have no issue with Kentucky currently ranking as the top SCC team based on quality of gymnastics. Yeah, I don’t think that’s inaccurate.
I don’t think any other team in that conference has shown the quality of routines to justifiably say no, we should be ahead of Kentucky. And they they need to do this. Before Rayna Worley graduates. First of all, I mean, in my heart, yeah.
Mizzou is the number one team and the SEC just for style and enthusiasm, joy of gymnastics. But yes, Kentucky. They’re very good. They’re very good. UCLA had their. First home meet. And they they fixed a lot based on what we had talked about, you know, last week, The surprise is low ranking.
They sort of figured it out and figured it out enough for a big score in this one, 190 7825 at home. They moved up from number 15 to number 11. I think you feel like they’re on a better path after seeing at least five of six routines and lineups.
You know, they went for like Florida. They kind of went for it on vault. They put up Paige on a stasis. Yurchenko One and a half, which she had been in the lineup with a fall before they went for the one and a half. She fell.
They were able to drop the score like Florida putting up Ellie Lazare is one and a half, and she fell. They were able to drop it, so they went for the risk and felt like it’s January and can do that. So they had to drop some falls.
I’m still, you know, equally as concerned about how the past lineup is going to go in Malibu. Yeah, I wasn’t there. I know who was in place of her full schedule. my God. I know. It’s so stressful. I’m like, Good for you, Emma.
But they have, like, flop sweat thinking about, like, what she has to do and, like, all the planning and the, like, all the scheduling. I’m like, this is again, they’re not like us. Yes. Is it so stressful just thinking like, you’re so stressful for me?
But with UCLA, going back to the performance this weekend, emphasizing what we already knew, that this floor rotation will win the meets and that this is the highlight and can take a me that was good, but not a huge ranking performance like a solid me through three
Rotations and then turn it into one of the top scores of the weekend because of what they’re able to do on floor positions one through six. Also, I will say the crux of the problem with the judging that I should never have to be annoyed after a Brooklyn March floor routine.
But now, because of the scoring, I am annoyed after a Brooklyn Morse floor routine and that is a mean thing to do to me because I should just be like, This is correct. This is correct floor. But you’re going to make me mad.
Be mad now when she lands short on a front puck and gets a995, I’m like, What are we doing here? This is why I tell you to never pay attention to the scores. It will ruin calls with matchsticks for you. God, why don’t you just listen to me?
Finally, if you want to enjoy the sport, don’t never look at the prize. But I don’t listen to you. But yeah, I think the score overall, the roller coaster that was the scoring of UCLA floor rotation was a prime example of like, none of us know what we’re doing here and none
Of us are on the same page with what we’re looking for. Because if you watched these routines, you’re like, Wait, how is that higher than that one? What are we what are we doing here? And then what are we doing there? Niya Reid goes, her two passes. Fantastic. No notes, Brilliant, wonderful.
She basically tripped on her pass like something went weird. It was not normal. When she did Split Lip full, she kind of got around. But then when she rebounded at her wolf jump fall attempt, she had to like, swing her arms and swing her legs to try to fake it.
It was bouncing around on landing and it was like a good save. But also somehow she got nine, 9 to 5, which ties her season high like. So that just didn’t matter. We just didn’t see that. And then she goes, and I this is what I want to ask about.
I want to correct or correct the shake. Yeah. What’s going on in the background with why while we discuss it. Because then you saw how the floor scoring was going in this meet and then she does Shea
On floor and you’re like, well this is getting a ten how if if the previous routines were nine 9 to 5 995, this is obviously going to be a ten. And then first of all, her music didn’t start quite right.
And it’s like, okay, well, this is not like you’re just treating Shea’s floor routine like you think it’s some other floor routine where it’s like she can’t start a nanosecond off the music. It ruins the whole moment. Like it’s like, Do these people not understand?
This is not just like some Wizard of Oz dancing at a level ten. Like this is Shea Campbell. This is important. Then she goes, You thought for sure it was going to be a ten. She gets a ten, nine, nine split from the two judges. And I want to know your evaluation.
What do we think was one judge who which judge was corrupt? Which judge was correct? What are we doing here? So this is the thing. First of all, I. Want to say when I talked about her not being
At full strength when they did the meet the Bruins and just not doing her full dance and I couldn’t wait to see it being full out. This is what I’m talking about. This is the full out dance. And not just like marking it, but actually like going for it. And it’s so fantastic.
So this is the thing, watching this routine she does her full and first pass. Her legs are a tiny bit separated, but she lands perfectly upright and we know that they don’t do what. Happens in the air stays in the air. And NCAA gymnastics, they don’t say that in the trainings.
Like they say like don’t use all 3/10 of deductions because these are top athletes. The amplitude, I would. Say in her second pass. You could take for that. But do the judges ever take for that? Because you’re doing it like a front lay out front fall just to fulfill a requirement.
You could take for amplitude. But then she does her double back and also lands perfectly upright, takes a totally controlled step, basically sticks it what this is I don’t. Understand on the split I don’t know where that 10th. A whole 10th, not a half, a 10th is coming from.
I feel like the other judge, probably the yes, there’s. Deductions, but so are there in every single ten we see in NCAA gymnastics. It’s so hard for us to find an actual ten NCAA gymnastics that by the code which is
The level ten code, the death code they’re supposed to be using, that’s a real one. So for the standard of gymnastics, especially sexy gymnastics, this is a ten. I feel like this is one of those routines that cannot be a ten because of the built in form deduction on the full 22.
All talk which is staggered knees shins apart foot position. I feel like you can just you can’t I’m saying this is what I’m getting by. If you are reading the code and doing the assignment as a judge, you’re taking a full 10th for that is then taking a full 10th skewing the ranking.
Yeah, because that’s not how everyone is being evaluated. But if you are deducting for Audrey Davison’s bars dismount and she’s scoring like nine, eight, seven, five or nine 925, even though it’s so much better than everyone else.
But also similarly I think has is like a perfectly wonderful routine in almost every way, but has a built in form deduction that you kind of have to take every time it’s similar. So if you’re not giving if Audrey Davis isn’t giving a ten, I’m getting a ten.
She Campbell isn’t getting a ten on floor. I kind of feel like that’s a similar, similar situation, but again, reinforces inconsistency because. Right, I did. Both. Yeah. Just to give it a ten. Right. I’m upset because one judge did their job and actually judged it correctly, which is
You took deductions in the air, which are real. Deductions, whereas most of the time we see judges not take that. So the nine nine judge, we’re actually commending you for doing your job. We’re just upset. Because not all judges are as responsible as you are. That’s what I’m saying.
And this is the whole problem. That’s why I. Ignore the scores. So it’s fair. And I know you don’t listen to me because I tell you to go against your very nature. Your spreadsheet hurt. But, you know, there it is. Yeah.
It’s truly math phobic of you in a way that I hurt you. Really? You know, denying my internal nature. All right, So one of my favorite things that has happened lately is that, and by favorite, I mean horrible because we’ve broken Bart Conner and that’s. resizable.
Of gymnastics to do because he’s a treasure and that’s not allowed. But even Bart had to go on Twitter about the scoring because he was so upset about it. Bart Conner and on a Twitter rant, Bart Conner, you guys are great.
But also I feel like just let Bart be did upset Bart, but here are some of my favorite choice quotes. The weakest link in the entire ecosystem of women’s college gymnastics is the lack of consistent quality. Judging all of the athletes. Most coaches and most schools do a fantastic job. They deserve better.
A98 has become participation metal thing. Boom. Problem is that there’s no meaningful separation in scores between good, great and exquisite performances anymore. There are many, many excellent gymnastics judges out there, but some, I am afraid, don’t have the continuing education and training to see these things, and some just don’t have
The guts to throw a96. This poetry, it’s sheer poetry. This was very generous of Bart. They just don’t have a continuing education. No, they literally are told in their training now. Open to interpretation, I would say, by some people. But I think and this is the problem, it’s open to interpretation.
They are not operating by the code that they’re supposed to be operating, which is the deaf national level ten code. That’s what they’re supposed to be using. That is the actual problem with this whole system. But I do love, of course, Mark Connor, because he was just like, well, they’re you know,
They’re doing their jobs. They’re just you know, they’re not they’re not getting the continuing education. So for of them to say so, not blame me. So then anything else about BART that you want to add. No I mean you you had an enthusiastic and that and so I’m excited to see where that
Was going. then grandma then we talked about this a little. On on college and cocktails on Friday. But Greg Mars, then godfather of. An NCAA gymnastics. Who wants nothing to do with this bullshit anymore. Nothing said If I am nominated for any committees, I will decline. If I am.
Elected, I will decline to serve like he is. So done with this because he has been fighting this fight. He was. A. 30 plus years. He was an NCAA coach trying to get these rules changed and couldn’t get them change. And so he’s done with you. He’s done with everyone.
So his response was opposed from 2023 where he said. Look, yeah, these are all the problems. And basically we. We need. Number two, mishandling of the college code of points composition requirements. I would just like to interrupt you and say I’m five years old because you just said we need to.
Number two in his. Why is NCAA scoring here again? Number three, increase in coaches, fans and some social media call for higher or even 10.0 scores. Number four, no oversight. How many times have we said this on the show? No oversight or accountability for judges?
No oversight or accountability for the judges resulting in selective application of required deductions with no repercussions. In some instances, the judging seems almost performative. Exactly. Hence us being mad at a judge for doing their actually actual job about Jay Campbell’s. And by us I mean me.
Shake Campbell’s floor and he goes on to talk about the stuff that we’ve talked about previously. The you know, the women’s judging association needs to be professionalized and and what, you know, Bart also went on and one of his rants was so exciting and he was like, you
Know what needs to be done? We need an answer for this. And I’m like, yeah, what. Needs to be done is the NCAA. A $3 billion organization, needs to actually hire the judges and regulate. This like they do for other sports.
They do it at regionals and championships, but the whole rest of the year, it’s the coaches evaluate the judges. You guys are not making that up. You didn’t you you didn’t you don’t have to stop or pause or go back. The coaches evaluate the judges.
So of course, they invested in a and that’s a system that they benefit from. So this is the whole problem. And I very much enjoyed being like Greg Mars was like, you had me for all these years. You should have done what I said a long time ago.
So basically I’m electing to have a theme to go to the NCAA and. Kick some ass. She seems to be the only one that can get things done. So Tabby Stanford, it’s up to you. Yeah. If you’re the peacemaker, the. Only one that’s, like, neutral in the system.
Or we need more, more things to happen, like the Tennessee. Tipping Point meet. And so. All the coaches that. Have benefited from this judging for years will want an overhaul. suffering a kind of a bit of a Greg Marsden situation in that I don’t know.
I feel like every year we have like, here’s our solution for judging. And then it’s like. All right, yeah. It’s about nothing difference. They don’t change anything. So I’m like, Yeah, all right. I mean, change whatever you want.
But I will say one thing I want to add to the like discussion of obviously things need to be adjusted, changed, fixed. All of that is the problem of the judges angle. Just really noticing at this Alabama Florida meet that was on ESPN2.
So we had like, you know, the good camera angles and the good camerawork, which we don’t always have on a lot of broadcast, but we saw this happen very specifically and distinctly on Lila’s Arias bars routine. So she’s in the past lineup this week, does a beautiful routine.
Dismounts hops to the side toward Coach Owen Field, who is, you know, fist pumping and being like, you know what, my job is skeleton. My job is to to use my enthusiasm to try to get you a ten.
I’m not spotting anything right now, but I’m going to try to get you a ten. She hops to the side right toward him. Are we surprised that the judge, who is angled very specifically so that he is looking at Owen and can’t see anything?
Was the judge at the top end of the crazy range on this dismount? No, we’re not surprised because if you watching from the camera angle we have, what was this judge even able to see. Owen’s body, which is great. I enjoy a view of Owen, I think.
But, I mean, you know, you you can’t have it all. You either get some of Owen’s, but. Or you don’t get to see the dismount. Everybody, when you. You’re just hang. You. It’s crystallized the situation that we the you know. All.
150,000 people, whoever however many will see many people watch this meet 150,000. All of us watching at home had a better angle than this judge did in order to evaluate this landing. So, of course, we’re upset about the scoring, making no sense because we had the better
View and could see more accurately what happened. And so I think this happens all the time. Any discussion of how to improve future college judging has to it to me has to acknowledge that sitting at a card table, it’s kind of near the apparatus is insufficient in the
Year 2020 for that video review and multiple angles has to be part of any future judging solution. I recognize there are a lot of problems with that, namely like expense and speed and many other things, but those have to be okay. Now how do we deal with those problems and manage them?
Because you can’t just sit at one angle kind of low, kind of behind some coaches at floor level especially, and expect to be able to give an accurate score because so many judges are simply not sitting in a position to do their job. Being an apparatus level is a much better way.
Even though they’re spread out, they’re on one side, which is a problem, but they’re spread out across the whole length of the apparatus. But yeah, this is a problem because if you should be able to spot, but if you’re in a
Real position to spot, then you’re always going to be blocking the landing in some way because you have to be close to the bar to spot this case. Someone thinks. the horror, some upsets that happened this week. my. God. This meet was so close. Florida lost at home to Alabama. yeah, it was.
It doesn’t typically happen. Yeah. No. Even if the scores were so close. Jessica Yes, it was super exciting. Luisa Blanco doing her layout Step Out. Series on Beam last. Leo Step out with her fingers. Perfect. Upside down. it’s so beautiful. It’s so beautiful, guys. And then LSU lost to Missouri. At Missouri.
I got that team, you guys, this was. That was also a great meet. Yeah, but they had all kinds. Of problems on floor LSU did. And Missouri was like anything. You’re welcome. For us being joyful and. Happy the whole time, even though they had a crazy falling on beam, they had. Sienna Shriver.
Yeah, Sienna Shriver, who’s their ninja on the and fell off. And they were like, No problem, we’ve got this. We’ll still win. It was good that was a great meet. Very exciting. So these upsets can still happen, even not following the rules. Not following the rules is what they love.
Love, not following the rules. The whole point of the thing, ranking movers, individuals category we have Haley Bryant took over the number one ranking in the all around by .002 ahead of Malzahn. So you know a huge march she’s ahead by points and false miles on tide Sage Kellerman for
The top spot on vault and Mackenzie Wilson who got to ten tied Haley Bryant for third noteworthy on the vault rankings. So what specifically why you bring this up? Only one Yurchenko One and a half is in the top five on vault one Yurchenko, one and a
Half, three Handspring Pike halves and shake handles. Your chin got fall. So I want your thoughts on pros and cons of Yurchenko Fall pros and cons of your take a one and a half. And you know how apparently the Handspring Pike half is a really super, extremely unique
And original vault that we’ve never seen before, which we learned this week. It’s so funny when people like weren’t born. When this used to be the only vault that anybody did, like a Handspring Front and Handspring Front half that. They’re like, We’ve never seen this.
I never trained it because, yeah, there was a time people weren’t allowed to do. Yurchenko Basically, they were like, it’s like front tumbling. And you’re. Chen goes, No, too dangerous. But yeah, I think basically teams were like, you know what’s easier to spot.
Than a forward landing vault, a half turning vault where you can see the floor the whole time. Let’s start teaching people even if they didn’t learn these or haven’t done a front handspring since level three. Let’s start teaching this because they have all the power.
It won’t be hard for them to do these these Handspring Front half. I think it’s really smart and all the teams that started training these like over the summer or a couple of years ago with their teams, as soon as the year tango fall got
Downgraded to nine and five, were really smart to do it. And I think also people like Shae Campbell staying with her Yurchenko phobia was also really smart because she. Flairs it out, has been a little flirt out every. Year and she can stick. It all the time. So if you have a why.
Risk the stepping forward or the falling of your chin go full if you know you can see the ground like a cookie festers. And Suki Pfister It’s not the Pfister, there’s just one or one. Gabby Stephen There’s a one. Suki Pfister I think we remember. Your take a full also you can.
See the landing, you know, as. Long as you I mean, don’t get me wrong, we’ve all seen the people first learning that you’re taking falls and just whoop right into the ground, barely turning. But you know the shake Campbells of the world.
So yeah, I think this is super exciting and I can’t wait for the backlash when they downgrade the handspring from PAC F. I don’t think they’re going to bounce back. Great. The Handspring pick out. They better not. I’ll be picky.
I think my issue on my take or my take on should a gymnast who is, you know, has a great amplitude on vault, stay with your chin, go fall versus going to the you take a one and a half worth a half 10th more.
Is that Shay Campbell is the exception rather than the rule and that it makes sense for her because hers is so good and she’s going to get 99995 every time because there’s nothing to take in the air. It’s just whether she sticks it or not. But that’s true for her.
And almost no one else. No, because everyone else at least straddles in their preflight. There’s a straddle or it’s not as sure the landing control is not as sure thing as it is for Shay because she’s so high. She’s like this, Come on.
And she’s been doing it for so long and it’s so comfortable with it. So I think that it works for her. But for most people who have the option and who are maybe in between, it probably ends up being worth it to go for more difficulty because as we know, deductions are ignored
All the time. And so everything is scored to high. So, you know, if you have knees bent in the air, just, you know, go to a home meet and suddenly those knees are apparently straight. So it’s fine if you have a form to back, it doesn’t matter.
So but air on the side of your chin go, one and a half unless it’s shaking. Yes. Although I do have to say I was I was talking about the Handspring Front half so that half the split, the legs in the preflight shake, Campbell, also has leg separation, her preflight, too.
So technically, it is not a perfect nine on five. But as we know from all the Handspring Front Pikes, nobody. Takes preflight deductions because they don’t follow the rules. That’s why you ignore ignore the judging. I am that fun part. I am very happy that I’m very happy. I’m okay with loose bonds.
Blanco taking over the. Number one spot on bars from Reno world class. Yeah. I’m right with that. I’m okay with this one. Thoughts on the college bar’s composition, which I’m going to define as mount the low
Bar glide kip cast handstand Moloney to bail or pack and then maybe cast half turn if you need to or just cast toe circle up the high bar giant giant as is this sufficient even if it’s perfect, like Lily Smith, where it’s just beautiful but this is the composition.
Is that sufficient in your mind? As an impressive feat of tennis for college gymnastics? I would like college. Gymnastics to have a rule that if you do any kind of if. Your feet. If you do any kind of circle or squat jump to the high bar, then that you can’t start
From a ten. Like it’s just where this is, you know, it’s not we’re past that. Like it’s a no for me. Do a haircut you know, squat jumps. No, no. That you should not serve with them. But if were then doing like a Luisa Blanco composition which is like that, but she has
A sharp half typically in her body routine, she can do whatever she wants, but typically there’s no foot. And then you meant she has a squat jump. But also does your posture. If she does, I what I let me clarify Luisa Blanco does a no same by release bars routine
Right but has a sharper half in there so this is now we’ve moved to sufficient difficulty for you. It doesn’t do you feel it has to have a state by release, which is, I think, a valid contention? That’s why I’m okay. I mean, I don’t I in my priority list.
No squadrons is number one. And then, yeah, sure, you can add a same bar release requirement. But for me it’s just as exciting of a routine to see someone do three or two between the bar releases with a flip, with a real change of position, you know, not just a hacked.
So I feel like maybe there should be either you have to have a same bar release or you have to have a flip of between bar transition, like a pack or hard wash sites. No, no. No. But like you.
So you mean a pack because you find the path of least resistance, I think. Well, I. O or OC or a half a flip. So if you. Go from swing to handstand. Interest. So you know, that’s not a full flip like a pack, but you’re taking yourself, you know like as Java.
I would say my my pet peeve or the thing I focus in on on bars. College composition again, is not necessarily same by release, but I don’t think that a skill like a bale to handstands should fulfill your turning requirement.
I think you should have to show some pirouetting I just think the only thing you’re going to do, I know. But I’m just saying, in terms of priorities for things you want to. Add to requirements, I’d put like, pirouetting, like Brant way down.
And I put it like obviously the most important thing about bars is whether you can hit a vertical handstand position because it’s so satisfying. That is also why I’m not as strong on stand by releases because I’m like saber releases. I mean, it adds a risk. So that’s entertaining.
But people love same bar releases. I know I’m saying how normals feel about scene bar releases. That’s how I feel about like I half like cast, half turn on the low bar that actually finishes in handstand and doesn’t finish 20 degrees past and gets away with it. Got you.
I’m surprised there’s a book. You have a book in your room that. Is actually tilted and leaning to the side and it’s not straight up and down and. They could still get in on your life that. She got so bored while I was talking about pirouettes that she started looking at the
Book behind on the book. So like her attention span just went boom, as I heard. Like an audience watching a bunch of routines of pirouettes. my. You might question. Yeah, it’s only for Spenser. It’s only week for looking. Like a worse. You need to be ranked high on beam, competing
Once, getting a ten and then leaving. Basically because Sid Morris and Brooklyn Broadway are still tied for number one. On being both of whom competed in week one got 29975 but haven’t been heard from since. Right and. Miley O’Keefe has gotten like three tens on beams.
Beam two tens but a fall on all of the beams. And this is the problem. You can compete once and stay number one with the nine and get to four now. Right. It’ll change later. But yeah, just so you know, you guys, if you look at those rankings, just keep in mind
Who isn’t doesn’t compete on those vs anymore. And also other change mile is on take took over the number one ranking on floor and is the top ranked Beamer who’s competed more than once so yeah mile is on story is what we’re saying in the individual rankings. I feel like.
If this is what I say every year, if Kal had more TV coverage of every single meet, people would be more obsessed with them and I feel like they would. They’re finally getting the scores that reflect the gymnastics they’ve been doing for a long time.
Precision the yeah, they’re Oklahoma West is what I’m saying. So I’m saying if they weren’t on like PAC 12 Bay Area affiliate only that yes they were more attention Yeah. It makes for outrage. Okay. We have to talk about why.
The week is canceled and number one, about why everything is canceled is because Adalind Scanlon got. Injured on my mom. It’s the most upsetting thing. And this is terrible. This is terrible, terrible, terrible. I don’t know how I’m going to function. Hi, guys. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Also, my banter is out. LMA banter was out for Denver kids. Gormley for Kentucky was on crutches, but we just talked about freshmen, how much we’re enjoying her and how she’s going to be a star, and then she’s immediately on crutches and it’s our fault.
We saw if you were watching the Cal, Oregon State meet, we saw Ellie Weaver get injured on floor. So it’s just like we’re we’re they’re dropping like flies. Jessica. I know. It’s very upsetting. I was. I was hoping maybe add on Quinlan, like, you know, just.
Injured a finger so she got at least you beam. You don’t need fingers. On a finger. I know it was it was low. We saw it happen. Could she do a hands only? No legs beam routine? If anyone could do it. Adalind, can you do compose? Compose your hands only do.
So what would that look like? Hands. Only you’re team carries you over. They put you down, you do press handstand amount, half turn, swing down into a press, into a handstand. Then you do from there from your hands.
And then you do a visto, which is you go back, swing back down, and then do a straddle front, flip onto your crotch. Okay? So and then see now have a flight element. But you needed a serious you have to do two in a row crotch to crotch.
You’ve also filled the perineum load of the beam requirement with that you’ve had your handstand. Then you press up to a handstand pirouette. Now you’ve fulfilled your role, straddle back down. Do a shoulder roll or something just to make sure you have two roles. A leap. A leap is going to be trouble.
It’s a real quick leap. You do another press handstand or just, you know, not a kick up, but you can kick up with the other foot. step down to one foot, then do switch, switch. Because you don’t you only need one leg for a switch. Switch.
You do a standing switch switch with add on can go that could totally do into immediate gain or fall off the side. I get it. I get it. I want. Yes. my God. I’m so creative. I came up standard.
I would now like a judge to evaluate that routine and write in and be like, okay, this routine starts from an 8.8 where you just described it fulfills zero requirements. I have a problem with maybe landing a gain or fall on one.
So well, I mean, yeah, you get instruction for landing on one foot, but I mean, you know, she could get a nice you know, it’s not healthy. You shouldn’t do it. But I no one ever said gymnastics was healthy.
But the lesson of the segment is that no one should be doing any of this. And Adalind did elite gymnastics, so she’s already chosen unhealthy. So it’s fine. All right. I love it. Well, they’re speaking of we have some opportunities for comedy this week, some further opportunities for comedy.
Matt the foot freebie creator bring me to give. So we have a new award, apparently, which is the high five on the face of the week, because as we’ve discussed, gymnasts can do beam routines but cannot walk on the ground. They also cannot high five.
And we maybe need to integrate this into early training, like how you always say ballet should be integrated into early training. High five lessons I think are really an underrated point and we need to work on them more because it’s getting to be a problem.
As Janelle McDonald learn this week when she got fully high fived right in the nose by an elbow. You Yeah, after bars and it was wonderful. I have to say that the only time I mean I have high fived like to the side but the.
Only time at gymnastics one time really high fived me. My hand smacked me right. He’s my hand just flipped right back and hit me in the head. And I was like, all right, well, that was more aggressive than I was anticipating. So yes, to the lessons is. What I’m saying.
Spencer I think it’s really important because it’s every week. Yeah, like a multiple times and play, you mean I guess for sheer numbers of high fives because it’s required that you do a high ten for every teammate to every teammate and staff
Member after every single routine, like the sheer number of high fives that are happening in a meet, it’s got to be up in the millions. So of course you’re going to have mistakes, but that’s what gymnastics is.
You can hit ten beam routines in a row in the gym, but if you missed the one in competition, that’s the one that matters. You’ve got to hit your high fives and competition. All right. We also need to talk about something else that happened on the PAC 12 Network that is
An embarrassment nation and it may be an actual crime because this Cal Oregon State meet the graphics of the scores. I cannot explain to you how upsetting I find this. It wind beam bars, floor vault total. Yeah.
What hell escape would have to occur for a person to list the events in this in the wrong order. Beam bar’s floor vault. What is that? Where did that come from? Now it is. It’s very upsetting. Did they? The worst thing that happened this year? No. because bars. Would be first.
Bars would be first if it was alphabetical order. There’s nothing that would ever justify the events being listed in this order. No, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. At first I thought you were just going to meet. You’re mad about the math. So I was like, Yeah, the math.
But I was like, The math looks correct. So yes, the order is wrong and that’s unforgivable. It’s gymnastics. Everyone should know the order of events by now. This is very upsetting. Very upsetting. I’m not over it. I’m not. I agree. We have some. Elite.
News to discuss which directly ties in to our discussion of UCLA and Envelope Malibu. You and the bar’s situation. Which is why doing college gymnastics and making an Olympic team is hard, especially if you’re not competing for the United States, because. They’ve made it easier for.
College gymnasts to qualify to an Olympic team. It used to be, no, you do one or the other. We don’t want you if you’re in college, we want you after college. You’ve had four years of competing 14 times in a year because normally you only compete three times in a year.
So a three means per year. So yes, we’ll take you now but MMO Olympics dot com has an interview with Molly Pouliot up and she is representing the Philippines and her schedule. Are you ready for this so she. Had no. Actively in college at UCLA. Not you know. Your.
Community college around the corner how did. So for. Weeks the four week period she has the Cairo. World. Cup on February 15th and 18th followed by the World Cup and Cottbus in Germany, February 22nd, 25th. Then she comes back. To the U.S.. Has, a meet UCLA versus Stanford on March
1st and then another. World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, all the way over there. March 7th through 10th. And all. This while maintaining what do you. Have to maintain a C average or something to be a college athlete? But still.
She’s upperclassman Now it’s not like she’s taking her beginner biology one on one that she took in high school. So all that and trying to qualify her to the Olympics. So and also while not murdering someone which I would do with trying to maintain the schedule
Like not getting arrested for some sort of crime. You also have to do during this, which is not a small feat. my God. And all the school you’re going to miss and then having to. Like write. Papers on planes that where you just want to sleep the whole time.
The only advantage of this is is being like, you know, five feet tall so that she can sleep in small places. This is the one advantage to this this situation. But yeah, this is crazy And now and people you know. I we have seen a video of there’s a video out.
There of this some guy presenting to his wife and her friends about whether or not Taylor Swift can make it from Japan, where she’s doing a tour to her boyfriend’s football. And doing the math. So you guys, I was like, no, yeah.
What is the travel math and how many days does Malibu Yo have to get herself. On jet lagged, compete. Read, jet lagged. In the opposite direction, going back to UCLA and then jet lag herself again? And does she need to get how many days should ahead of time she should start using those
Nighttime glasses like the Netherlands team when they travel so they get adjusted to in Australia use them, I think, too. So you guys. Will we’ll wait. For your presentations, please send them in to Jim at gmail.com and we can. Feel like the entirety of the gym.
Jeanette The UCLA team needs to have like a series of presents prepared for Malibu. You know. It’s like because if anyone’s deserved like earned to treat after like getting through a schedule, like her favorite things, her favorite foods, naptime schedules, pillows
And comforters and blankets for like basically everything around that Stanford me like she will have accrued so much of like earning everyone being like, you’re perfect. Let’s treat you like you’re perfect. After all. This should be a. Documentary series just on these two months of her life. And also she needs a sponsorship.
Her email sponsorship should be like DoorDash or something or. GrubHub. So she literally and like a comforter and some pillows so she can just lie in bed when she’s not at school, but never has to like. Shop or do our. Laundry service. you guys laundry when.
You’re obviously the worst, unless you go to one of those schools where they like you add your regular clothes, your workout clothes, because they do your workout laundry for you, but they don’t let you. If you try to sneak your regular clothes in there, they get all mad.
Even if it’s like your underwear. You’re just like, Well, I work out in my underwear anyway, you guys. Not that I ever did that, obviously. But I might have been desperately trying to make friends with a laundry guy.
He was also hot, and even though I wasn’t really allowed to have my laundry that’s of well, I wasn’t technically an athlete, but the student trainers got to. Some Jim Cornette news this week Gymnastics Australia CEO. Alexander Ash has stepped down so their high performance director Chris O’Brien has been the interim CEO.
Do you think someone was like, Wait, our national champion wasn’t. Put on our world team. Even. After an inquiry said. That he was right, that he was wronged in this scenario and should you guys should re pick the team and you picked again without him. Do you think that’s why she stepped down?
That would make too much sense. That would be why we would do something. So you can assume it’s not why things actually happen. Okay. Very good. Marilee. Tracy, coaching at the Canadian National Team Camps. Also coaching there is Amy Bormann, Simone Biles, former coach. Georgia Gymnastics had violations. Did you see this?
I love reading the Dumb Sports Final violations. It’s one of my favorite categories of articles to read because the Georgia gymnastics team got in a balloon trouble. They got in literally they got in trouble for balloons. This is from the Athens Banner Herald.
So there is a bunch of other violations like the whole school, but we don’t care about the other. Everything has to like self-report, the recruiting violations, the whole thing. And they’re always hilarious. They’re always the dumbest things you can possibly ever think of. And Georgia gymnastics got in trouble for balloons.
Now, balloons in our hotel, hotel. Room contacting an a recruit on social media before. The date that you’re allowed to contact people, recruits, taking pictures on their visit and the consequences. Wait to hear how serious these consequences are and how much you. Should fear these consequences because they’re so extreme.
Spencer, they got a. Letter and they couldn’t contact anyone for. Two weeks. my God. The horror. Spencer. How are they going to ever compete again? What are they going to do? They’ll just shut down the whole program. I mean, does this remind you of the time that Georgia lost a scholarship?
Because Suzanne Bjorklund took her. Gave her. Gymnasts a trip on a plane to New. York City to see a. Show or something, and then flew them back on a plane. And because of that, they lost one scholarship. Did it hurt the program at all? Those were the days. Those were. The days.
Our good old days. Our best years. Yeah, when you could be like you want. There’s no NHL. So you want me to come here? These are the things that I want. I think that Neal means you can. Never punish someone like they punish the Georgia gymnast. Scuse me.
Georgia got a letter of admonishment, which, if you’re me, is like, the most stressful thing I could possibly. I would have to quit immediately if I ever got a letter of admonishment. That is so stressful. I think you’re. You are downplaying how upsetting that can be.
So but yeah, it’s almost like all of these rules are dumb. And also, who cares. Right? I mean, it also like even if they took away okay LSU we’re taking away all 12 of your scholarships and maybe. Like be like. Collective do people like pick up a phone to.
Call people anymore that that’s not how they do it. They do you do call up their collective and be like win money for 12 scholarships not work. That’s not what calling collect means. It doesn’t mean you’re dialing your collective. The collective. Excuse me, the collective, the.
This is why I go back to any punishments should be directed to the coaches and never to the team, because it only hurts when it hits your own pocket because the school. Can bolster you. In whatever they want.
Your personal pocket, which I’m sure the collective would just, you know, find a way to increase your pay and make up for that too. But should it be public like a like a. Let’s more public shaming than that? I don’t know. If you have to wear any. Of. The leotard. So.
You have to wear your team. Leotard during the meet. That would be. Can you imagine. Dick Clark doing that? they could. Bar you from post-season. That’s a real punishment. That for. What? On what grounds? Balloons. You’re barring someone from the postseason for balloons. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
For a plane to see a show. They won the national championship. Let them go to New York as well. I said. Now you’re just. Having nil sponsor would just put them on the plane and take them. Up the layout. Step out. How old do you think it is?
Fencer Well, I don’t know how old it is because we’ve talked you spent like 10 minutes talking about this before we started recording. I mean, I can fake it sometimes, but not, you know, an hour and 15 minutes into the show. I can’t fake it at this point.
I got my I already said it in the intro. Damn it. Okay, so the last step out turned 50 years old this year. This is why I always say your grandma. The series. It’s hard to find any gymnastics your grandma didn’t at least do in practice, even though we might be competing it.
But she tried it in practice in a pit in the Soviet Union back in the day, full of mattresses, a whole episode on it. So 50 years. Ago. A really a. Dobra, not the 87 champion, a really a dobry. Shockingly, there’s two people in Romania who did gymnastics. They were really adult, very.
Original recipe, a really. Really dope. Right. In 1970 did a layout step out in beam shoes and with. Fluffy hair floats on beam and. We only have video of this because of the great. Hardi think who is incredibly important historian and filmed lots of these things in gymnastics
And the media did not report on it back in the day. But Hardi think has a video. So as far as we know, this is one of the first first ever actual in a competition at the World championships of layout step outs. It’s very exciting. 74 So thank you.
Hardi think and thank you Uncle. Of gymnastics hyphen history dot com are gymnastics historian Ph.D. real facts. He literally has a Ph.D. We have some letters. If you have feedback for us, please send them into gymnastic at gmail.com or you can always put them in the forum.
We try to answer questions like we answer a lot of questions live on college and cocktails on anything you want except Spencer’s love life. He refuses to talk about that. Rude, but did you see that Eurovision they have that the Irish singer who’s like Bjork?
Sort of like very weird that just got elected. She’s like the witch who were the witches who were on which which band? What are we doing at this point? I’m like, I should try and talk about your personal life, which is your love Eurovision,
Which is which ties into an Irish, which being given the singing spot for the Eurovision. You’ll like her very much. Her. She has her hair like braided into large circles around her head. Anyway, I’m very excited for you, Spencer. That’s what I’m saying. Now, can you read this piece of feedback.
About attending my first meet from Erin? So I finally got to go to a meet here in my state. I have wanted to go for years, but never really got a chance, even though it’s just about
Over an hour away, listening to Jessica say you just have to see it in person made me just die to go. Been listening to podcast for about four years now and recently joined us a JEMMOTT. I just want to share how much fun I had at the University of Kentucky versus University
Of Georgia last night. My mom and sister in law went with me and I’m telling you all, I haven’t been this happy in a long time, been dealing with my fiance having throat cancer and he’s in treatment.
So my family wanted to do something for me, and this was the best that they could have done for me. I want to tell you all how much this community means to me. There are days that I’m not sure I’m going to get through and I turn my podcast on and
Takes me to my happy place. I almost forgot. Rayna Worley finally got her ten and I was there to see it. Have a good day, my fellow gymnasts. So, so happy. I’m so glad we could be there for you. Wishing your husband well.
I’m so glad you finally went to see a meet in person. Because it is magical, right? you guys. Got to see gymnastics in person and especially at. College. Meet because the fans are nuts. They’re crazy. Everyone’s so into it. It’s so fun and important.
Follow up letter from college and cocktails where we discuss Losing Teeth, of course, video. And I was like, Of. Course there’s a doctor. HO Right. And so this is from Sarah Walker, M.D., M.S.. As Jessica said, she probably would get email from a doctor slash dentist. I figured I would apply.
She is correct that the best option currently is to stick the tooth back in its socket. This is actually why a travel with a sports ball mouthguard in my med kit. Despite mostly covering gymnastics and figure skating, if I had to put the tooth back in
The mouth, guard would hold it in place while I get them to a dentist. Tooth saver solution is second best but unlikely for bystanders to have followed by milk and never try to clean or brush off the tooth because you could damage the root so it can’t be replaced. Nerves very important.
Don’t touch them, don’t mess with them. Just stick them back. Stick your tooth back in its place. That is the important message. Thank you so much, Sarah, for that follow up. Stick your tooth back in your mouth, but don’t swallow it. This is very important. That’s why you should put. A mouth guard.
I always travel with my mouth guard for snoring, grinding my teeth. To a pulp. So I. If I ever lost a tooth, please don’t let that happen by hitting my face during a single bar release, which almost happened at the college meet. That we were watching on Friday, could put that.
Mouth guard in good to Now, I hadn’t thought of that because if anyone’s going to swallow their tooth, it would be me. Beat, jumps, beats. Steph says, beat jumps are bullshit. If you only rise two inches above the beam, it is an atrocity. And counting it in combination with another element is insulting.
Don’t get me started with cat lips. Steph, we are with you. You are our people. I’m so glad you found us. Absolutely. If you don’t beat jump like you are skyrocketing to the moon with. Ballet shoes on your feet are so pointed and rising above the beam they could take a picture
Of you and it just like you were hovering like a God. Done with it. Take it out of your trash. But do you feel like it is an excess portable in the way that you feel? Feet on the bar up to the high bar is out.
You don’t feel that beat jumps are out even as something you could count in combination. You just wish the standard were higher. I wish the standard were higher was higher. We rarely see a good beat jump on on beam.
I mean, there are some that are beautiful and they do look like someone just hovering like a witch. Commanding gravity. Really? End of witches this week. You know, Every week. Yeah. Have you watched Sanctuary yet? No, that’s her. We have to discuss. Okay. Gum chewing thoughts. Stephen says.
What are your thoughts on the gum chewing from the coaches? The televised meets this weekend had Oklahoma’s assistant coaches, Missouri head coach and Alabama head coach all chewing gum like they are cows for the 90 minutes that they are on TV. Can’t they cease from chewing? Okay.
Is this from Valerie kind of feel that using her alter egos. Even with a few. I. I wonder you know you will. Love Stephen listen to college and cocktails from this past weekend because I could not with the chewing I was afraid for them that they were going to hurt themselves.
Is this like a I feel like this is like a male sports ball thing that you grow up. Watching other men chew gum on the sideline, coaching so that you think that this is part of the persona of being someone that you look like you’re doing your job if you chew gum.
Hard, right? It’s like wearing a suit. I think that’s like tobacco, old timey male sports ball. And then you had to replace that with gum because it’s like a bad influence. Because you didn’t want. To get mouth cancer. Yeah, but not because you didn’t want to get mouth cancer, but because. Because, you.
Know, someone made you. Big, like, chew gum. Yeah. I really wonder about this. I would like to ask for from people who grew. Up thinking that if this is you and you’re, like, chewing gum aggressively on television is how I communicate serious, let us know where that came from, How did it. Evolve?
But You think it’s an image related choice? I think trying. To project something. I think it is. Something that is an. Unconsciously adapted. Persona. I don’t think anybody is like, I’m, you. Know, what I’m going to do? Get some big like chew and chew the whole thing on TV.
I think it is a I think it’s something that you like. I was. Thinking about this a lot this week and I was like. I remember when I all all grew up just watching sports ball when. The males in the household had it on because there was no women’s.
Sports to watch, hardly ever. Maybe there was a tennis every. Now and then during the Olympics, they showed a little of gymnastics. There wasn’t college gymnastics on, rarely. Got to watch anything else. So the first on my gymnastics meets when I and I fell, I would like stomp around, put
My hands on my hips and walk in a circle because I literally thought, Well, that’s all you grow up knowing. How did I know that I’m supposed to do anything else is what they do on TV when they missed the ball. So that’s what I should do, you know?
And I was not indoctrinated with this. Like girls are supposed to act a certain way stuff. So had an I. Knew nothing else. Right. So I think I thought about that and I was like, I really think this is the same way that these coaches.
Grow up seeing how they should act as coaches. Grumpily chewing aggressively, grumpily chewing. So if you have serious I’m very interested in your theories or if you were a chewing sports ball coach. Tell us. Obviously it’s not just men do this.
I feel like the softball also I. Understand on baseball it’s off because it’s so boring. It’s so boring it’s so. Non sport you can. Eat during it. That’s that’s how boring it is. Don’t come with me by your letters because I know. Okay. Legos designer, the South.
Let’s talk about this letter from Karen. Karen says, I’ve been a listener since 2012. I’m a huge gym nerd, obviously, and I love listening to the podcast, both because I agree with a lot of the things you and Spencer say, but also because I have different perspectives
On some topics, both gymnastics related and otherwise. And it’s great to hear how other people think I perceive situations in the world around them. One of the moments that made me laugh the most was when you were discussing the Lego
Orchid, because my husband, the designer who created that set, I’m an American, as was my husband Mike, but we lived in Denmark since 2012 because he was hired by the Lego Group to come here and be a designer.
When I heard you mention that, it made me stop my run and bookmark the moment so I could play it for him when he got back home. When I got back home, He’s not a gymnastics fan by any means, and he only tolerates me talking about it when it’s all through Olympics.
So I thought he would get a kick out of being mentioned. On a more serious note, there’s also been the moments that made me stop and pause, but for less positive reasons, one came in the past few behind the scenes where you’ve talked
About the South and the way we referred to the Civil War. I grew up in Georgia in the nineties and early 2000, and while teachers explained that that’s what Southerners called the Civil War at the time, they never once referred to it that
Way in relation to how they are and how are we should see it now. Of course, Hensley’s experience is different than mine, but it just emphasizes for me the fact that it’s really tricky and often a mistake to generalize large groups, large groups of are regions of any country or even state.
I’m not saying the South doesn’t have problems, and of course we do, but it’s just a note of caution that I’ve learned from 11 years of living abroad that you should always qualify things you say, as in my experience or some people in the South, just to make sure you’re
Not further spreading stereotypes. It was eye opening to me when I moved to Denver, Denmark. Here, some of the misinformation that many Americans, many Europeans truly believe about Americans. It has taught me a lot about how much each word we say matters.
I know that things slip out for me often, and I’m not on a podcast, so I can only imagine how much harder it is for you to avoid controversy. And I’m not saying you always should, but it’s just a reflection that I’ve over time.
So she’s talking about the that some people like Hensley were in their books and when they grew up in the South, they’re like history books actually called the Civil War, the War of Northern Aggression instead of the Civil War. And so, yeah, this is very good to know.
I read your whole letter, Karen, thank you so much. Taking to heart everything, you said. And also, my God, I’m literally holding my Lego orchid right here, right now. It’s one of my prized Lego. Possessions. And I’m so excited. my God.
I was so upset when they when Denmark backed out of hosting world. Can they do 2025? My God. Spencer, if it’s in Denmark. Where you go 2025 worlds. I’ll entertain the possibility. We could go to the Lego factory. I bet they have like a doors, even adult Lego designer. what a charmed. Life.
So amazing. Thank you so much that I’m so glad that you that you found us. So this Friday night is. Called Cocktails. At eight Pacific. That’s February 2nd. We’re watching Oregon State versus Utah and then the Cal, Oklahoma meet and. Next week’s show is live from National Team Camp at 8 a.m. Pacific.
That’s on a Tuesday. And if you are. Like me and you’re about to travel a ton this year, make sure that you set Dreamcast stick to automatically download your episodes. Because if you have missed some might not automatically be doing it. And until then, remember, it’s a special. Week because we have.
To remember that our live thing from camp is exclusive for club gym members, another one that can like log on live and ask questions live. So if you’re not a member, that’s a reason to do it. And if you don’t want. Anything to do with Club Gym nerd, you can just donate to.
Us on the very bottom of the page to join Club Gym Nerd. Those are donate button and you can be like. I want nothing to do with any of your newsletters or special. Stuff or live things or I’m going to throw money at you because we always can use it. So thank you.
Okay. Because it’s a very special week. Well, we had the first openly queer. Woman when the figure skating this week. Remember to take. Off and gay split on rights and we’ll. See you on Friday for college cocktails. Thanks for listening.
2 Comments
11:37 the Jesus candle moves….?
I think KJ Johnson from LSU has a beautiful full on vault. Shes high and her form and flare are amazing..she just has to work on her landings.