154: Aly in The Body Issue

July 7, 2015, 6:58 pm

≫ Next: 155: University and Pan Am Games

≪ Previous: 153: Inaugural European Games

Olympic gold medalist, Aly Raisman in the 2015 ESPN magazine's Body issue. Click on the image for her video and interview with ESPN.

In the news this week, Uncle Tim and Jessica chat about:

Aly Raisman's take on the lack of eating disorders in gymnastics and learning to have muscle pride in ESPN's Body Issue
Raducan asked the Olympic Committee to give her gold back, they said no.
International Gymnastics Federation President, Bruno Grandi's interview on the 2020 Olympic qualification changes:
- Grandi says gymnastics has a business problem; but is really just a marketing problem?
- We agree with Grandi most of the time, but when he leans on nostalgia for evidence, we tear his arguments to shreds!
- Grandi argues that Romania has been hurt by the lack of elegance in the code. He must mean this 1978 routinefrom Romanian, Emilia Eberle and her famous for the hump the floor choreography.
Menstrual Cups for gymnastics. If you have used them for gymnastics, tell us about your experience.
How not to flirt with girls at gymnastics
Gym Myth Busters:
- Is difficulty really the strongest predictor of all-around rankings?
- Do height or weight matter in elite gymnastics?
- Shawn Johnson promotes self love on The Secret Life of The American Teenager.

Full Out Movie has an air date! August 9th 4pm after the NFL pre-season game on LA/San Diego television.
2000 Olympic Trials: Special Victims Unit from The Balance Beam Situation
Do Height and Weight Matter in Women's Elite Gymnastics? Uncle Tim has the answer.
E-Scores vs. D-Scores: Which is the strongest predictor of all-around rank? Find out here.
Sexy Data: Which event is the strongest predictor of all-around rankings?
Lauren Mitchell wishes to stress that she has yet to make a decision on her gymnastics future
Gymnast Kiera Brown dismissed from the team due to violation of team rules

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Gymnastics competition begins on July 11 with the men’s team finals, which also serve as the all-around and individual event final qualification.

The women take the floor on July 12 for team finals.

Pan American Games scheduling and listings here.

155: University and Pan Am Games

July 15, 2015, 10:53 am

≫ Next: 156: Event Finals Pan Am Games and Secret Classic Preview

≪ Previous: 154: Aly in The Body Issue

Manrique Larduet (CUB) urges the crowd to show their appreciation after his parallel bars routine in prelims of the Pan American Games. © Grace Chiu

This week Mary-Anne "Mez Monckton from the Australian national team, Uncle Tim and Jessica chat about:

Pan Am Games Team Finals and All-Around Competitions:
- Do we like Elfi Schlegel better on on ESPN or NBC?
- We answer the most important question of the meet: Where’s Marta?
- Cuba, Cuba and more Cuba! Manrique Larduet and Marcia Videaux Jimenez thrilled us.
- Yamilet Peña (DOM)and the Execution score vaulting problem; should Yamilet Peña have gotten credit for her Produnova/buttahara/chalk skid mark landing?
- If Manrique was deducted for excessive celebration, was it justified?
- Was Daniele Hypolito (BRA), aka "Hypolito The Great” and "No Gripz Hypolitz," unfairly deducted for a fall on her beam dismount?
- Yes, darling of the Games, Flavia Saraiva (BRA) touched the beam for a 1.0 deduction but Jessica doesn’t care.
- Winning with a fall: the Sam Mikulak (USA) vs Manrique all-around showdown.
- Did the US team make the right decision by not letting Donnell Whittenberg (USA) repeat his Cassina after slamming his head against the ground and possibly suffering a concussion in all-around finals?
- Jorge “The Hair” Vega (GUA) and his ode to Japanese gymnastics.
- Ellie Black (CAN) informed the world that she is the shield maiden of the North!
- We love that Maddie Desch (USA) went for all her difficulty, including a laid-out full on beam.
- Who would we put up in a team final on beam? Amelia Hundley (USA) and Ana Lago (MEX).
University Games in Gwangju, South Korea:
- Mary-Anne “Mez” Monckton (AUS) talks about her experiences competing at the Uni Games after nine months out for ankle reconstruction.
- Mez talks about her coping mechanisms for handling disappointment.
- MERS outbreak may have kept some teams at home, but the bars almost falling on judges, plastic sheets on the beds, and unpredictable schedule kept the competitors living the phrase, “be prepared for anything.”
- The Russian training system in action: how Maria Paseka (RUS) hit her routines.
- With a score of 92 (higher than Kohei’s in the last two Worlds), is Oleg Vernaiev (UKR) now THE legitimate threat to Kohei (JPN)?

Our weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet include:

Steve Nunno is rumored to be coaching again
Nia Dennis has left her longtime gym, Buckeye, for Legacy Elite Gymnastics in Chicago.
Keira Brown has officially transferred to University of Pennsylvania.
Kyla has a new skill on bars; a Bhardwaj (Pak full) and we will post the video by Deanne Hong at midnight EST Wednesday, July 15th!
We read your feedback about Aly Raisman’s statement on eating disorders in The Body issue of ESPN magazine.

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156: Event Finals Pan Am Games and Secret Classic Preview

July 22, 2015, 1:17 am

≫ Next: 157: The 2015 Secret Classic

≪ Previous: 155: University and Pan Am Games

This week Uncle Tim and Jessica discuss the Pan American Games Event Finals with 2004 Olympic floor champion and CBC analyst Kyle Shewfelt!

Gym Myth Busters: We found out, straight from the men's FIG Technical Committee President, if Manrique Larduet (CUB) was deducted for excessive celebration after his parallel bars routine in qualifying.
We had to know Kyle's opinion: should the men's all-around final have gone to Manrique instead of Sam Mikulak (USA)?
Why Canada, Cuba and Flavia Lopez Saraiva (BRA) stole the show in Toronto.
The Out of Bounds Championship floor final, a first of it's kind.
Kyle and our listeners came up with the solution the Yamilet Peña (DOM) and the Produnova of Death vault situation. Nellie Kim, now hear this!
Why Daniele Hypolito (BRA) is a hero and true sportsman (even after being robbed of a bronze in the vault final).
Why Rachel Gowey (USA), Jessica Lopez (VEN) and Amelia Hundley's (USA) floaty bars made us smile.
Ellie Black (CAN) told Kyle Shewfelt why she was able to achieve to her highest potential during the most pressure packed final of the competition: beam.
Ana Sofía Gómez Porras (GUA) finally redeemed herself on the floor, but she presented a text book example of why a gymnast should never tumble with hands side by side on beam!
How difficult is the full-in off the end of the parallel bars, done by Jossimar Calvo (COL), compared to a double-tuck off of the side; Kyle weighs in.

Our weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet include:

A preview of the Secret Classic: from college elite Brenna Dowell to 2011 world team gold medalist, Sabrina Vegas; to reigning Olympic champions, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas; it's going to be a great meet!
Does being named to a Pan Am Team hurt a gymnasts chances of being on a World or Olympic team?
Shannon Miller's coach, Steve Nunno, is back! It's has been confirmed to a fan website first; congratulations Full Twist! Emily Gaskins (AKA Baby Podkopayeva) of Intensity Gymnastics in Florida, is being coached by Steve Nunno and Romanian Olympic gold medalist, Lavinia Agache. We discuss the implications--at length!
Plus, rhinestones, not just for facial injuries anymore.

If you want to hear Kyle Shewfelt's analysis of the Pan Am Games, download the CBC Sports App for streaming replays, available on Android and Apple.
Check out Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics, it is a marvel; from business plan to layout and function, it needs to be the centerfold of a gymnastics school design and business magazine. They have acrobatics, adult gymnastics classes, rhythmic, tumbling, trampoline, gymnastics cross training, yoga, Gymsanity, Warrior Gymnastics (What is this? We want to do it!) and parkour. If the GymCastic headquarters were in Calgary, we'd live at Kyle's gym.

Secret Classic coverage begins on Friday with live podium training here or USA Gymnastics YouTube Channel. The senior competition will be on Universal Sports. If you aren't in the US and are having trouble with access to Universal Sports, try using a VPN. Our listeners recomend TunnelBear, Hola, ZenMate and GetUsVPN.

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157: The 2015 Secret Classic

July 28, 2015, 10:20 pm

≫ Next: 158: Ariana Berlin Full Out Movie

≪ Previous: 156: Event Finals Pan Am Games and Secret Classic Preview

2015 junior Secret Classic Champion, Laurie "Baby Shakira" Hernandez. Photo © Christy Linder.

This week on the podcast, a full recap of the Secret U.S. Classic from glorious Chicago suburbs. Uncle Tim, Lauren, and Jessica chat about the best upgrades, moments, skills and routines, including:

Scoring: don't get too excited, there was a stick bonus in place.
Text book bars that made our hearts sing: Madison Kocian, Brenna Dowell and Laurie "Baby Shakira" Hernandez.
Injuries that took some out and others down: Norah Flatly, Marissa Okaely and Kyla Ross.
Which 2000 Babies (also known as juniors who will turn 16 in the Olympic year) will be a major threat for the 2016 Olympic team. Yes, this means we talked all about Ragan "Fievel" Smith.
Ashton Locklear and the Mystery of the Zero Scores solved!
Bailie Key's premier meet as a senior gymnast! Finally!
Brenna Dowell had a rough day with a terrifying beam fall, but we loved her toe-on tkatchev caught in mixed grip to Ezhova! Will this help or hurt her chances of making the World team?
Let’s play a game called “What did Skinner’s floor music sound like to you?”
Simone Bile's new floor routine (spoiler alert, we loved it!); will Laurie Hernandez and Simone start a new trend in elite floor?
What's next for Emily Gaskins and Steve Nunno. Maybe he was too calm and that's what hurt her performance.
Gabby Douglas, her competitive excellence, Russian-style podium training, future upgrades and clarifying gymnastics facts for those you didn't know that she meant American Olympic history when she said,"No one has ever done it before."
Aly Raisman looked gutted after her mistiming on floor led to a fall, but we saw big improvements from her.
Our favorite moments: Abby Paulson's aerial layout series on beam; Trinity Thomas being adopted by Lauren; Maggie Nichols owning the podium; Polina Shchennikova's bars; Simone and her team flying on a private jet; Kaitlin deGuzman's toe point; Deanne Soza, Deanne Soza and DEANNE SOZA!
Uncle Tim rages out over Felicia Hano's vault injury.

Our weekly roundup of the latest news stories from around the gymternet include:

Marta's retirement announcement and our speculation about her replacement.
Shawn Johnson got engaged to NFL player Andrew East on a baseball field, but we tell you how we could have proposed to her in a much more gymnastics-appropriate way.
The Canadian pop star who is named after Nelli Kim
USA Gymnastics President, Steve Penny, awkwardly interviewing Simone Biles.
We got a letter from a listener who told us all about training with Steve Penny and Peggy Liddick during the Shannon Miller era at Dynamo in Oklahoma!

The Gymternet's best moments from podium training, complete with Gifs! Two women have repeated as the Olympic all-around champion in back to back Olympic Games, Larisa Latynina of Soviet Union in 1956 and 1960, and Vera Caslavaka of Czechoslovakia in 64 and 68. No American all-around gold medalist (we’ve only had four ever!), has ever made a second Olympic team; only one has even officlally tried, Nastia Liukin, by competing at the Olympic Trials. It's pretty common to make another Olympic team. Four Olympic all-around gold medalists have made a second Olympic team after winning all-around good: Larisa Latynina, Věra Čáslavská, Ludmilla Tourischeva, and Nadia Comăneci.

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Texas Dreams' wore a leo that was clearly an ode to the 1990's Unified Team / Soviet splatter paint leotards.

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158: Ariana Berlin Full Out Movie

August 4, 2015, 10:33 pm

≫ Next: 159: 2015 Championships Preview Show

≪ Previous: 157: The 2015 Secret Classic

Full Out, the movie is based on the life of b-girl Ariana Berlin. Photo courtesy of UCLA.

This Week's Interview

Ariana Berlin is happy, goofy, surprising, unique, beautiful and partially made of steel. She made her mark on college gymnastics by bringing her professional hip hop dance background onto the competition floor. Her floor routines were something totally new and sometimes controversial but always entertaining. But the road to NCAA finals almost went through the grave. "Ari" went from a being a promising level 10 gymnast, about to test for elite, to a girl in a coma, told when she woke up that she would never do gymnastics again. Though a car accident almost killed her and her mother, losing gymnastics was heartbreaking. She found solace in dance with the world famous hip hop troupe Culture Shock. A dance performance in front of UCLA head coach, Valorie Kondos-Field led her back to gymnastics. After years away from the sport, with a rod holding her femur together, Ari walked onto the UCLA gymnastics team, earned a scholarship and became one of their most consistent gymnasts of all time. While at UCLA she hit 175 of her 182 career routines (96%) without a fall, never missed a competition in 57 consecutive meets. In the final competition of her career, the former walk-on, placed fourth all-around at the 2009 NCAA Championships. We talk about the movie based on her life called, Full Out, staring Flashdance star, Jennifer Beals. We discuss:

GymMyth Busters Full Out edition; we separate fact from fiction and talk about the liberties taken with her story in order to deliver a dramatic message of inspiration.
Being star struck and all of the cameos: Alicia Sacramone, Jordyn Weiber, Victoria Moors, Samantha Peszek and Elfie Schlegel are all in the movie!
Ariana's advice for walk-on (non-scholarship) athletes, how to get onto your dream team and what to do even if finances won't make it easy.
How she became so consistent and her mental game.
Dealing with the haters who claimed her ground breaking hip-hop floor choreography was cultural appropriation or racially inappropriate.

In the news this week, Evan Heiter and Jessica chat about:

Simone Biles going pro: Is it too soon or the perfect time to turn pro? If this will affect her preparation for Rio and which brands we want her to endorse!
The first ever all adult gymnastics camp took place in July at Atlantic Gymnastics in New Hampshire. We talked to the camp director Gina Paulhus, gym owner Tony Retrosi and two campers to find out what made this weekend such a sucess.
- The clinics by the pool that made this camp unique: dealing with fear and mental blocks, physical therapy sessions, and a class on nutrition for the adult gymnast with tips on balancing snacks and meals between work and family on the way to the gym.
- Why Tony Retrosi, gym owner and coach, supports adult gymnastics and the adult camp.
- Campers Ryan and Stefane explain how the camp accommodated:
  - different gymnastics and fitness levels
  - people who didn't do every event
  - made the schedule reasonable for all levels
  - helped everyone feel welcome by hosting everything from dinners to beach trips
- The fun awards Gina created to make each camper feel special.
- Tony's advice on the best student to coach ratio for adult gymnastics classes.
- How to identify the right coach for an adult gymnastics class.
- Afraid to try adult gymnastics? Stefane and Ryan explain how adult gymnastics has helped them find their community and why they recommend it to others.

Find out how to watch P&G Championships (the US National Gymnastics Championships) and hear Samantha Peszek and Evan Heiter do reprise last year's commentary fabulousness on the official website pgchamps.com
Find out more about Adult Gymnastics Camp Director, competitive adult gymnast and personal trainer, Gina Paulhus here.
Tony Retrosi's website is gymmomentum.com
Here is Gina's article with details on the schedule, costs, demographics, staffing and photos of adult gymnastics camp!

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Gina Paulhus's Adult Gymnastics Camp at Atlantic Gymnastics in New Hampshire.

159: 2015 Championships Preview Show

August 11, 2015, 7:56 pm

≫ Next: 160: PG Championships WAG Prelims Recap

≪ Previous: 158: Ariana Berlin Full Out Movie

"Swaggie Maggie" Nichols is about to lay the smack down in Indianapolis at the 2015 P&G Championships. © Christy Linder

This week Evan Heiter and Jessica preview the 2015 P&G Championships, and Spencer from The Balance Beam Situation recaps Gymnastike's "Beyond The Routine" show about Gabby Douglas and Nia Dennis at Buckeye Gymnastics.

The Maggie Nichols factor - Don't doubt the power of the swag! How her injury at last year's Pan Am Championships will make her this year's newest World Team member.
How to watch Team Sam Peszek and Evan Heiter rock the commentary game with Raj Bhavsar all week long in Indianapolis.
Why Norah Flatley will be missing this competition.
Which "2000 Babies" (AKA juniors who will be age eligible for the Rio Olympics next year), have the best chance making a case for their spot on the Rio team:
- Rachel Baumann, Desiderio, Foberg, Frazier, Gaskins, Laurie “Baby Shakira” Hernandez, Johnson-Scharpf, Paulson, Quinn, Ragan “Feivel” Smith, or Olivia Trautman.
We each pick the routines that must be seen lest the Gym God's rain down fire upon your soul!
Upgrades and Placement: Will Gabby upgrade here or wait for Worlds? Is Kyla keeping her Bhardwaj or downgrading bars because of her fall at Classics? Will Simone throw her Cheng vault in Indy?
Which specialists need to absolutely slaughter their event in order to make the team for Worlds?
Which men are most likely to break into the old boys club and steal the coveted specialist spot for Scotland.
How MyKayla Skinner and her choreographer got themselves into the Glasgow news for an epic leotard-related cultural gaffe.
Why every time Sydney Johnson-Scharpf does a routine or Brenna Dowell approaches bars, Vegas-style lights should ignite around the apparatus and everyone should fall to their knees in worship!
The draw for the World Championships is out so we had to debate the US team merits starting vs. finishing on beam.
Finally, Spencer recaps Gymnastike's "Beyond The Routine: Buckeye"
- He rides the "implied shade express" as Gabby talks about her legitimate comeback and why new coach, Kittia Carpenter is a supportive person (as opposed to...)
- Like a gymnastics version of CSI, we dissect the clues that led to Nia Dennis's departure from her longtime gym, Buckeye for Legacy Elite.
- Discuss what coach Fernando Villa and Gabby would look like if they watched Dance Mom's together.
- We appreciate all of the moments when Mr. Positivity, Christian Gallardo, is on camera.

Results for P&G Championships are at pgchamps.com. All sessions will be streamed live on pgchamps.com/live.

If you are having trouble with access to Universal Sports outside of the US, try using a VPN. Our listeners recomend TunnelBear, Hola, ZenMate and GetUsVPN.

TV Broadcasts (all times Eastern):

Aug. 13 Women’s gymnastics – 7:30-9:30 p.m. – Universal Sports – LIVE
Aug. 14 Women’s gymnastics – 12-2 a.m. – NBCSN – taped
Aug. 14 Men’s gymnastics – 8-10 p.m. – Universal Sports – LIVE
Aug. 15 Men’s gymnastics – 1-3 a.m. – NBCSN – taped
Aug. 15 Women gymnastics – 8-10 p.m. – NBC Sports – LIVE
Aug. 16 Men’s gymnastics – 3-4:30 p.m. – NBC Sports – LIVE

GymCastic Listener Meet-Up

Watch Gymnastike's Beyond The Routine episodes with Gabby Douglas and Nia Dennis here.

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160: PG Championships WAG Prelims Recap

August 15, 2015, 12:16 am

≫ Next: Episode 1: Kellogg's Tour Review and Tim Daggett Takes On The Haters

≪ Previous: 159: 2015 Championships Preview Show

World Champion, Simone Biles breaks the execution score world record at the 2015 P&G Championships in Indianapolis. © Christy Linder

We are in Indianapolis for the 2015 P&G Championships (AKA the US Artistic Gymnastics National Championships). This episode was recorded from a live Periscope broadcast which you can watch below (coming soon). We will be Periscoping again after the women's finals on Saturday night! Download the Periscope app to watch live on Saturday night! On this podcast with special guest, 2012 Junior National Champion, Lexie Priessman, Lauren Hopkins, Cordelia Price and Dvora Myers we chat about:

It was not as bad as the 2011 Splatfest but 2015 splatfest Gabby Douglas looked unshakable until the last event. Marta is not going to be happy.
What the results tell us: everyone under the top 5 are very very very closely matched.
Brenna Dowell smacked the haters upside the head with her BRILLIANT performance on every apparatus but especially with her 6.7 difficulty bar routine! WE SCREAMED WITH JOY!
Simone had an uncharacteristic and surprising, especially to her, fall on floor but she came back to break the execution score world record on vault with a 9.85 from her stuck Amanar!
Mykayla Maroney doesn't have a heart condition, Marta is misinformed.
We told you Maggie Nichols was the one to watch and her second place finished confirmed our genius prediction.... along with her magnificent work.
Aly Raisman and Kyla Ross had off night but vowed to face Marta together to make it less painful.
Nia Dennis may have mad the most successful gym change ever because she placed third on vault and beam and had one of the most exciting, if uncontrolled bar routines of all time! It was like watching Pegan or Zonderland do high bar.
Full details on every junior from the rock steady dependability of Jazzy Foberg, Gabby Perea and Morgan Hurd to the shinning star of Laurie Hernandez, Sydney Johnson-Scharpf and Ragan Smith.

Listener Meet-Up

When: Immediately following Senior Women's Finals on Saturday, August 15th.

Where: LOCATION CHANGED!

New Location: McCormick & Schmick's at the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites,120 W Market St, Indianapolis

What: Meet your fellow gym nerds and win some GymCastic podcast swag

Related Episodes

Episode 1: Kellogg's Tour Review and Tim Daggett Takes On The Haters

September 14, 2012, 5:00 am

≫ Next: Episode 2: Age of Olympians Increases and Tim Daggett on Kindness and The Code

≪ Previous: 160: PG Championships WAG Prelims Recap

Injuries on tour, Russians vacation-training in Spain, Kellogg's tour review, Chris Brown with Fierce Five at VMA's, interview with Olympic gold medalist, NBC commentator Tim Daggett about his life-threatening injury and what he wants his critics to know

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Episode 2: Age of Olympians Increases and Tim Daggett on Kindness and The Code

September 20, 2012, 1:13 pm

≫ Next: Episode 3: Alexandrov Out, Fashion in the Code, Anna Li Interview

≪ Previous: Episode 1: Kellogg's Tour Review and Tim Daggett Takes On The Haters

Chinese nationals, missed opportunities on the kellogg's tour, a new gymnastics routine app, and the FIG's post-Olympic and part two of the Tim Daggett interview. He shares his thoughts on the code, the loss of the 10, cheating and kindness in coaching.

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Episode 3: Alexandrov Out, Fashion in the Code, Anna Li Interview

September 28, 2012, 12:15 pm

≫ Next: Episode 4: Louis Smith Interivew, Spanny's Athlete Oath, Men's Gymnastics

≪ Previous: Episode 2: Age of Olympians Increases and Tim Daggett on Kindness and The Code

Russia fires Alexandrov, Shawn is worth the most money, the new code of points addresses fashion, Anna Li on her neck injury and ugly tour costumes. Visit us at GymCastic.com

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Episode 4: Louis Smith Interivew, Spanny's Athlete Oath, Men's Gymnastics

October 5, 2012, 1:30 am

≫ Next: Episode 5: Growing Up WOGA

≪ Previous: Episode 3: Alexandrov Out, Fashion in the Code, Anna Li Interview

Interview with GB's Louis Smith about being on the show Strictly Come Dancing, pressure, role models, his famous pommel horse photo shoot, style and Rio. Spanny Tampson's Athlete Oath with special guest Dvora Meyers and how to make men's gymnastics more popular. Visit us at GymCastic.com

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Episode 5: Growing Up WOGA

October 12, 2012, 4:30 am

≫ Next: Episode 6: Jonathan X-Games Horton

≪ Previous: Episode 4: Louis Smith Interivew, Spanny's Athlete Oath, Men's Gymnastics

Allison Taylor on being part of the greatest US elite program in history at WOGA. Uncle Tim's six-year-old buddy reviews Shawn Johnson on Dancing with The Stars and we tackle cyberbulling in gymnastics. Dvora Myers on making men's gymnastics more popular.