GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

Kaylia Nemour won both bars and beam at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam, taking beam gold over Zhang Qingying of China on an execution tiebreak, while Flavia Saraiva finally won her first world beam medal. Claire Pease and Reese Esponda went one-two on floor, Maiana Prat took bronze on another tiebreak, and the U.S. women leave Rotterdam with seven medals. Artur Davtyan stuck both vaults for gold, Sebastian Sponevik won Norway's first world medal ever, Frederick Richard won the floor title he promised, and Tang Chia-hung took high bar. Plus the credit crisis of these Worlds, from Carlos Yulo to Ellie Black, and the coach who said out loud what others wouldn't. Our final live show from inside Rotterdam Ahoy.

This is the free 25-minute preview. The full 67-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 42 more minutes, nearly two-thirds of the show, including Epke Zonderland and Fabian Hambüchen's high bar stick-it contest, the Nemour versus Zhang beam debate, Flavia's champagne, Maiana Prat's stinky floor medal and Frederick Richard calling his shot. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

GymCastic Live

GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: the replay of Saturday's show with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. Replay tickets are still on sale.

GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets.

Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to event finals, day two

01:13 Rhys McClenaghan answers a critic

01:59 Surprise: Simone Biles in Rotterdam

02:58 Kaylia Nemour wins bars and beam

05:04 Should FIG stop breaking ties?

07:06 The tiebreaks that decided beam gold and floor bronze

08:36 Seven medals for the U.S. women

11:07 Why is nobody getting credit? Carlos Yulo and Ellie Black

12:39 Reese Esponda's coach on FIG's last-minute changes

16:25 Artur Davtyan's two stuck vaults

19:31 Opportunity for comedy: Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir live

21:28 Your comedy moments

22:25 Club Gym Nerd and GymCastic Live

24:24 Club preview: what Jake Jarman's dad said to Bart and Eythora

2026 World Championships Headquarters: every session in your time zone, every qualified team and gymnast.

Episode page and show notes

Skye Blakely is the world all-around champion. The 21-year-old Florida Gator won gold at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam with 55.733, becoming the ninth American woman to win the world all-around title and the first since Simone Biles, and she did it on her own plan, without the Cheng. Liudmila Roshchina took a surprise silver and Ke Qinqin of China won bronze despite a fall on beam. Favorite Kaylia Nemour overran the springboard on her opening vault, landing on the safety collar, and fought back to finish fourth, while Claire Pease was one beam fall away from a medal. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy.

This is the free 27-minute preview. The full 57-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 30 more minutes, more than half of the show, including the international world peace officer, why press row cried for Skye Blakely, Claire Pease and Valeri Liukin's mirrored beam ritual, and your letters on Fujitsu and Skye's beam D score. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

GymCastic Live

GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST (10:00 am PT), with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.

GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets.

Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Thank you to Gina Pongetti of MedGym for caring for Fact Checker.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the women's all-around final

00:46 Skye Blakely is world all-around champion

03:20 Winning Worlds on her own plan

06:09 Kaylia Nemour's vault disaster

10:22 Ke Qinqin's beam is so good she can fall and still medal

11:33 Liudmila Roshchina's surprise silver

13:02 Claire Pease's beam fall

15:15 Skye, Florida and the college-elite path

18:37 Skye's four events

20:23 The world feed problem

21:33 Opportunity for comedy: Alena Glotova falls off beam twice

22:43 Best moment: Lisa Vaelen's straddle full

23:52 Ellie Black performs the beam rage away

24:46 A correction: Gina Pongetti and MedGym

25:51 Club Gym Nerd and GymCastic Live

27:11 Club preview: the international world peace officer

2026 World Championships Headquarters: every session in your time zone, every qualified team and gymnast.

Episode page and show notes

Daiki Hashimoto won his fourth straight world all-around title at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam, by almost two points, with Yang Haonan of China in silver and Joe Fraser taking bronze, only Great Britain's third men's all-around medal at Worlds. Top qualifier and Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka fell twice and still finished eighth, Arsenii Dukhno's medal run ended on high bar, and Illia Kovtun fell twice. Plus breaking news: former Stanford gymnast Kaien J-Spencer is suing Stanford, alleging his former head coach Thom Glielmi degraded and humiliated him, and the women's code that got updated in the middle of Worlds. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy.

This is the free 23-minute preview. The full 57-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 34 more minutes, more than half of the show, including Jessica's Uber conspiracy theories, Jake Jarman's interview, our women's all-around preview with Kaylia Nemour, Skye Blakely and Claire Pease, and your letters on China's beam and whether a fall should cost more than a point. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

GymCastic Live

GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST (10:00 am PT), with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.

GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets.

Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the men's all-around final

01:14 Daiki Hashimoto wins a fourth straight world all-around title

02:09 Ex-Stanford gymnast sues over his former coach

04:25 The women's code gets updated during Worlds

06:14 Shinnosuke Oka's two falls

08:06 Illia Kovtun and four all-arounds in a row

09:02 Joe Fraser's Red Bull

09:42 Arsenii Dukhno's high bar fall

10:33 Noe Seifert's podium warm-up

11:23 Frederick Richard's not-so-secret girlfriend

12:13 Yang Haonan's silver

13:28 Joe Fraser's bronze and the baby celebration

17:30 Opportunity for comedy: frog on the windshield

18:27 Best moment: Camilo Vera goes for the Liukin twice

20:29 Join Club Gym Nerd and GymCastic Live

22:31 Club preview: the Uber driver's conspiracy theory

2026 World Championships Headquarters: every session in your time zone, every qualified team and gymnast.

Episode page and show notes

China are world team champions for the first time since 2006, ending the United States' run of seven straight titles by two tenths in the women's team final at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam. Japan won its first world team medal since 1966. We break down the beam rotation that decided it, the downgrade that cost Skye Blakely, Dulcy Caylor's beam and big floor, Claire Pease's Cheng and 56-point all-around, and why the Fujitsu D-scores belong on the live scoreboard. Plus France in fourth, a rough night for WG2 and Italy, the broken floor that was really the podium, and lunch with Jay Clark. Recorded live from inside Rotterdam Ahoy.

Want more? Club Gym Nerd members get this episode ad-free, plus daily Worlds shows with extra time, weekly live Behind The Scenes and the full archive. Join Club Gym Nerd.

GymCastic Live

GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST / 10:00 am PT, with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.

GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET, with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets on sale.

Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Limited time offer: make healthy eating simple. Get Huel with 15% off online with code GYMCASTIC at huel.com/GYMCASTIC. New customers only. Thank you to Huel for supporting our show.

Chapters

00:00 China are world champions; U.S. silver, Japan bronze

01:41 How China broke the U.S. streak

04:22 Skye Blakely's beam and the D-score surprise

07:43 Chasing China on beam

10:31 Japan's first team medal since 1966

14:15 Show us the Fujitsu D-scores

17:42 The broken floor was the podium

19:36 Ellie Black's vault warm-up near miss

21:17 Moment of the day: Morgane Osyssek's floor

23:23 Club Gym Nerd and GymCastic Live

25:28 China's gold, rotation by rotation

31:07 Huel

33:27 Team USA's silver: vault, Claire Pease's Cheng, the bunnies

37:37 U.S. floor and the all-around outlook

40:36 WG2, Italy and the double-pike curse

44:30 France in fourth

47:16 Lunch with Jay Clark and the FIG judging system

50:20 Canada and Brazil

54:42 Japan's Fujitsu award and the podium

57:41 Live Q&A: Fact Checker update, all-around picks, France, the U.S. men

1:10:16 Wrap

Show notes and links · 2026 World Championship Headquarters

The floor broke again. A Dutch gymnast flagged the corner of the floor during the men's team final at the 2026 World Championships, nine years after Bart Deurloo did the same in Montreal. Japan won the world team title despite late falls, the Russian team competing as WG2 took silver and China held on for bronze, while Great Britain's medal hopes came apart one error at a time. Plus when the FIG will update its equipment standards, a final that ran past 10:30 at night, and robot judges catching every out-of-bounds. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy.

This is the free 18-minute preview. The full 42-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 24 more minutes, more than half of the show, including Fact Checker's note from the KLM crew, Japan in depth, Team USA's women's team final lineup, the U.S. men in sixth and our women's team final preview. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

GymCastic Live

GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST (10:00 am PT), with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.

GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets.

Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the men's team final

01:00 Japan wins the world team title

02:01 The floor breaks again

04:09 When will the FIG update its equipment standards?

06:16 Russia, not Russia, and the missing headshots

07:17 Great Britain's heartbreak

09:57 China holds on for bronze

11:16 Too late at night to compete

12:32 Robot judges and the out-of-bounds epidemic

13:31 GymCastic Live in Rotterdam with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir

14:11 Switzerland and the last-rotation falls

15:55 Join Club Gym Nerd for the rest

17:25 Club preview: the arena's location tag

2026 World Championships Headquarters: every session in your time zone, every qualified team and gymnast.

Episode page and show notes

When beams attack. Great Britain counted a full beam meltdown and missed the team final by less than two-tenths, Flávia Saraiva's vault got Brazil in, and Kaylia Nemour leads the all-around even with mistakes. China survived a rare bars disaster to qualify first, the Russian team competing as WG2 is third with its B team, and Skye Blakely held on to a bars final spot. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy after day two of women's qualification at the 2026 World Championships.

This is the free 25-minute preview. The full 51-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 26 more minutes, more than half of the show, including the hair dryer story, a Fact Checker update, and every subdivision in depth: France, Sanne Wevers' last routine, Canada's floor secret and Brazil. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

GymCastic Live

GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: Saturday, October 24, 7:00 pm CEST (10:00 am PT), with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. In-person is sold out; stream it live from anywhere.

GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets.

Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Rotterdam, day two

01:23 Breaking news from the Spanish federation

02:55 Kaylia Nemour leads the all-around

08:45 China qualifies first

12:06 Flávia Saraiva saves Brazil

14:18 Russia, not Russia, in third

15:34 Great Britain's beam meltdown

16:47 Becky Downie delivers

18:36 Biggest surprise: Skye Blakely makes the bars final

19:48 Opportunities for comedy

21:08 Best moments: Hillary Heron and the Thriller

23:18 Join Club Gym Nerd for the rest

24:45 Club preview: the hair dryer story

2026 World Championships Headquarters: every session in your time zone, every qualified team and gymnast.

Episode page and show notes

Hezly Rivera is out, Dulcy Caylor is in, and Skye Blakely had the day of her life. Our sleep-deprived reactions from inside Rotterdam Ahoy after day one of women's qualification at the 2026 World Championships: Team USA leads with no falls, Italy is one floor hit from something special, Japan counted three misses, and Mexico beat Belgium and Romania. Plus robot judging downgrades Carlos Yulo's vault, Manila Esposito's perfect-execution beam and Sabrina Voinea's raven.

This is the free 26-minute preview. The full 74-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 48 more minutes, nearly two-thirds of the show, including Team USA event by event, the men's qualification recap, the Gymnasts for Change boat party and your letters. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

GymCastic Live in Rotterdam on October 24 with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir is sold out in person, but virtual tickets are still available.

This episode is presented by Sand and Sea Luxury Travel Advisors. Plan your dream trip at go.sandandsea.travel/gcnotes and use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Rotterdam

01:17 Breaking news: Hezly Rivera withdraws, Dulcy Caylor in

03:07 Jade Carey and the "stay-at-home alternate"

05:34 Hezly's blanket

07:44 Robot judging: Carlos Yulo's vault downgrade and Frederick Richard's floor deduction

11:12 Team USA leads after day one

13:44 Skye Blakely leads the all-around

15:10 Claire Pease and the Cheng

16:36 Mexico beats Belgium and Romania

19:22 Opportunities for comedy: Sabrina Voinea's raven

21:30 Scott Bregman's Gymnastipedia

22:38 Manila Esposito's beam and Marta Pihan-Kulesza

24:28 Join Club Gym Nerd for the rest

25:32 Club preview: Cécile Landi's story

Links

Episode page

2026 World Championships Headquarters

Worlds Coverage Bundle: 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99

Rotterdam Worlds Roster Tracker

Day two of women's podium training at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam. Kaylia Nemour had a mixed day on bars and vault, Russia brought a full team without Angelina Melnikova and still looked good, and the qualification lists have turned into chaos. Plus Rebeca Andrade's vault, the judges who coach from the sidelines, and why Fact Checker is in the hospital.

This is the free 21-minute preview. The full 47-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 26 more minutes, more than half the show, including our full conversation with Aliya Mustafina and the live Club Q&A. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

Get tickets for GymCastic Live in Rotterdam on October 24 with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir.

This episode is presented by Sand and Sea Luxury Travel Advisors. Plan your dream trip at go.sandandsea.travel/gcnotes and use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to podium training, day two

01:07 Rebeca Andrade on vault

02:18 Watching the judges up close

04:58 A Tim Gunn for every event

05:29 Will Andrade's Lopez get layout credit?

06:39 Kaylia Nemour: bars, beam and vault

09:34 GymCastic Live in Rotterdam with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir

10:58 Russia's B team

13:25 The qualification and registration chaos

16:51 The French team vs. the beam sticker

18:11 Aliya Mustafina, and our conversation continues for Club members

20:03 Why Fact Checker is in the hospital

Links

Episode page

2026 World Championships Headquarters

Worlds Coverage Bundle: 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99

Rotterdam Worlds Roster Tracker

Our first daily show from inside Rotterdam Ahoy at the 2026 World Championships. Three Russian women, including Angelina Melnikova, were refused visas days before the meet. Reese Esponda's coach tells us why she had to change her floor routine at the last minute, and we explain how robot judging is deciding difficulty here in Rotterdam.

This is the free 22-minute preview. The full 62-minute show is for Club Gym Nerd members. That's 40 more minutes, nearly two-thirds of the show, including Hezly Rivera's ankle and the alternate rules, our behind-the-scenes stories and the rest of podium training. Join Club Gym Nerd to hear it all. Want to try it first? The Worlds Coverage Bundle is 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99, no auto-renewal.

Congratulations to our raffle winners, and thank you to everyone who supported our Worlds fundraiser. Get tickets for GymCastic Live in Rotterdam on October 24 with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir.

This episode is presented by Sand and Sea Luxury Travel Advisors. Plan your dream trip at go.sandandsea.travel/gcnotes and use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Rotterdam

01:20 Breaking news: Russia's visa drama

04:46 GymCastic Live in Rotterdam with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir

06:30 Reese Esponda's floor change: our interview with her coach

10:56 Explainer: robot judges, Fujitsu and the barani

16:50 Who gets told what, and when

19:45 Our conversation continues for Club members

20:35 Raffle winners

Links

Episode page

2026 World Championships Headquarters

Worlds Coverage Bundle: 3 months of Club Gym Nerd for $14.99

Rotterdam Worlds Roster Tracker

Part two of our Rotterdam World Championships preview, subdivisions 6 through 10. We're living in the age of Rebeca Andrade and Angelina Melnikova, so what history is on the line for two of the most decorated gymnasts ever? We size up breakout star Elena Colas and France, Great Britain on the team-final bubble, a veteran Netherlands team on home soil, Russia (competing as AIN), Canada, Spain and Brazil, then ask whether China has the vaults to go with its beam and bars. Plus a Man Break with Carlos Yulo, Casimir Schmidt and reports that Zhang Boheng is off China's roster, and our vault and beam final previews.

Club Gym Nerd members get every episode ad-free, live Q&A after every day of Worlds and hours of extra Rotterdam podcasts. Join Club Gym Nerd. Want a taste first? The Worlds Bundle: three months of Club Gym Nerd, one payment, no auto-renewal.

Our Worlds coverage is brought to you by Sand & Sea Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS.

Live shows

Rotterdam, Saturday October 24 after event finals, with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir

New York City, Friday December 4, with Katelyn Ohashi

Streaming and in-person tickets at gymcastic.com

Worlds tools

2026 World Championship Headquarters: the schedule in your time zone and the 2026 leaderboard

Worlds Roster Tracker

Elite Score Explorer

Chapters

00:00 Welcome + Sand & Sea Travel

01:15 Worlds schedule and what's on the line

02:24 The age of Andrade and Melnikova

05:23 Subdivision 6: France and Malaysia

11:35 Live shows: Rotterdam and NYC with Katelyn Ohashi

12:06 Subdivision 7: Great Britain and the Netherlands

20:00 Man Break: the men's all-around

27:50 Carlos Yulo, Casimir Schmidt and an upside-down iron cross

33:06 Updates: Worlds HQ leaderboard and the Worlds Bundle

35:47 Subdivision 8: Russia (AIN), Canada and Spain

43:43 Subdivision 9: Brazil and Switzerland

48:18 Vault preview

51:13 Subdivision 10: China and South Korea

1:00:52 Beam preview

1:03:33 See you in Rotterdam

Our daily Rotterdam podcasts start October 15 after women's podium training.