4.6
14011,401 ratings
The podcast currently has 763 episodes available.
From romanian candles to Mohini's pizza- all your favorite fluff pieces revisited. Originally published on July 15, 2017. It's the commissioned episode you've all been waiting for...the FLUFFCAST! We jump into all the most insane, hilarious, horrifying, sexist, perfect, amazing, diva-tastic, butterfly-gazing, Romanian candle-holding fluff pieces in the history of gymnastics broadcasts. Thank you so much to Fluff Feels for commissioning the episode we were born to do, and thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions! Jessica and Spencer dissect:
Bela Karolyi helped usher many gymnasts over decades to the pinnacle of the sport. If medals are the measure of success, few can match his accomplishments. When addressing his legacy, however, it would be irresponsible to ignore the wake of destruction he left behind and the culture he helped cultivate that resulted in the largest sexual abuse scandal in American sports history. Many gymnasts, even those who have shared their own stories of abuse by him, have equally expressed gratitude and admiration. It's possible to recognize his accomplishments while also addressing the physical and emotional scars he left on the sport. We are sensitive to those grieving, but we also feel an obligation to honor those who have suffered by sharing a more complete picture of Bela Karolyi. In an exclusive, we have decided to share the most serious allegation against Bela, which we unearthed in our reporting while scouring the Romanian Secret Police documents. The accusation is of sexual assault. We have redacted the names and specific dates to protect the other individuals involved. At the time, the accuser was a teenager less than half Bela's age. It’s important to note that this document was recorded in the Secret Police files, but it has not been substantiated. With that said the police files corroborated the story from the survivor noting that the accuser confided in two adults, over two separate occasions a year apart. The decision to disclose a sexual assault allegation against Bela is not one taken lightly, especially in the wake of his passing. However, this revelation serves an essential purpose, not only for historical accuracy, but also for societal accountability and justice. Only by confronting uncomfortable truths can we honor the experiences of survivors, learn from systemic failures, and create a safer, more just society. Silence and deference to power have already caused immeasurable harm. It is time to prioritize truth and healing over the preservation of a mythological past.
SEE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT and TRANSLATION HEREFrom the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives. Document: I 0005189 Volume: 001
MORE PROJECT K
Project K: Operation Olympia Project K: Romanian Gymnastics Documents of Abuse, Neglect & Authority Project K: Documents of Alexandrina Comaneci’s Warning Project K: Interview with Nadia & The Secret Police Author Dr. Stejarel Olaru Project K Episode 2: Interview with Nadia & The Secret Police Author Dr. Stejarel Olaru Part Two Chinese and British Trial Chaos, and Project K: Decoding Romanian Secret Police Files on The Karolyis with Dr. Simona Petracovschi
CREDITS: Original Reporting by Jessica O’Beirne and Cosmin Bogdan, freelance journalist. Contributions by Steve Cooper. Translations by Beatrice Gheorghisor and Cosmic Bogdan. Official document transcription and translation by Transperfect.
SUPPORT OUR WORK - JOIN CLUB GYM NERDOr give it as a gift!. It includes:
Or give it as a gift!. It includes:
Director Katie Walsh is back to answer your questions about the making of the Simone Biles Rising documentary and talk about what it was like to be on the floor filming during the Paris Olympic Games.
This episode was recorded October 30th in our weekly Behind The Scenes episode where Club Gym Nerd members asked questions live or afterwards on their favorite podcast player.
Behind The Scenes is a weekly live Q&A podcast and post-meet live exclusive. It's all part of the bonus content for our Club Members who support our work year around.
Last live show of the year! Tickets on sale soon. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified first.
Add all the exclusive Club Gym Nerd bonus content to your favorite podcast player - instructions here. Not a member? Join here.
Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!). It includes:This week: Absolutely everything about the final two episodes of the Netflix docuseries, Simone Biles Rising. Plus lots of audio clips of Simone's interview Q&A from the premier in Hollywood that Jessica attended last week (all the details on the premier on Behind The Scenes here). No big deal, but Jessica is in the last two episodes. We also discuss the FIG election news and some Halloween-worthy gymnastics horror stories thanks to that Hart to Hart's gymnast-cat-burglar-cruise-ship-bar-routine tv episode we talked about last week.
Our final live show of the year will be in Portland, Oregon in December! Details coming soon! Club Gym Nerd members will get early access to tickets and a discount.
Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!). It includes:
This week: we discuss the gymnastics revenge horror short, "Stuck"; Simone's tour blooper; Jessica is going to the Simone Biles Rising documentary Premier this week; journalist Alina Alexoi has been suspended from European Gymnastics and the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (details here); FIG faces mass resignation in Parkour and lots of technical committee Presidents running unopposed; there are subjective judging problems in every ball sport, so don't let anyone tell you gymnastics is "a subjective sport"; should judges be able to watch replays at will; the time an acro world championship was almost lost after a judge incorrectly input the digital scores; college gymnastics commit updates; the most exciting meets on the NCAA schedule for 2025; the most ridiculous gymnastics episode of TV: Hart to Hart's gymnastics cat burglar cruise ship bar routine.
Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!). It includes:This week: All the gymternet news; Szombathely World Cup of artistry dominance and B dismounts; a mini-commission on the best and worst college for everything but gymnastics rankings; and Jessica watched the first two episodes of "The Money Game," a docuseries on the LSU NIL system and their top athlete earners.
Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!). It includes:All about the legend, Dominique Dawes. How was she treated by the media, what backstories were told, the many barriers she broke though, the skills, the records, the iconic Prince video.
Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!). It includes:The latest gymternet news; retroactively applying the artistry checklist to historic routines; revisiting the 2008 Olympic Team Final; Aly Raisman the 2010-2011 era.
Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!). It includes:The podcast currently has 763 episodes available.