The breakup of the USSR gave Oksana Chusovitina the opportunity to extend her career in a way that wasn’t possible before. But how many other Soviet athletes found themselves in the same predicament? Continue reading Is Oksana Chusovitina the Last Soviet Athlete?
Nadia Comaneci brought widespread fame to Romanian gymnastics. But the program had been producing legendary gymnasts long before her arrival. In Part I of this series I cover the legendary Romanian gymnasts of 1964-1974. Continue reading The Great Romanian Gymnasts Who Came Before Nadia (Part II)
Nadia Comaneci brought widespread fame to Romanian gymnastics. But the program had been producing legendary gymnasts long before her arrival. In Part I of this series I cover the legendary Romanian gymnasts of 1952-1962. Continue reading The Great Romanian Gymnasts Who Came Before Nadia (Part I)
Recapping the careers of Natalia Yurchenko, Olga Mostepanova, Albina Shishova, Olga Bicherova, Tatiana Frolova, and Natalia Ilienko. Continue reading The Greatest Team That Never Went to the Olympics (Part II)
In 1983 the Soviets took the gold medal. Despite being one of the most well-rounded lineups in gymnastics history, not one member of this team became an Olympian. Continue reading The Greatest Team That Never Went to the Olympics (Part I)
The career of Oksana Chusovitina career has been so impressive that it is difficult to put her longevity into words. So instead I created a graphic to demonstrate how impressive it has been. Continue reading The Longevity of Oksana Chusovitina Visualized
Which country has the strongest program in gymnastics history? I calculate the medal leaders in the team competition to find out! Continue reading Countries With the Most Medals in the Team Competition
Which country has the strongest program in gymnastics history? I give 3 points for gold, 2 for silver, and 1 for bronze to find out. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant Programs in the Team Competition
The list of every American gymnast who has ever represented the United States in women’s gymnastics at the Olympics and World Championships Continue reading American Gymnasts With the Most Appearances at the Olympics and World Championships
Simone Biles wins an award from the BBC which is one of the most remarkable awards of her career Continue reading Simone Biles Wins Yet Another Prestigious Award
Who are the Olympic “power couples” of Rhythmic Gymnastics? Continue reading Olympic Rhythmic Gymnasts Who Married a Fellow Olympian
These athletes were legends in their sport, but never competed on the biggest stage and most prestigious competition in women’s gymnastics. Continue reading The Greatest Gymnasts Who Never Went to the Olympics
Oksana Chusovitina is the most admired gymnast when it comes to celebrating longevity. Vanessa Ferrari should be considered in a similar light. Continue reading The Unprecedented Longevity of Vanessa Ferrari
As USA Gymnastics moves into the post-Tom Forster era, there were three moments that best illustrate how he should be remembered. Continue reading The Three Things Tom Forster Should Be Remembered For
Who are the Olympic “power couples” in gymnastics? In this article I’ll give you all the names of an Olympic gymnast who married a fellow Olympian. Continue reading The List of Every Olympic Gymnast Who Married a Fellow Olympian
Who are the Olympic “power couples” in gymnastics? In this article I provide further insights on that topic. Continue reading Writeup: Olympic Gymnasts Who Married a Fellow Olympian
In a multi-national union between two Olympic gymnasts that hasn’t occurred in decades, Diana Varinska announced she is engaged. Continue reading Diana Varinska Gets Engaged and Joins Nadia Comaneci in a Rare Marriage Milestone
The amount of talent the Soviets had in 1976 was ludicrous. Four All-Around Champions, eight Hall of Famers, 14 Olympic appearances, a dozen child prodigies, the list goes on… Continue reading The Start List of the 1976 USSR Cup Was Insane
She was the underdog gymnast from an underdog program who rose to become an icon of women’s gymnastics. Continue reading Gymnastics Bio #10: Henrietta Onodi
In gymnastics history there have been a wide variety of prestigious junior competitions. But what happens when the Champions of these competitions turn senior? Continue reading Are Junior Champions Likely to Become Senior Champions?
These gymnasts once lead the Olympic All-Around standings, but they didn’t have the same luck in AA Finals. Part II covers the gymnasts of 2008-2021. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Won Olympic AA Qualifications But Not AA Finals (Part II)
These gymnasts once lead the Olympic All-Around standings, but they didn’t have the same luck in AA Finals. Part I covers the gymnasts of 1972-2000. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Won Olympic AA Qualifications But Not AA Finals (Part I)
Without revealing the context, if I were to have told you that these gymnasts competed against each other, your first reaction would be “that’s impossible.” Continue reading Bizarre Encounters in Gymnastics History
The Longines Prize for Elegance has become a staple of the World Championships. Why did it disappear? Continue reading Bring Back the Longines Prize for Elegance
As the Tokyo Olympic cycle comes to its conclusion, I recap the 15 most successful gymnasts of the past five years. In this part I profile the gymnasts ranked 7th to 1st. Continue reading The 15 Greatest Gymnasts of the Tokyo Quad (Part II)
As the Tokyo Olympic cycle comes to its conclusion, I recap the 15 most successful gymnasts of the past five years. In this part I profile the gymnasts ranked 15th to 8th. Continue reading The 15 Greatest Gymnasts of the Tokyo Quad (Part I)
SafeSport violations in rhythmic gymnastics expose the continued cultural failures of USAG. Continue reading The Stupidity of USAG (October 2021 Edition)
At the 2021 World Championships two gymnasts achieved a milestone that had happened only twice before within their respective program. Continue reading What Melnikova and Ashikawa accomplished at the 2021 World Championships
Who was the best gymnast of the current decade? I give 3 points for gold, 2 for silver, and 1 for bronze to find out. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant Gymnasts of the Decade (2020s)
Two gymnasts tasted success for the first time. More importantly, they did it together. Continue reading The Rise of Leanne Wong and Kayla DiCello
Hitomi Hatakeda was on the verge of making history for herself, her family, and her country before one ill-timed skill brought her 2021 run to a halt. Continue reading Quick Reaction: Hitomi Hatakeda’s Injury
Three countries will appear in Event Finals for the first time ever. But that is only the beginning of all the feats that were accomplished in qualifying at the 2021 World Championships. Continue reading The Gymnasts Who Made History at the 2021 World Championships
Explaining the difference between “Martha” and “Marta” Karolyi. Continue reading When Did Marta Karolyi Become “Martha?”
Some thoughts on a recent interview featuring Martha Karolyi Continue reading The Shame of Martha Karolyi
The 2021 Olympics produced a highly diverse field of Olympic medalists, but the same can not be said when looking at the list of career medal leaders in women’s gymnastics. Continue reading The Lack of Racial Diversity In Women’s Gymnastics Medal Leaders
Who is the best gymnast from South Korea? I give 3 points for gold, 2 for silver, and 1 for bronze to find out. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant South Korean Gymnasts
It is often said gymnasts “skip” the World Championships following the Olympics. But is that assertion true? Continue reading Do Post-Olympic World Championships Have Weaker Fields?
In 2021 Anastasia Ilyankova became the latest Olympian from a Russian city with a storied gymnastics history. Continue reading The Russian City That Does Nothing but Produce Olympic Gymnasts
Reflections on the Afghanistan women’s soccer team and the powerful figures who led it. Continue reading Remembering the Afghanistan Women’s Soccer Team
Simone Biles may not realize it, but she just gifted Elena Mukhina something that is long overdue. Continue reading What Simone Biles did for Elena Mukhina
42 bullet points representing the most funky and compelling statistics from the 2021 Olympics Continue reading Whacky Stats and Records From the 2021 Olympics
Angelina Melnikova is the unusual case of a gymnast who only seems to get better with time. Continue reading The Growing Strength of Angelina Melnikova
In this 2-part series I cover the rare phenomenon of the “near-Olympic team.” Part II covers teams from the 2000s-present Continue reading Did Everyone Go to the Olympics Without Me? (Part II)
In this 2-part series I cover the rare phenomenon of the “near-Olympic team.” Part I covers teams from the 1970s-1990s. Continue reading Did Everyone Go to the Olympics Without Me? (Part I)
These gymnasts didn’t make an Olympic team, but their young training partner did. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Were Role Models For a Future Olympian
Ranking the strongest All-Around podiums in gymnastics history based on success throughout the rest of the competition. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant All-Around Podiums
Ranking the strongest All-Around podiums in gymnastics history based on success throughout the rest of the competition. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant All-Around Podiums (By Year)
Simone Biles in Paris 2024? Here is why it makes so much sense. Continue reading Three Reasons Why Simone Biles Should Compete in 2024
2021 France will be represented by gymnasts born in the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. More importantly, all of them were born French and have always lived in France. Continue reading France 2021: The Olympic Team From Three Different Continents
My take on the 2021 British Team Continue reading Quick Reaction: Great Britain Names 2021 Olympic Team
Analyzing the decision to not name Becky Downie to the 2021 Olympic team. Continue reading The Becky Downie Situation
Simone isn’t just beating her competitors, but anyone who dares to oppose her. Continue reading Simone Biles Always Wins
It is not what you win, it is not how you win, it is the story that gets told along the way. Continue reading How Will Simone Biles’ Career Be Remembered?
The 2021 U.S. Classics is shockingly young, over half the competitors are 1st or 2nd year seniors. Continue reading The 2021 U.S. Classics Features an Incredibly Young Field
The 2021 U.S. Classic will feature 42 gymnasts, it may be one of the most talented fields ever assembled in a domestic American meet Continue reading Can We Talk About How Impressive this 2021 U.S. Classics Start List Is?
Dominique Dawes wants to change gymnastics, and she won’t mince words in an attempt to accomplish that goal. Continue reading Dominique Dawes is on a Mission to Fix Gymnastics
In the final days of the Cold War, a 20 year old former gymnast made a daring attempt to scale the Berlin Wall. Continue reading The Gymnast Who Died at the Berlin Wall
For 1st-year seniors it is usually impossible to win the All-Around at the European Championships. Only Nadia Comaneci had done it, now Viktoria Listunova can say the same. Continue reading Viktoria Listunova Achieved a Record Only Held by Nadia Comaneci
Three thoughts on what the reitement of Daniela Trica means for the future of Romanian gymnastics. Continue reading Quick Reactions: Daniela Trica Retires
The 2021 European Championships proved gymnastics is still dominated by young athletes, but exceptions are becoming more common. Continue reading What the 2021 European Championships Tell Us About Age Trends in Gymnastics
After two years of being overshadowed by her sister, Jessica Gadirova has crashed onto the scene in her international senior debut. Continue reading The Arrival of Jessica Gadirova
In any other era Viktoria Listunova would be your typical child prodigy, but between COVID-19 and Simone Biles, this era has been anything but typical. Continue reading The Unusual Rise of Viktoria Listunova
Michigan winning a National Championship is both a homage to the past and a homage to the future of the sport. Continue reading Quick Reactions to the 2021 National Championships
If you were a Soviet gymnast, you did not want to be born in the 1940s. Continue reading The Unlucky Generation of Soviet Gymnastics
What would gymnastics be like if Olga Korbut had been left off the 1972 Soviet Olympic team? This scenario came awfully close to happening. Continue reading How Close Did Olga Korbut Come to Not Making the 1972 Olympic Team?
At a time when acts of hate are being committed against Asian-Americans, it is important to reflect on what that means for the Asian-Americans who represent Team USA. Continue reading Gymnastics and #StopAsianHate
As Russia gears up for the 2021 National Championships, the program enters a new era unlike the previous decade. Continue reading 2021 Russia: A Team Hungry for Success
In USAG’s 2021 audit, glaring flaws can be found as to how it is implementation recommendations stemming from the 2017 Deborah Daniels Report. Continue reading USAG Is Only Pretending to Follow Child Protection Recommendations (Literally)
It was the most unconventional duo in gymnastics history. The partnership between Elena Mukhina and Mikhail Klimenko was highly successful, but also proved to be mutually self-destructive. Continue reading The Unlikely Gymnast and the Unlikely Coach (Part II)
It was the most unconventional duo in gymnastics history. The partnership between Elena Mukhina and Mikhail Klimenko was highly successful, but also proved to be mutually self-destructive. Continue reading The Unlikely Gymnast and the Unlikely Coach (Part I)
Due to newly surfaced research, it has been discovered that there is an Olympic gymnast who is even older than Oksana Chusovitina. So, Oksana Chusovitina will just have to break that record again. Continue reading Oksana Chusovitina Is No Longer the Oldest Olympic Gymnast
In a poorly thought out attempt at damage control, Li Li Leung provoked the ire of the Gymternet. Continue reading The Absurdity of Li Li Leung’s Statement
As the gymnastics community reflects on the passing of John Geddert, I give reflections on what could have been had a trial occurred. Continue reading What the Trial of John Geddert Could Have Accomplished
In a decision that is being called “all but certain” Australia is expected to host the 2032 Olympics. Continue reading 2032 Olympics Will Most Likely Go To Australia
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from February 16th, 2021 to February 23rd, 2021 Continue reading The News: February 23rd, 2021
Recapping select non-gymnastics news events February 16th, 2021 to February 23rd, 2021 Continue reading The News (Special Edition)
The following 29 gymnasts were nominated for the 2021 AAI Award. Continue reading List of 2021 AAI Award Nominees
Simone uses her body to win medals, she also has a voice which she uses to help others. Continue reading Simone Biles: The Power of Having a Voice
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from February 11th, 2021 to February 15th, 2021 Continue reading The News: February 15th, 2021
In 1983 Dianne Durham visited Kentucky, 38 years later that visit was remembered in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Continue reading Dianne Durham Honored in Kentucky House of Representatives
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from February 8th, 2021 to February 11th, 2021 Continue reading The News: February 11th, 2021
USAG has a problem with bad athlete advocates, perhaps it should recruit from the NCAA ranks to find better candidates. Continue reading USAG Athlete Representatives Should be a Level-10 or NCAA Gymnast
For someone who has been knocked down so many times in life, all McKayla Maroney wants to do is give back to the world with continued messages of positivity. Continue reading McKayla Maroney is Awesome (Part II)
Jordyn Wieber is one of the youngest coaches in NCAA history, but what does this mean for college gymnasts who grew up watching her compete? Continue reading The Magic of Coach Jordyn Wieber
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from February 2nd, 2021 to February 8th, 2021 Continue reading The News: February 8th, 2021
As the gymnastics community mourns the passing of a legend, now is the time to reflect on the importance of her career. Continue reading Dianne Durham: A Career That Mattered
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 25th, 2021 to February 2nd, 2021 Continue reading The News: February 2nd, 2021
McKayla Maroney is celebrated for being an amazing athlete, she should also be celebrated for her courage. Continue reading McKayla Maroney is Awesome
Li Li Leung treats gymnastics fans like trash because her views don’t align with a fanbase that wants accountability and reform. Continue reading Why Does Li Li Leung Keep Treating Gymnastics Fans Like Trash?
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 23rd, 2021 to January 25th, 2021 Continue reading The News: January 25th, 2021
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 20th, 2021 to January 23rd, 2021 Continue reading The News: January 23rd, 2021
People remember Julissa Gomez for the way her career ended, but the rest of her story should be remembered as well. Continue reading Remembering Julissa Gomez
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 17th, 2021 to January 20th, 2021 Continue reading The News: January 20th, 2021
Kim Gwang Suk was a fascinating gymnast, she emerged in an era of chaos while her disappearance was equally perplexing. Continue reading The Rise and Fall of Kim Gwang Suk
In Part II of this series, I cover the history of the wolf turn and why it should be considered one of the most sacred skills in gymnastics history. Continue reading The Wolf Turn Was as Popular 50 Years Ago as it is Today (Part II)
It would shock you to know that the wolf turn is not a modern skill. It was as popular 50 years ago as it is today. Continue reading The Wolf Turn Was as Popular 50 Years Ago as it is Today (Part I)
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 13th, 2021 to January 17th, 2021. Continue reading The News: January 17th, 2021
The best way to honor Simone Biles is to celebrate what she has already accomplished, not endless speculation on a 2024 comeback. Continue reading The Best Way to Honor a Legend is Knowing When to Say Goodbye
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 10th, 2021 to January 13th, 2021 Continue reading The News: January 13th, 2021
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 9th, 2021 to January 10th, 2021 Continue reading The News: January 10th, 2021
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