National Collegiate Achilles Apocalypse

Important Updates

• Konnor McClain's former coaches respond to her accusations of racism
• Fisk University will launch the first HBCU college gymnastics team
• Fart sabotage. That's right: fart sabotage.
• That whole figure skating thing gets us talking about changing the age limit in gymnastics. Some context:
  • "Because she is younger than 16, Kamila Valieva is considered a "protected person" by the World Anti-Doping Agency and therefore could receive a lesser punishment than an adult who could receive a maximum two-year suspension."
  • "The panel said Monday that it would be unfair and cause "irreparable harm" to Valieva if she were barred from the Olympic competition."

College Gym Update

• The National Collegiate Achilles Apocalypse claimed more victims this week. What will it take to stop the madness?
• Thoughts on the midseason blues, NQS, and the college gymnastics schedule
• Do DIII teams really get higher scores when they go away at DI schools? SURE DO.
  • Not an urban myth, it's a study from Spencer.
    • Using data from every meet for the DIII WIAC teams (the 8 teams in Wisconsin/Minnesota) for the last 10 years—679 team scores—the average score when they compete away at a DI or DII school is 186.104.
    • Compared to when they compete at home or at other DIII schools or neutral venues, when the average score is 183.776.
    • That's a difference of 2.328 in the team score—or greater than four falls—maintained across an entire decade of meets for an entire division of teams. Far from being an urban myth, DIII teams scoring far higher at DI and DII schools is a long-standing and verifiable reality.
• Plus, Ana Padurariu's magic foot, the sideline choreography award, the most college salute of all time, the cringiest college gymnastics broadcast moment ever, and the comedy stylings of one Jordan Chiles
• Feedback on 10.0s from a real-life gymnast who got one, the irrationality of which gymnasts got to take a COVID year, gymnastics in the classroom, and what if college gymnastics added lyrics to floor music

JOIN CLUB GYM NERD

• Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to Behind the Scenes episodes.
• Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here.
• We have masks too!

RELATED EPISODES

• • Masterful, Exceptional, Perfection
  • You Can't Sit on Two Chairs
  • College & Cocktails: Week Four
  • Blame It on the Ectoplasm
  • College & Cocktails: Week Three
  • Equality and...Not Equality
  • College & Cocktails: Week Two
  • College & Cocktails: The Friday Night NCAA Gymnastics Meet Post-Show
  • Behind The Scenes: Hello 2022
  • The Greatest Freshman Class of All Time
  • Goodbye 2021 and a Happy New Code to All
  • Spitfire: The Movie (Commissioned)
  • Nadia: The Movie (Commissioned)