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
In 1928, a team of child athletes won a silver medal in the gymnastics team competition. Shortly afterwards, one of them died. Continue reading 1928 Italy: The Most Tragic Record in Sports
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from January 6th, 2021 to January 9th, 2021 Continue reading The News: January 9th, 2021
This small island off the coast of Madagascar has produced seven Olympic gymnasts. Continue reading Reunion: The Little French Island That Produces So Many Olympic Gymnasts
Recapping all the Gymnastics news from January 1st, 2021 to January 5th, 2021. Continue reading The News: January 5th 2021
The 1980 Olympic boycott is widely portrayed through the lens of the USA, here is how it impacted everyone else. Continue reading The Forgotten Countries of the 1980 Boycott
Olga Mostepanova is well known for being affected by the 1984 Olympic boycott, this is how the 1980 boycott impacted her career as well. Continue reading How the 1980 Olympic Boycott Altered the Career of Olga Mostepanova
Recapping all the Gymnastics events from Late-December to January 1st, 2021. Continue reading The News: January 1st, 2021
The unique arrangement of the Swiss program handicaps the careers of its gymnasts. Creating a paradox for its athletes in the process. Continue reading The Swiss Gymnastics Paradox
Two Olympic boycotts and a program that spent decades being neglected due to sexism, Switzerland had to overcome so much adversity before it could win an Olympic medal. Continue reading Swiss Gymnastics: A Long History of Overcoming Adversity
The 1976 Olympic qualification process was so flawed, teams could easily cheat the system and FIG had to scrap it three months before the Olympics. Continue reading The Worst Olympic Qualification Model Ever Devised
Which region of the United States is a gymnastics power? I tracked the hometown of every Olympian born in the United States to find out. Continue reading Which American Cities Have Produced the Most Olympians?
These are the Olympic gymnasts who were born in the United States. Some competed under the American flag, many did not. Continue reading The List of Every Olympian Born in the United States
Which American state has produced the most Olympians? I crunch the numbers to find out. Continue reading Which American States Have Produced the Most Olympians
Anastasia Motak entered the 2020 European Championships as a relatively unknown gymnast. She left with three medals and is the breakout star of 2020. Anastasia Motak has officially arrived. Continue reading The Arrival of Anastasia Motak
How has Larisa Iordache managed to stage such an improbable comeback? With so many goals yet to be achieved, Iordache still has unfinished business. Larisa is not leaving the sport until she has achieved what she has set out to do. Continue reading Larisa Iordache Has Unfinished Business
This article makes the case for Beth Tweddle being the most under-rated gymnasts of the last 50 years. I measure her consistency, longevity, medal count, and status as a trailblazer in the sport to make the case. Continue reading Beth Tweddle: The Most Under-Rated Gymnast of the Last 50 Years.
An analysis of Sandra Izbasa’s career and why her unique experiences made her a Romanian icon. Continue reading Why Sandra Izbasa is a Romanian Icon
What if gymnast was credited for appearing in an AA finals in the same way they are credited for appearing in an apparatus finals? I crunch the numbers to find out. Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most Top-8 Finishes in the All-Around
These gymnasts never won a gold medal. But that didn’t stop them from becoming icons of the sport. Continue reading The Most Successful Gymnasts Who Never Won a Gold Medal
In this article I examine the unique history of gymnastics that put the sport at the center of the Holocaust. Continue reading Why Gymnastics Was the Hardest Hit Olympic Sport in the Holocaust
Gymnastics was by far the hardest hit sport in the Holocaust. In this article I recount the careers of over 20 elite level gymnasts who had been murdered during World War II. Continue reading Gymnastics and the Holocaust
Oksana Omelianchik, Tatiana Gutsu, and Lilia Podkopayeva. From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, Ukraine was an unstoppable force in gymnastics. Continue reading When Ukraine Ruled Gymnastics
Tatiana Gutsu, Oksana Baiul, Lilia Podkopayeva, and Alexandra Timoshenko. Ukraine’s dominance of artistic sports in the 1990s was a sight to behold. Continue reading When Ukraine Ruled the Artistic Sports
The Eastern Bloc once dominated gymnastics, but how should their medal count be interpreted? Continue reading How Dominant Was the Eastern Bloc in Gymnastics?
How the topic of body-image affected Elena Shushunova. Continue reading Elena Shushunova and the Impact of Body Shaming
Usually it is a coincidence when two gymnastics share a name, but what about the times when it isn’t? Continue reading Gymnasts Who Were Named After Other Gymnasts
Maria Tyshko was the first Soviet gymnast to win an AA title in international competition. But she never made it to the Olympics due to the Soviet refusal to join the Olympic movement prior to 1952. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #9: Maria Tyshko
In 1977 Elena Mukhina made the daisy-dot leotard iconic iconic, but she was far from the only gymnast who wore this leotard. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Wore the Elena Mukhina Leotard
Gymnasts who have appeared in an Event Finals on vault, bars, beam, and floor. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Have Appeared in Event Finals on Every Apparatus
In 1958 Larissa Latynina produced one of the most impressive performances in gymnastics history. Unbeknownst to her coaches, she competed while four-months pregnant. Continue reading The Time Larissa Latynina Won Five Gold Medals While Four-Months Pregnant
Gymnasts with the most impressive medal haul in a single competition. Continue reading The Most Dominant Performances in Gymnastics History
The number of times every gymnast has appeared in an event finals at the Olympics and/or World Championships. Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most Appearances in Event Finals
The number of times every gymnast has appeared in a floor exercise finals at the Olympics and/or World Championships. Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most Appearances in Floor Finals
How USAG has dealt with the Azarian Gymnastics abuse allegations is a new low for the organization. Continue reading The Continued Stupidity of USA Gymnastics
The number of times every gymnast has appeared in a balance beam finals at the Olympics and/or World Championships. Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most Appearances in Beam Finals
With so many nations pulling out of the 2020 European Championships, here is a breakdown of who remains. Continue reading Is There Anyone Left to Win the European Championships?
A list of every margin of victory in every competition. Continue reading The Margin of Victory in Every All-Around Battle
The number of times every gymnast has appeared in an uneven bars finals at the Olympics and/or World Championships. Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most Appearances in Uneven Bars Finals
The number of times every gymnast has appeared in a vault finals at the Olympics and/or World Championships. Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most Appearances in Vault Finals
In 1981 Lavinia Agache found herself at the center of two major controversies, but she didn’t let either one distract her from the task at hand. Winning medals. Continue reading Lavinia Agache: The Art of Keeping Cool
Seven reason why limiting the All-Around to two gymnasts per country and harms the sport. Continue reading Why 2-Per Country Limits in the AA is a Terrible Rule (Part II)
Seven reason why limiting the All-Around to two gymnasts per country and harms the sport. Continue reading Why 2-Per Country Limits in the AA is a Terrible Rule (Part I)
How will COVID-19 impact the final standings at the 2020 European Champions. Continue reading What the 2019 European Championships Would Have Looked Like in 2020
In 1978 a leotard first appeared that would become so popular, nearly 30 Olympians wore it. Part III covers Japan, Canada, Great Britain, and rhythmic gymnastics. Continue reading The Most Popular Leotard in Gymnastics History (Part III)
In 1978 a leotard first appeared that would become so popular, nearly 30 Olympians wore it. Part II covers the United States, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Elena Davydova. Continue reading The Most Popular Leotard in Gymnastics History (Part II)
In 1978 a leotard first appeared that would become so popular, nearly 30 Olympians wore it. Part I covers the Soviet Union, China, Romania, East Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Continue reading The Most Popular Leotard in Gymnastics History (Part I)
From 1972-1988 the All-Around featured a rule called “carry-over scoring.” But how would the AA results at the World Championships look if this rule never existed? Continue reading What World Championships All-Around Podiums Would Look Like Without Carry-Over Scoring
From 1972-1988 the All-Around featured a rule called “carry-over scoring.” But how would the Olympic AA results look if this rule never existed? Continue reading What Olympic All-Around Podiums Would Look Like Without Carry-Over Scoring
The 1984 Olympics is best know for the AA battle between Ecaterina Szabo and Mary Lou Retton. But perhaps the biggest threat to the title was the lesser known Lavinia Agache. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #8: Lavinia Agache
When they weren’t winning medals, the Romanian gymnasts were afforded time to have a little fun. Continue reading The Fun Side of Romanian Gymnastics
There are many instances in which a famous gymnast had a daughter who was also a gymnast. In Part II of this series I cover all the examples of mothers whose daughters competed in the NCAA gymnastics as well as other miscellaneous examples. Continue reading Famous Mother and Daughter Duos in Gymnastics (Part II)
There are many instances in which a famous gymnast had a daughter who also went to the Olympics. In Part I of this series I cover all the examples of mothers and daughters who were both Olympians. Continue reading Famous Mother and Daughter Duos in Gymnastics (Part I)
The gymnasts who have left the greatest mark in uneven bars history. Continue reading The Greatest Bar Workers in Gymnastics History
Who was the best All-Arounder 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 All-Arounders in Gymnastics History
In 1987 Tatiana Tuzhikova was an unknown gymnast with no wins to her name. That didn’t stop her from rising to the top of the Soviet program. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #7: Tatiana Tuzhikova
These gymnasts finished 4th and never won a medal of any kind. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Finished 4th and Never Won a Medal
Due to luck, misfortune, and/or fate, these gymnasts are associated with different Olympic quads despite being the same age. Continue reading Gymnasts From Different Eras Who Are Actually the Same Age
These are the gymnasts who never won a medal in the All-Around or Event Finals, but did record a 4th place finish. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Finished 4th and Never Won an Individual Medal
In 1986 seven gymnasts gathered for a picture. All of them remain iconic to this day. Continue reading The Greatest Picture of 1980s Gymnastics
The list of gymnasts who have finished 4th in the All-Around. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Finished 4th in the All-Around
Recapping the allegations that have been made against Maggie Haney. Continue reading The Maggie Haney Horror Show (Featuring Victoria Levine)
In 1968 the Soviets sent six gymnasts to Mexico City, five of them married an Olympian. Continue reading The 1968 Soviet Gymnasts Who Married Each Other
The list of gymnasts with the most career 4th place finishes at the World Championships and Olympics Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most 4th Place Finishes
In 1978 Elena Mukhina was asked about the possibility of serious injury. Continue reading The Elena Mukhina Tapes
These are all the gymnasts who finished in 4th place at the Olympics ranked by the number of times they have done so. Continue reading Gymnasts With the Most 4th Place Finishes at the Olympics
The gymnasts who won a medal on every event at a single competition. Continue reading Gymnasts Who Swept a Competition
Gymnasts who would have medaled on every event, if not for a 4th place finish. Continue reading Gymnasts Who (Almost) Swept a Competition
In a data metric that I like to call “AA Showdown” gymnasts are ranked based on how they perform across common routines. Continue reading Ranking the Most Dominant Olympic All-Around Champions
When Simone Biles’ medal tally is added up, it looks like a mountain compared to every one else. Continue reading The Dominance of Simone Biles is Insane (Part III)
Prior to the 2008 Olympic quad, the gymnasts with the most career medals came from Eastern Europe. Shannon Miller is the only exception to this trend. Continue reading The Shannon Miller Exception
Due to a quirk in age limits, for three decades gymnasts could compete in an Olympics and then return to junior competition. Continue reading The Quirky Rule Which Allowed Seniors to Compete as Juniors
Miss Val has always held John Wooden in high regard, but who was John Wooden? Continue reading The Story Behind the Basketball Coach Miss Val Likes to Promote
This gymnast was beating Turischeva at 13 years old, scored a Perfect 10 and was named to an Olympic team the following year. But her name isn’t Nadia… Continue reading Nina Dronova: The Nadia Before Nadia
Going through pictures of Oksana Omelianchik’s leotards reveals an interesting trend. Continue reading The Lesser Known Leotards of Oksana Omelianchik
Natalia Tereschenko isn’t the most famous gymnast from the Soviet program, but she is certainly amongst its most interesting. Continue reading Gymnastics Bios #6: Natalia Tereschenko
Boginskaya went to three Olympics and was represented by a different flag on each occasion. But there was more to the story than that… Continue reading The Six Flags of Svetlana Boginskaya
Elena Mukhina missed the 1980 Olympics due to a tragic injury. But would she have made the Olympics if that injury had never happened? Continue reading Would Elena Mukhina Have Made the Olympic Team if Not For Her Paralyzing Injury?
With Texas Dreams embroiled in controversy, it is time to examine the questions that were not getting asked. Continue reading Texas Dreams: The Questions That Were Never Asked
D-D Breaux was more than a legend, she was the last of her kind. Continue reading The Legend of D-D Breaux
This is a tool to make it easier to understand Cold War era terminology in my future articles. Continue reading A Breakdown of Confusing Cold War Era Terms
In July of 2020 Shawn Johnson reflected on her experiences. Her comments were almost identical to what Marcia Frederick had said nearly three decades earlier. Continue reading Marcia Frederick and Shawn Johnson Experienced the Same Struggle 28 Years Apart
Which gymnast are the career medal leaders when only medals won during Event Finals are counted? Continue reading Gymnasts Who Have Won the Most Medals in Event Finals
Gymnastics fans know all about Athlete A, but most are unaware as to just how much success the film is having. Continue reading Athlete A: One of the Most Successful Gymnastics Documentaries of All Time
Why does Mary Lou Retton contend that Ecaterina Szabo was the 1983 World Champion? Continue reading How Mary Lou Retton Tries to Rewrite Gymnastics History
Some quick thoughts on recent allegations that have surfaced within the British gymnastics program. Continue reading Quick Reaction: British Gymnastics Abuse Allegations
Why Maggie Nichols was left off the 2016 Olympic team is fiercely debated, these are the points that get lost in the discussion. Continue reading Was Maggie Nichols Unfairly Left Off the Olympic Team?
An analysis of gymnasts who were the most dominant in an entire Olympic cycle. Continue reading Ranking the Best Gymnasts of Each Olympic Quad
Who is the best gymnast for each country? For each decade? For each Olympic cycle? The answers are all located here. Continue reading Ranking Gymnasts By Points (Data Hub)
With the Haney ruling announced, now comes the question of what it means for future abuse cases. Continue reading Maggie Haney: The Real Question is What Comes Next
American gymnastics has seen tremendous growth, but its growth has been considerably larger than people realize. Continue reading American Gymnasts Are Better Than You Think
In 1990 the Soviets posed for a team photo. Little did they know the breakup of the USSR was about to alter the course of their Gymnastics careers. Continue reading The Number of Olympians in this Picture is Insane
Turischeva rebounded from a devastating defeat at the hands of Nadia to salvage the final two years of her career. Continue reading Ludmilla Turischeva Went Out Like a Legend
The difficulty of performing well on vault in an Event Finals in more difficult than people realize. Continue reading The Hidden Difficulty of the Vault
Three vault legends seemed to be unbeatable on the apparatus, only to make a mistake at the worst possible moment. Continue reading Vault Queens Who Did Not Win an Olympic Gold Medal
Gymnasts have joined in on a viral trend to pass the time while they are stuck in quarantine. Continue reading Gymnasts and the Handstand Challenge
Judges once had the power to single handedly award their own country a medal. It went about as well as one would expect. Continue reading The Unapologetically Bad Judging in Early Olympic History
Konnor McClain is a great gymnast, but pegging her against Simone Biles is unwarranted and unfair. Continue reading The Media Needs to Stop Comparing Konnor McClain to Simone Biles
