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The 2026 U.S. women's World Championships team is set: Skye Blakely, Charleigh Bullock, Reese Esponda, Claire Pease and Hezly Rivera, with Dulcy Caylor as traveling alternate and Jade Carey as non-traveling alternate. Fresh off Day Two of World Team Trials in Tennessee, Jessica and Spencer break down why the five is the team, debate Jade's Cheng and the alternate decision, and run a lightning round on Rotterdam qualification and team final lineups.
This teaser is just the beginning of our weekly Behind the Scenes live Q&A. Club Gym Nerd members get the full 83-minute episode, ad-free: Jessica becomes tech support for the judges, Shilese Jones' comeback news, Rotterdam live show plans, gymnastics' floor music "Lore Horses," the case for the comebacks and more. Join Club Gym Nerd.
You pick the topic. We make the episode. Enter our Full Commission Raffle by October 9.
Brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.
Chapters
00:00 The 2026 U.S. Worlds Team Is Set
01:51 Jade Carey's Cheng and No Upgrades on Concrete
04:36 Day Two Recap: Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock on Beam
07:20 Dulcy Caylor vs. Jade Carey: The Alternate Debate
13:35 Lightning Round: Worlds Qualification and Team Final Lineups
21:27 New: World Headquarters, Score Explorer and Roster Lab
24:13 The Commission Raffle, Rotterdam Tee and How to Support Us
Links
U.S. Worlds Team Announcement
GymCastic 2026 Worlds Headquarters
Elite Score Explorer | LA 2028 Roster Lab
Join Club Gym Nerd | Episode page
Claire Pease and Charleigh Bullock are going to Worlds! Reporting from Tennessee, we break down Day One of the 2026 U.S. Women's World Team Trials: Pease's upgrades, Bullock's crucial bars performance, Hezly Rivera's recovery after two bars falls, Skye Blakely's standout day, and what happens next for Jade Carey, Reese Esponda and the three remaining team spots.
This teaser is just the beginning. Join Club Gym Nerd for the full ad-free episode, athlete interviews, behind-the-scenes camp stories, deeper team predictions and our live Q&A.
You pick the topic. We make the episode. Enter our full commission raffle by October 9—the only way to commission a full GymCastic episode right now.
Our on-site reporting is supported by Sand & Sea Travel.
And also: HUEL – Make healthy eating simple. Get 15% OFF Huel online with code GYMCASTIC. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show!
We preview the 2026 U.S. World Team Selection Camp, including the automatic qualification race, t; catch up on Worlds withdrawals, new team announcements and Asian Games. Then we dive into your feedback and questions about spironolactone and drug testing, a Tokyo Olympics rewatch, GymCastic lore, potential shortage of U.S. Brevet judges and more
Want to win a full commissioned episode? Enter our raffle by October 9th! This is the only way to commission a full episode. We will draw the winner at Worlds in Rotterdam!
RELATED LINKS00:00 – Welcome to Behind The Scenes
03:15 – World Team Withdrawals & Breaking News
09:45 – Asian Games Drama
23:53 – U.S. World Team Selection Camp Preview
27:12 – Automatic Spots & Team Contenders
31:52 – Jade Carey, Upgrades & Team Scenarios 4
6:11 – Gymnastics Feelings: Hengameh Hadiani of Iran
01:00:59 – Spironolactone, PCOS & Drug Testing
01:02:52 – Rewatching the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
01:08:49 – GymCastic Lore & U.S. Brevet Judges
01:12:42 – Carlos Yulo & Asian Games Feedback
01:13:23 – Women's Health & Happy Things
01:16:30 – Selection Camp Coverage & What's Next
SUPPORT OUR WORKWe predict the future! It's our annual pre-Worlds rules review, where we tell you exactly what kind of accidental gymnastics shenanigans might cost someone a medal.
Plus, Flavia Saraiva is somehow the Szombathely BARS champion, Dulcy Caylor wins floor, Rebeca Andrade returns on beam, and we examine the World Cup of "does anyone actually know what a layout vault is?"
WIN A FULL COMMISSION The only way to commission a full GymCastic episode right now! You pick the topic, we make the episode, and the whole gymternet hears it. Enter by October 9: Enter the Full Commission Raffle
PRE-WORLDS RULES When can a traveling alternate replace an injured gymnast? Why vault remains the apparatus most likely to create chaos. The Cheng two-hand problem. Balked vaults: your life is apparently less important than completing the vault. When you should — and absolutely should not — inquire. The new post-Paris inquiry rules. Why springboards are lava. What happens if your coach gives you the WRONG springboard.
RELATED Gym Nerd School 101: Rules, Skills, Myths & Gymnastics Lore The Definitive Guide to the Paris Floor Bronze Medal Debacle
SZOMBATHELY WORLD CUP Flavia Saraiva wins bars and beam gold plus floor silver. Rebeca Andrade returns on beam. Dulcy Caylor wins floor. Tatum Drusch makes all four event finals. Greta Mayer wins vault. And the great Lopez/pike/layout debate continues.
2026 Worlds Roster Tracker — WAG and MAG, updated daily.
CHAPTERS 00:00 – Flavia Saraiva, Leanne Wong & Szombathely Headlines 08:02 – The Rules That Will Decide Worlds 17:04 – Vault Chaos: Chengs, Balks & Bonuses 26:28 – Good Rules: Unitards, Fall Time & Music 38:32 – To Inquire or Not to Inquire 47:54 – Dumb Rules & Springboard Sabotage 56:01 – Szombathely World Cup Deep Dive 01:14:33 – Asian Games, Paris World Cup & What's Next
UP NEXT Friday at noon PT: Behind The Scenes — U.S. World Team Preview. Next week: podcast from U.S. World Team Selection Camp in Tennessee. Then: 10 podcasts from World Championships on site in Rotterdam.
SUPPORT OUR WORKSafeSport permanently banned Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong; Arthur Akopian and Galina Marinova are facing yet another investigation; plus World Championships roster shockers and federation drama heading into Rotterdam. We also sit down with new U.S. Center for SafeSport CEO and Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley to discuss regaining trust, data privacy, case timelines, reporting, resources and what she wants to change. WIN A FULL COMMISSIONED EPISODE You pick the topic. We record a full episode about it. This is currently the ONLY way to commission a full episode. Enter the raffle by October 9. We'll draw the winner at Worlds in Rotterdam! HEADLINES • Arthur Akopian and Galina Marinova are under investigation by SafeSport AGAIN, years after the Washington Post investigation. • Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong have been permanently banned by SafeSport. • Ana Barbosu speaks out about leaving Romania, the Paris medal controversy and finding a healthier training environment in the U.S. • Oksana Chusovitina declines her Worlds vault spot. • North Korea declines its Worlds team spot; Malaysia takes its place. • Taiwan's federation faces a government investigation after allegedly rejecting Worlds invitations for apparatus specialists. • Yang Fanyuwei is left off China's Worlds team despite having one of the world's top bars scores. • Georgia Godwin is not on Australia's Worlds team. • Alice Kinsella returns to the all-around with a 53.900. INTERVIEW: SAFESPORT CEO BENITA FITZGERALD MOSLEY We discuss SafeSport's data security, case timelines, investigations, reporting, prevention and the future of the Center. SAFESPORT RESOURCES • In-Person Training Resources • Abuse Prevention Resources • Centralized Disciplinary Database Update • Extended SafeSport Hotline Hours • SafeSport Investigator Fired After Arrest GYMTERNET NEWS • Nadia Comăneci joins the judging panel of "Românii au talent." • The U.S. Classic returns to Hoffman Estates in July 2027. • Virgin Atlantic becomes Team GB's official airline for LA28. WHAT MEETS ARE ON? • Szombathely World Cup — Sept. 18–20 • Asian Games — Sept. 21–24 • Paris World Cup — Sept. 26–27, the final FIG competition before Worlds. CHAPTERS 00:00 – SafeSport Breaking News 01:40 – Akopian & Marinova Under Investigation Again 04:13 – Al Fong & Armine Barutyan-Fong Permanently Banned 07:00 – Ana Barbosu Speaks Out 09:50 – World Championships Drama 13:01 – Taiwan Federation Scandal 19:00 – China & Australia Worlds Roster Shockers 25:40 – Alice Kinsella's All-Around Return 31:39 – Full Commission Raffle & Club Gym Nerd 36:04 – SafeSport CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley 37:51 – Interview: The Future of SafeSport 01:29:00 – SafeSport Data Security Follow-Up 01:29:40 – gymternet News 01:34:47 – Upcoming Meets SUPPORT OUR WORK • Join Club Gym Nerd for ad-free episodes, weekly Behind the Scenes, our complete members-only archive, games, score tools, forum and live-show discounts. • Shop GymCastic. HUEL Make healthy eating simple. Get 15% OFF online with code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for partnering with and supporting our show! GYMCASTIC TOOLS & RESOURCES • LA 2028 Roster Lab • Elite Score Explorer • International Gymnastics Calendar • GymCastic Games • GymCastic Newsletters • Resistance Resources
Andrew Chupp — coach, queer adult gymnast, creator and joy distributor — joins us to talk about making gymnastics your own. From Britney Spears floor choreography to competing on beam, Andrew shares how returning to the sport brought him community and creative freedom.
You pick the topic. We make the episode. Our Full Episode Commission Raffle is the ONLY way to commission a full GymCastic episode. It's a fundraiser for our trip to Rotterdam for the World Championships. Enter here for a chance to choose the topic.
The GymCastic store sale is on!
IN THIS INTERVIEW
FIND ANDREW AND YOUR COMMUNITY
CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Andrew Chupp 01:42 Adult Meets & Inclusive Competition 05:01 A Different Kind of All-Around 10:26 Growing Adult Gymnastics 13:47 Britney Spears & Finding Joy Again 21:07 How to Start an Adult Class 23:20 Making Time & Finding Community 25:28 Coaching Adults & Starting Small 33:19 Rethinking Deductions 36:34 Queer Sports & Belonging 40:21 Adult Meets at Every Age 46:47 Facing Internet Hate 57:57 Courage, Accountability & Growth 1:00:58 What's Next for Andrew
RELATED EPISODES
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Join Club Gym Nerd for weekly Behind The Scenes episodes and the members-only archive. Shop the GymCastic store sale.
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
The good, the bad and the BARTA of it all - Before social media, there was GGMB—the Gymnastics Gossip Message Board. We revisit the influential, informative, bizarre and sometimes deeply toxic message board that helped shape the early gymternet—and GymCastic itself. Plus, the developing Rich Stenger/Cal gymnastics Instagram story, Suni Lee's stolen bronze bust is recovered, we fix Claire Pease's floor construction, and draft dream seven-member Olympic teams.
FULL COMMISSION RAFFLE: This is currently the only way to commission a full GymCastic episode. Entries are $10, enter as many times as you want, and other prizes will be available. Winner(s) drawn in Rotterdam. Enter here.
HEADLINES
GGMB: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BARTA
What was the Gymnastics Gossip Message Board? We revisit the scandals, gossip, insiders, bizarre word filters, genuinely valuable gymnastics knowledge and toxicity of one of the early gymternet's most influential communities. We discuss how GGMB influenced GymCastic, why our earliest episodes resembled an "audio message board," what we intentionally left behind and what we kept—including chasing down rumors to find out what is actually true.
MINI-COMMISSIONS
GYMTERNET NEWS
CHAPTERS 00:00 – Russian Lobbying, Rich Stenger & Breaking News 03:45 – Suni Lee's Head Was Found 07:30 – World Team Camp & Raffle 12:21 – GGMB: The Good, the Bad and the BARTA 36:01 – Updates & Live Show Replay 36:48 – Mini Commission Fixing Claire Pease's Floor Routine 58:21 – Mini Commission Dream 7-Member Olympic Teams 1:19:43 – Dumpster Fire & Gymternet News
HUEL: Limited Time Offer – Make healthy eating simple. Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show!
Club Gym Nerd: Ad-free episodes, Behind The Scenes every Friday, mini-commissions, immediate post-meet coverage and more at GymCastic.com/club.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
The GymCastic Movie Club takes on FLASHDANCE—the runaway 1983 hit that is essentially a collection of MTV music videos held together by sparks, leg warmers and vibes. Thank you, Rose for commissioning this episode.
We discuss the stunt wigs, the film's gymnastics influence, and the gayest welder's burlesque bar in Pittsburgh.
Alex's complete lack of ballet training and the legendary final audition featuring a dive roll performed by collegiate gymnastics history-maker Sharon Shapiro. Jessica also brings us firsthand stories from Sharon about filming the scene. Commissioned by Rose.
WIN A FULL-EPISODE COMMISSION
Enter the raffle for the chance to choose the subject of an entire GymCastic episode—as long as it is tangentially gymnastics-related! The raffle helps fund our on-site coverage of the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Which one is Flashdance again?
• The true story that inspired the movie
• Jennifer Beals and Pittsburgh Ballet Versailles
• How Flashdance influenced gymnastics floor routines
• Sharon Shapiro's iconic audition dive roll
• The stunt doubles and constantly changing wigs
• The gayest welder's burlesque of all time
• Tina Tech's "Manhunt" routine
• Jeanie's disastrous skating audition
• Everything wrong with Alex's boss-turned-boyfriend
• The "What a Feeling" finale
• Casting a gymnastics remake
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Welcome to the Flashdance Movie Club
02:51 – The True Story and 1983 Phenomenon
07:05 – Why Flashdance Is Gymnastics-Related
11:37 – The Plot, Such as It Is
21:06 – The Gayest Welder's Burlesque
40:49 – Montage-a-Palooza
49:25 – Jeanie, Skating and the Supporting Characters
59:20 – Who Is Hannah?
1:02:53 – Lobster and the Horrible Boss Romance
1:14:23 – The "What a Feeling" Audition
1:18:52 – Sharon Shapiro's Stories from the Set
1:25:08 – Casting the Flashdance Remake
JOIN CLUB GYM NERD FOR BONUS STUFF
Ad-free episodes, weekly bonus shows, our complete archive, members-only games and tools, the community message board and Behind The Scenes every Friday at noon Pacific:
https://gymcastic.com/club/
GYMCASTIC TOOLS
LA 2028 Roster Lab:
https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/
Elite Score Explorer:
https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/
International Gymnastics Calendar:
https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/
GymCastic Games:
https://gymcastic.com/games/
SHOP GYMCASTIC
https://store.gymcastic.com/
How "Russia" reclaimed its title to become European champion. We break down Angelina Melnikova's return, the Russian visa drama, Sabrina Voinea's D-score inquiry saga, a controversial beam-final robbery and what these results mean for the upcoming World Championships.
GYMCASTIC LIVE REPLAY
Watch our U.S. Championships live show with surprise guest Shannon Miller. Replay tickets: https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-u-s-championships/
HEADLINES
Team "World Gymnastics 2," aka Russia, topped the medal table with six medals. Angelina Melnikova led the team with three golds in the team, all-around and vault competitions, plus bronze medals on beam and floor.
Italy finished second in the medal standings, led by European floor champion Manila Esposito. France placed third, with first-year senior Elena Colas winning beam gold and finishing second in the individual medal count.
We discuss:
Sabrina Voinea's latest D-score inquiry saga and how an inquiry dropped her beam score by three tenths, knocking her out of the final
Russia's triumphant return and what its team score could foreshadow for Worlds
Melnikova's five-medal performance and how her all-around score compares internationally
Elena Colas' breakout senior European Championships
Why holding apparatus finals before the team final produced mixed results
Why Pauline Schäfer-Betz was robbed of a beam medal
Great Britain missing the medals after Becky Downie was replaced by Ruby Evans in the team-final bars lineup
Memorable skills from Estella Volkoff, Morgane Osyssek and Schäfer-Betz
Event-final victories for Melnikova, Helen Kevric, Colas and Esposito
The teams and individuals who qualified for the 2026 World Championships
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro 00:36 Sabrina Voinea's inquiry saga 04:03 U.S. national team and vault clarifications 06:33 European Championships medal table 13:48 Angelina Melnikova and Elena Colas 21:31 GymCastic updates and Club Gym Nerd 25:01 Pauline Schäfer-Betz beam robbery 30:43 Manila Esposito 33:04 Unique beam mounts and skills 35:46 Helen Kevric and the bars final 38:09 Apparatus finals before the team final? 40:19 Huel 41:37 Competition-format discussion continues 50:47 Team final: Russia, Italy and France 57:13 All-around results and Worlds comparisons 59:12 Vault final 1:04:02 Bars final 1:05:45 Beam and floor finals 1:10:32 World Championships qualifiers
SPONSOR
Limited-time offer: Make healthy eating simple with Huel. New customers receive 15% off online with code GYMCASTIC at https://huel.com/GYMCASTIC. Thank you to Huel for partnering with and supporting our show.
LINKS
European Championships results: https://results.smartscoring.com/live-results/7bbd2dc9-ea89-49c4-84a2-5009458acca0/live
AD FREE & BONUS EPISODES
Join Club Gym Nerd for ad-free podcasts, weekly Behind the Scenes episodes, our members-only archive, games, forums and live-show discounts: https://gymcastic.com/club/
Add Club bonus and ad-free episodes to your podcast player: https://gymcastic.com/community/postid/89/
LA 2028 Roster Lab: https://gymcastic.com/2028-roster-lab/
Elite Score Explorer: https://gymcastic.com/elite-scores/
Gymnastics Calendar: https://gymcastic.com/gymnastics-calendar/
GymCastic Games: https://gymcastic.com/games/
Newsletters: https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-newsletters/
Shop GymCastic: https://store.gymcastic.com/
We're back from the 2026 U.S. Gymnastics Championships! Hezly Rivera is a two-time national all-around champion, Fred Richard won the men's title, the U.S. men's World Championships team is set, and we have plenty to say about the women's road to Worlds and those domestic execution scores.
Plus, Shannon Miller surprised us at our Phoenix live show, Euros began with breaking news, and Suni Lee, Shilese Jones and Jordan Chiles all have comeback updates.
LIVE SHOW REPLAY
Missed our U.S. Championships live show with a surprise appearance from Shannon Miller? Get live show replay tickets.
IN THIS EPISODE
CHAPTERS 00:00 – Breaking Euros News & U.S. Champs Recap 05:11 – Live Show Replay: Shannon Miller & Fiesty Judges 07:41 – Hezly Rivera Wins U.S. Title 14:26 – Event Champions: Carey, Pease, Rivera & Esponda 21:34 – National Team & Who's Moving Forward 24:21 – Women's Worlds Selection 26:39 – Men's World Team & Salute-Gate 30:25 – Suni Lee, Shilese Jones & Jordan Chiles
RELATED:
All podcasts and photo galleries from 2026 Championships here
European Championships Results
148: Shannon Miller Shannon discusses It's Not About Perfect, her career, compulsories, coaching, cancer and life after gymnastics.
168: Shannon Miller, Belarusgate, NED vs GB Shannon returns to discuss body commentary, adult gymnastics, Worlds, Chusovitina and more.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Club Gym Nerd – Get ad-free podcasts, Behind The Scenes, our bonus archive, games, score tools, members-only community and live-show discounts.
GymCastic Merch
GYMCASTIC TOOLS
LA 2028 Roster Lab Elite Score Explorer International Gymnastics Calendar GymCastic Games Newsletters
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