286: Cover Your Eyes and Silently Scream

MAGGIE NICHOLS IS ATHLETE A

2015 US Team World Champion, floor bronze medalists and 2017 Oklahoma NCAA Team Champion, Maggie Nichols has come forward as a survivor sexual abuse by Larry Nassar. "Up until now, I was identified as Athlete A by USA gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee and Michigan State University. I want everyone to know that he did not do this to Athlete A, he did it to Maggie Nichols."

• OC Register: Maggie Nichols, first Nassar whistle-blower, goes public
• Time: He Violated Our Innocence.' Maggie Nichols Says She Was Abused by Team Doctor Larry Nassar
• Sports Illustrated: Says John Nichols, "After Maggie reported [in June of 2015], we were told to be quiet, don't say anything to anybody, that USA Gymnastics was going to handle it. Later on, we would ask what's happening and they'd say they were contacting the FBI. I was led to believe that the FBI was going to be handling this." USA Gymnastics has not responded to SI's requests for comment.
• You can read Maggie's statement in its entirety here
• Take Action
  • Tell Maggie how much you appreciate her on her twitter
  • Sign up for Champion Women's action alerts.
  • Support Feinstein's Senate Bill 534 Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 by contacting your legislator. Find your representative here.

NCAA SEASON BEGINS

The first weekend of the NCAA season is in the books, and the theme was endurance. (Or lack thereof.)

• Michigan upsets Alabama.
  • The Oscar-worthy tearjerker that was everyone's facial expressions before their third pass.
  • Bailie Key's stress dream of a debut beam routine, how it gets better, and how Jess still gives her a 10.
• Kennedy Baker's flu-cramp sets the tone for Florida's rough performance.
  • When Amelia Hundley is falling, something is very wrong indeed
  • Alyssa Baumann is back from the health wars and looks like she never left
• Was...was UCLA the most prepared team on floor this weekend?
• Do any of these first-week problems even matter?
• Kyla going up second on bars: A way-too-deep discussion.
• The change in beam requirements and the problem with forward + backward "series"
• SARAH. FREAKING. FINNEGAN.
• Denver is coming for everyone, and Lynnzee Brown is about to be a star.
• Why Peng's bars score of 9.975 was exactly correct

GYMTERNET NEWS

• USA Gymnastics struck a deal with McKayla Maroney to keep abuse quiet
  • Confused about who's arguing what, what arguments makes sense, what arguments definitely don't make sense, who's lawsuiting whom, who knew what when, and what the timeline for all this was? We break it all down simply enough that even we can understand.
• USOC CEO apologizes
• Fran Sepler made some statements. And they were a PROBLEM.
  • To summarize, the investigator for USAG just—hypothetically—admitted that she didn't report to police or CPC a child molester who was still working with kids. USAG did... after 5 weeks.
• Deanna Hong's phenomenal documentary piece, Why I Spoke Up: Rachael Denhollander
• WHAAAAA? A new team-final format was slipped into the FIG's updated technical regulations, and we love it.
• We have some questions about the characterizations (and accent situations) unveiled in the trailer for the Simone movie.
• Voronin Cup
  • Komova is back and nailing her Arabian.
  • She is the bars execution queen (because everyone knows giant swings don't count).
  • We break down Nabieva's floor drama (because Nabieva) in detail.
• Oleg had surgery on his everything

FEEDBACK

We discuss your questions and comments, including

• Is it possible to do a Pak double back?
• More about undies and tinkling when tumbling
  • Episode 222: Advice from pelvic floor specialist
• Are puppies sexist? (One of us still doesn't understand the question.) Here are the ice skaters with puppies at Olympic Trials.
• A tiny complaint that we need to do more episodes (we agree!)
• What NCAA gymnastics can learn from lacrosse about early recruiting
• VAULTING ON TOP OF ACTUAL HORSES

SUPPORT THE SHOW

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Buy one of our awesome shirts here.
• Today's episode is sponsored by HelloFresh for $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter promo code GymCastic30

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• 277.5: McKayla Maroney Alleges Abuse from Nassar
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