303: Pac Rims and Mustafina's Return!

GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

MEET NEWS

This week, we are joined by Luba from Gymnovosti (become a patron of Gymnovosti on Patreon here) to tell us all about the Mustafina Championship. We mean Russian Championship (7:00).

• But....MUSTAFINA IS BACK! And she finished 4th! And gave a fantastic interview that every gymnast and coach should read: "Pregnancy was my vacation."
• Do Mustafina and Komova look on track for Euros and worlds teams this year?
• Is Angelina Melnikova...like...consistent now?!?!?!?
• How did Irina Alexeeva do in her Russian debut? How did the Russians commentators react to her Americanness?
• Plus: Nabieva is coming out of not-retirement to be officially not retired, tears for Seda, Abliazin's Olympic strategy, obligatory Oleg Stepko drama, and the Russian commentators are even worse than Al Trautwig with some Rage-o-Meter-worthy things to say about Simone.

Plus, the Pacific Rim Championship (44:31) —because if you're not on the Pacific, you can't sit with us, unless you're Argentina or Cuba.

• Jessica says the words "suns out, buns out"
• Morgan Hurd's terrifying beam dismount to her head
  • Our initial thoughts and fears
  • How does Jessica "Concussion Test" O'Beirne feel about Morgan being allowed to compete floor right afterward?
  • The positives we take from the whole situation
• CUBA THINGS
• That Sunisa Lee beam save! We break it down in detail.
• Spencer is obsessed with Canadian junior Zoe Allaire-Bourgie and gets a little CAPS LOCK about what the US elites could learn from her
• Sam Mikulak hit all six events. In the same meet. And recorded the highest AA score in the world this year. We're living in a brand new age.
• Lee Chih Kai does pommel horse for people who hate pommel horse
• A deep dissection of the Sam Mikulak/Asher Hong dynamic, and why Asher Hong will one day rule us all.

GYMTERNET NEWS (1:24:56)

• Aly and Rhonda
  • Aly names Rhonda Faehn as someone to whom she reported abuse but we already knew that Rhonda knew in June 2015 so we are kinda like *head scratch*
  • We discuss what we still don't know about the situation, where you draw the line in terms of retribution, whether there should be different categories of culpability, and where we currently stand on decertification and burning things to the ground
• Sabrina Vega is suing the Karolyis and USAG
• The Karolyis are suing USAG over the failed ranch sale
  • YOU GET A LAWSUIT, and YOU GET A LAWSUIT, and YOU GET A LAWSUIT
  • Looks like someone couldn't keep her lies straight......
• Kerry Perry will have to testify before the House on May 23. How many times will she say "empowered"?
• Ho the Nassar crimes are playing in the Russian gymnastics community (spoiler alert: it's not great), and we discuss the awful way Olga Korbut is being treated after publicly accusing her coach of rape.
• At least 42 gymnasts were abused by Brazilian coach Fernando de Carvalho Lopes. Among them, Petrix Barbosa.
• Jessica and Uncle Tim went to The Foundation for Global Sports Development Humanitarian Awards and learned about their $1 million grant to Child USA to partner with survivors for athlete sexual abuse prevention training.
• GASP: Kohei didn’t win Japanese nationals. And neither did Kenzo. Kakeru Tanigawa is the new All-Japan all-around champion for 2018, breaking Kohei’s 10-year winning streak.
• Depressing German injury news
• NCAA awards, firings, and FAREWELL TTYs!

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RELATED EPISODES

• Episode 302 VIDEO: St. Louis live show with Kennedy Baker!
• 301: Peng Gets a 20, Martha Gets a Zero
• 300: Jesolo and Tokyo for the Brave 300
• 299: When Sabrina and Rhys Became Legends
• 298: Geddert and Karolyis Rage-O-Meter Special
• 297: The Jig of Victory
• 296: Komova in Stuttgart, NCAA Crack, and the Ranch Incident
• 295: Elvire Teza and Cecile Canqueteau-Landi
• 294: American Cup 2018
• 293: EXCLUSIVE Inside Elite Verification
• 287: Simone and Maggie Too
• 282: GymCastic Book Club – Fierce, by Aly Raisman
• 281.5: Aly Raisman Comes Forward As Nassar Victim
• 277.5: McKayla Maroney Alleges Abuse from Nassar
• 187: McKayla Maroney