Kyle Shewfelt – make it happen

Available on Amazon.

3-time Olympian and Floor champion — Kyle Shewfelt — has finally released his biography. He’d been working on it since 2004.

A great read for everyone. Life lessons through sport.

I still recall Kyle‘s first day at Altadore Gym Club in Calgary, Canada.

He was 6-years-old. And obviously talented.

At age-22 Kyle was Olympic Floor champion.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Kelly Manjak coached Kyle from pre-competitive through two Olympics.

The EASY thing to do in 2004 as Olympic Champion was to retire. At the top.

BUT after a good break, Kyle decided to keep training for Beijing 2008. His 3rd Olympic cycle turned out to be the most challenging.

Changes to the Code of Points in 2006 didn’t help.

Kyle’s idol was Alexi Nemov for his artistry and style. Like Nemov, Kyle was a fan favourite.

Though I knew the story well — coaching at his club in 2004 — I was still enthralled to hear it told from Kyle’s point of view. Know that he’s very modest in this telling.

It’s well written as Kyle worked on his sports biography together with Blythe Lawrence. And had editing by Steve Cooper.

For 10 years, while one of the best in the world on Vault and Floor, Kyle was the most consistent. The more pressure, the more likely he’d HIT.

Kyle took maximum advantage of specialists: sport psychologist Hap Davis, dietitian Kelly Anne Erdman, physiotherapist Susan Massitti, and many others.

Uldi Hajdu, Eugene Galperin, Edouard Iarov and Tony Smith are additional coaches Kyle credits in the book.

Today Kyle Shewfelt is a public speaker, broadcaster, Gym owner and father who believes in “optimism and the power of a high five“.

I’d recommend the audio version, as it’s read by Kyle himself.

Alternatively, you can buy a personalized signed copy online. An ideal gift.

Related – The Hungarian Academy Award nominated film featuring Kyle – White Palms.

Listen to a new interview with Kyle. It starts 1 hour 18min into the podcast.

Full Episode: Skye Blakely Is World All-Around Champion + Kaylia Nemour's Vault Disaster – GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

Our full Women's All-Around Final show from the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam, now free for everyone. Skye Blakely is the world all-around champion with 55.733, the first American woman to win the title since Simone Biles. Liudmila Roshchina took silver and Ke Qinqin won bronze despite a beam fall. Favorite Kaylia Nemour overran the vault board, landed on the collar and finished fourth, and Claire Pease was one beam fall away from a medal. Plus why press row got emotional, Elena Colas and artistry, Valeri Liukin's beam ritual, a listener letter on Nemour's beam score, and the kids' press conference. Hear every episode ad-free, plus live Q&As and the full members-only archive. Join Club Gym Nerd. GymCastic Live GymCastic Live in Rotterdam: the replay of our live show at Worlds with Bart Deurloo and Eythora Thorsdottir. Replay tickets are on sale for a limited time. GymCastic Live in New York City: Friday, December 4, 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT), with Katelyn Ohashi. In-person and streaming tickets. Thanks to Huel: 15% off online with code GYMCASTIC, new customers only. huel.com/GYMCASTIC Rotterdam World Championships coverage is brought to you by Sand and Sea Luxury Travel. Use code GYMCASTICWORLDS. Results 1. Skye Blakely (USA) 55.733 · 2. Liudmila Roshchina (WG2) 55.199 · 3. Ke Qinqin (CHN) 55.032 · 4. Kaylia Nemour (ALG) 54.998 · 5. Aiko Sugihara (JPN) 54.765 · 6. Elena Colas (FRA) 54.666 · 7. Claire Pease (USA) 54.232 · 8. Alba Petisco (ESP) 54.198 Chapters 00:00 Intro: the Women's All-Around Final, now free for everyone 01:07 GymCastic Live Rotterdam: the replay trailer 03:04 Welcome to the all-around final 03:50 Skye Blakely crowned world all-around champion 06:24 Winning on her own plan 09:13 Kaylia Nemour's vault problem 13:26 Ke Qinqin's beam and a medal despite a fall 14:37 Liudmila Roshchina's silver 16:06 Claire Pease's beam fall 18:19 Blakely, Florida and the college-elite path 21:41 Blakely's four events 23:27 World feed issues 24:38 A word from Huel 26:57 Glotova's double beam fall 28:06 Lisa Vaelen's straddle full 29:15 Ellie Black's beam after a fall 30:09 Correction: Gina Pongetti and MedGym 31:14 Club Gym Nerd and live shows 33:24 Why press row got emotional over Blakely 35:56 Roshchina on beam 37:16 Elena Colas and artistry 39:08 Double fulls in the lead group 41:41 Aiko Sugihara 42:33 Alba Petisco's score 44:04 Flavia Saraiva 45:20 Pease and Valeri Liukin's beam ritual 46:22 Perotti, Tonelli and Kinsella 48:26 Prat, Kishi and Scott 49:23 Listener letter: Nemour's beam score 51:23 Does a pause count as a connection? 53:14 What Japanese gymnasts yell 53:36 Live show tips 55:27 Fujitsu and Blakely's beam score 58:03 A floor fix 1:00:21 The arena and the kids' press conference 1:01:21 Sign-off Links 2026 Worlds Headquarters Elite Score Explorer LA 2028 Roster Lab MedGym with Gina Pongetti Shop GymCastic
  1. Full Episode: Skye Blakely Is World All-Around Champion + Kaylia Nemour's Vault Disaster
  2. Kaylia Nemour's Double Gold, Seven U.S. Medals + Norway's First Ever: Worlds Event Finals
  3. Skye Blakely Is World All-Around Champion + Kaylia Nemour's Vault Disaster: Worlds Women's AA Final
  4. Daiki Hashimoto Makes It Four, Joe Fraser's Bronze + an Ex-Stanford Gymnast Sues: Worlds Men's All-Around Final
  5. Worlds Women's Team Final: China Ends the U.S. Streak, Japan's First Medal Since 1966

Yurchenko on Simone

I was lucky enough to see Natalia Yurchenko compete in person. She instantly became one of my favourite gymnasts.

Natalia was the first woman to compete her eponymous vault, at 1982 Moscow News.

The element was controversial at first, Yurchenko explained. Another parallel to Biles’ daring innovations.

“There were a lot of debates to allow it or not to allow it,” Yurchenko recalls. “I performed it in America, and the American judges, some of them, were really against it because it seemed way too dangerous …

A boycott of the 1984 Games in Los Angeles meant Yurchenko never got the chance to compete her element at the Olympics.

Natalia Yurchenko on Simone Biles’ feat: “I was dreaming about seeing it”

Tom Elder on coaching ETHICS

Ethics in coaching is critical for all our clubs and organizations.

Many Federations are under investigation at the moment, for example.

Our goal is keeping everyone safe, while bringing the most benefits to the greatest number of participants. Fairness. Equal opportunity. And more.

Tom Elder is assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bioethics scholar.

Click PLAY or watch some highlights of Tom’s interview on YouTube. (16min)

Watch the entire interview. (79min)

Meg Griffin – Floor 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Gymnastics Australia report

An independent review into gymnastics in Australia says the sport has enabled a culture of physical, emotional and sexual abuse which many participants have described as “toxic”.

The report, carried out by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), made 12 recommendations …

… the report explored power imbalances between athletes and coaches, body-shaming and bullying, and a culture which it said helped “create an environment where abuse and mistreatment can thrive”.

In response, Gymnastics Australia said it “unreservedly apologises …”

Gymnastics Australia report reveals ‘significant cultural challenges’, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse

related – Gymnasts Kirsty-Leigh Brown, Emily Little, and Mary-Anne Monckton are speaking out about their experiences as young professional athletes and the ‘toxic’ culture in gymnastics

lazy Olympic sport reporting

Every 4 years, the mainstream media tries to cover Olympic Gymnastics. 😁

Brave but foolish. It would be like me trying to write about Short Track Racewalking.

The inevitable mistakes are good for an insider laugh, but we should try not to get irked. Gymnastics needs MORE media coverage, not less.

Professional baseball players are paid millions / year. Gymnasts who train much harder are mostly paid nothing.

Spencer put together his Best.Post.Ever mocking a lamestream article. Don’t miss this one.

SIMONE BILES GOT A NEGATIVE ZERO AT GUMNERSTICS. YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

Olympic Sport Climber Shauna Coxsey

Sport climbing is one of five sports to make its Olympic debut in Tokyo and will be contested from 4 to 7 August. …

… three disciplines – speed, bouldering and lead. …

All athletes compete across the three disciplines with the lowest combined scores deciding the final standings.

Shauna Coxsey named as first Team GB sport climber

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Varna World Cup MAG results

  1. Aurel BENOVIC (CRO) 14.950
  2. Artem DOLGOPYAT (ISR) 14.950
  3. Hayden ANDREW SKINNER (GBR) 14.600

Click PLAY or watch Benovic on YouTube.

Pommels
1- Illia KOVTUN (UKR) 14.550
2- Edoardo DE ROSA (ITA) 14.450
3- Abdulla AZIMOV (UZB) 14.150

Click PLAY or watch Kovtun on YouTube.

Rings
1- Vinzenz HOECK (AUT) 14.800
2- Salvatore MARESCA (ITA) 14.700
3- Marco SARRUGERIO (ITA) 14.450

Click PLAY or watch HOECK on YouTube.

Vault
1- Nazar CHEPURNY (UKR) 14.700
2- Marine DRAGULESCU (ROU) 14.525
3- Ivan TIKHONOV (AZE) 14.300

P Bars
1- Illia Kovtun (UKR) 15.100
2- Sergei ELTCOV (RUS) 14.950
3- Robert TVOROGAL (LIT) 14.350

H Bar
1- Tin SRBIC (CRO) 14.850
2- Carlo MACCHINI (ITA) 14.650
3- Krisztian BALAZS (HUN) 14.350
4- Robert TVOROGAL (LIT) 14.350

Varna World Cup results

Vault
1- Coline DEVILLARD (FRA) 14.150 (age 20)
2- Uliana PEREBINOSOVA (RUS) 13.950  (age 20)
3- Oksana CHUSOVITINA (UZB) 13.700 … (age 45) ✊

Bars
1- Uliana PEREBINOSOVA (RUS) 14.500
2- Diana VARINSKA (UKR) 14.200
3- Kelly Jay SIMM (GBR) 13.650

Beam
1- Anastasiia BACHYNSKA (UKR) 13.250
2- Marine BOYER (FRA) 13.000
3- Ondine ACHAMPONG (GBR) 12.900

Click PLAY or watch BACHYNSKA on YouTube.

Floor
1- Dildora ARIPOVA (UZB) 13.150
1- Hann SZUJO (HUN) 13.150
3- Uliana PEREBINOSOVA (RUS) 13.100