Emma Spence Interview

Tokyo Olympic alternate, Emma Spence, represented Canada at the 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games winning bronze in the team event at both competitions. The World bronze was the Canadian women's first team medal ever. Emma is currently a gymnast at Nebraska while serving on the FIG Safeguarding Working Group. We discussed:

• Traveling on a pre-G7 peace mission with other gymnasts and FIG President Watanabe to Japan. And of course, cultural goofs.
• Which parties are the best; elite or college.
• Simultaneously competing for a world medal and speaking at the first ever FIG Safeguarding Symposium at Liverpool Worlds. Yes, literally on the same day.
• The current state of Gymnastics Canada under investigation for abuse.
• All the culture shock competing at Nebraska; including wild things Americans have said to her international college athlete group.
• Having to get ultrasounds at Nebraska to make sure her spleen was safe to return to training before Worlds.
• Why a coach had to come out of retirement to coach her at Liverpool Worlds.

Continental Championships

It's a big weekend for gymnasts from the Americas and Africa with worlds (and by extension Olympic) spots on the line. We fill you in on what you need to know.

• News on the latest victory in UB world leader Kaylia Nemour's quest to represent Algeria at the African Championship, and why it's giving Spencer the logistical sweats
• Individual Olympic qualification bids by Lynnzee Brown, Sydney Barros, Anya Pilgrim, and more will be put to the test at Saturday's Pan American Championships. Plus, what's at stake for the US women's team.

Meet News

• Qualification is in the books at Chinese Nationals and we need to talk about the Qiu Qiyuan of it all
• Four of the five spots on Japan's women's team were decided last weekend at NHK. We discuss who's in, who could be in, who's probably out, and the pros and cons of a potential "all beam, no regrets" worlds team
• Plus, we got out the magnifying glasses and tried to watch Canadian Championships; the latest on the dumpster fire news; and Brody Malone's injury comeback.

JOIN CLUB GYM NERD

• Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to weekly Behind the Scenes episodes.
• Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see some of the gymnastics we discuss, plus get access to all of our exclusive interviews and Behind The Scenes episodes.
• Not sure about joining the club? College & Cocktails: The Friday Night NCAA Gymnastics Post-Meet Show is available to sample (even if you aren't a Club Gym Nerd member yet). Watch or listen here.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.
• We have a Ukraine Fundraiser design, all proceeds go to the CARE Ukraine Crisis fund.

RELATED EPISODES & RESOURCES

• History's Best Beam Routines
• Gymnastics Mythbusters 4.0
• 2023 NCAA Championships
• Romanian Gymnastics Secret Police Files
  • Project K Episode 2
  • Project K Episode 1
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Photo Galleries from NCAAs
• The Highest D and E scores from The Gymternet

MORE WAYS TO LISTEN HERE