186: Amanda Borden

Olympic gold medalist, Amanda Borden

The smiliest gymnastics queen in all the land visited Uncle Tim this week. On the 20th anniversary of her Olympic gold, the commentator, gym owner, coach and member of the Magnificent Seven, Amanda Borden, chatted about (01:15:10):

• Why that forward shoulder roll in 1992 compulsory beam routine was so hard
• Whether or not horrific fall replays should be shown on TV
• Committing to the University of Georgia; going pro and never leaving home for training
• Her thoughts on the gymnastics fans theory that Mary Lee Tracey has an injury curse
• If NCAA coaches should ditch the ties and heels and rock a warmup suit like elite coaches
• Being one of Mary Lee Tracy’s first stars and learning to navigate that elite world together
• The significance of female head coaches winning the first team Olympic gold medal

Jessica, Spanny and Lauren have your weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet:

• Uncle Tim's major news (forgive us this indulgence, we are really excited for him)
• Beth Tweddle broke her neck on a reality show but she's up and walking
• Orozco won the all-around in his first competition back after his second Achilles tear
• Chusovitina killed it at the WOGA Classic. Proving that age is nothing but a number and we have the data to prove it
  • Ages of Pre-Olympic World Medalists
• (11:30) Sophia de Jesus's floor routine went viral, like way beyond Lloimincia or any other gymnastics routine we can find.
  • Spanny broke down just how huge her numbers are.
  • We analyze why this routine, in particular, broke through.
  • (24:40) Could Sophina de Jesus do her hip-hop floor choreography in elite? We asked two elite judges. You must hear their answers!
• (41:26) NCAA News :
  • We talk about teams we love who ranked 8-16
  • Cal's WOGA-ness and throwing every vault in Code
  • OSU's unique and innovative commitment to artistry
  • Auburn gymnastics beat Alabama for the first time since 1979
  • Sacramento State and their robot choreography and insane skills (Ezhova)
  • Kentucky's Sidney Dukes
  • Georgia who just beat LSU and Florida!
  • Agree or Disagree Greg Marsden who said, college meets should stop extended awards ceremonies at the end of a dual-meet.

February is the month of love and what do we love? Gymnastics t-shirts! We are having our very first design contest, and your art could be Gymcastic's newest t-shirt. Submit your best gymnastics themed art to be made into some sweet swag. Grand Prize (x2 Winners): Your design featured on our page, your artwork on the bodies of gymnerds everywhere, and a free t shirt with your design! How to Submit: Post your design on Instagram, Tumblr, or Twitter. Use the hashtag #gymcasticdesigncontest FAQ and Rules here.

Club Gym Nerd is our way of saying thank you for helping us pay the bills! GymCastic members are automatically entered to win 6 awesomely gym nerdy prizes per year. Members also got the first look at next week's big interview with McKayla Maroney and will get to see the interview in it's entirety, before anyone else. This month, one lucky member will win the exclusive, sold-out, Cloud & Victory Legends sweater.

• Join Club Gym Nerd here.
• Get one of our awesome shirts here.

The Gymnastics Legends Sweatshirt by Cloud&Victory

Precision Choreography Award for Excellence Winners.

Be The Match one of our listeners needs a bone marrow donor.

Make sure to give your breasts a good self exam with this handy reminder.

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