This week in gymnastics: Mourning Mia Sophie Lietke, news from the FIG and U.S. men’s program, Ana Padurariu defers

This week in gymnastics covers the latest happenings in the Olympic gymnastics disciplines, including artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline.

Key points from the FIG Executive Committee’s November meeting

• 2025 rhythmic worlds have been awarded to the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation and will take place in Rio de Janeiro from August 20-24, 2025.
• 2024 acrobatic worlds will not be held in Holon, Israel, likely because of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Holon will instead host acrobatic worlds in 2026. The bidding process for 2024 has been reopened.
• The following nationality changes have been approved:
  • Azaraya RA-AKBAR – WAG gymnast – Former: USA / New: CAN 
  • Georgia-Rose BROWN – WAG gymnast – Former: AUS / New: NZL
  • Valeriia GRUDNIAK – RG judge – Former : UZB / New : RUS 
  • David MARTELLI – MAG gymnast – Former : GBR / New : IRL 
  • Ina DELCHEVA-MEHRINGER – RG judge – Former : GER / New : BUL 
  • Steve BUTCHER – MAG judge – Former : USA / New : TTO 

Artistic

Must read: Beneath NCAA gymnastics’ glow, a familiar ‘toxic’ culture

The Washington Post published an investigative piece by Molly Hensley-Clancy and Emily Giambalvo earlier this week, exploring verbal and emotional abuse allegations against multiple current and former NCAA gymnastics coaches, as well as the overall pervasive toxic culture that is seemingly being allowed to go unchecked at the college level despite the numerous allegations.

Coaches mentioned in the piece include former Utah head coach Tom Farden, retired LSU head coach D-D Breaux, and current Clemson head coach Amy Smith.

According to Hensley-Clancy, Farden’s attorney told her his client would “likely” sue Kara Eaker and Kim Tessen, who accused him of abuse in October. The university suspended him shortly after being asked about the attorney’s comments, and on Tuesday, Farden resigned from his post.

You can read the story here.

Key points from latest U.S. men’s Senior Selection Committee meeting

• The 2024 Olympic selection procedures went through an initial review by the USOPC and were returned with clarifying questions focused on creating a more defined process. The procedures were then updated and re-submitted for another review, meaning the procedures should hopefully be finalized and published sometime in early 2024.
• 12 national team spots will be available at Winter Cup after the SSC unanimously agreed that the entire men’s world team, including the traveling alternate, should maintain their national team spots and not have to re-earn them at Winter Cup in February.
  • The six men’s world team members retaining their spots are Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Yul Moldauer, Fred Richard, Colt Walker, and Khoi Young.
  • The two members of the Senior Development Team (SDT) – Landen Blixt and Josh Karnes – will retain their spots since the SDT runs on a one-year term that will go through the 2024 U.S. championships.
• The men’s program is currently planning for 2024 international assignments and has asked for expressed interest from the 2023 world team as well as SDT members for the FIG world cups. The SSC said it would like to send the top-scoring team to the DTB Pokal competition. The Pacific Rim Championships and Pan American Championships both conflict with other competitions, so the team and coaches will discuss the calendar and develop a strategy for preparing for the Olympics at the December national team camp.

Read the full meeting minutes here.

Women’s NCAA championships to see staggered events, no more than two routines at a time

In an effort to improve the TV broadcast of the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships, events at the championships will be staggered so that no more than two routines are happening at the same time.

At the beginning of each rotation, vault and bars will go first with their leadoff gymnast, with beam following 20 seconds after vault is over and floor following 20 seconds after bars is over. Routines will alternate in that manner until the end of the rotation.

This is the NCAA’s latest effort to improve audience experience. The change isn’t expected to significantly impact the length of the championship meets; broadcasters will be able to fit the event into a two-hour time window. 

Read more about the new rules and modifications for the upcoming women’s NCAA season here.

U.S. junior women win 10 medals at Tournio International Combs la Ville

U.S. juniors Ly Bui, Claire Pease, and Simone Rose won ten medals, five gold, at the 2023 Tournoi International Combs la Ville in Paris, France, last weekend.

Rose won the all-around with a 53.132, and Pease was second with a 52.165. In event finals, Rose won floor (13.033), and Pease won bars (14.133) and beam (13.466). The trio won gold in the team competition with a combined 105.664 to finish ahead of Canada (99.297) and France (99.096).

Read more and see the full results here.

UCLA’s Ana Padurariu will not compete for Bruins in 2024 as she focuses on Olympics

UCLA gymnast Ana Padurariu will not compete for the Bruins in 2024 as she focuses on making the Canadian team for the Paris Olympic Games next summer.

The 2018 world balance beam silver medalist made the announcement on Instagram, adding that she plans to return to UCLA for her senior year in 2025.

“As much as I love competing for UCLA, I also want to honour this little girl’s dream of competing in the Olympics one day.

“I will not be competing for UCLA in 2024 as I take a break to focus full-time on my elite journey. I wish my UCLA teammates and coaches all the best for this upcoming season, and I am already looking forward to returning to the best university in the country for my senior year.

“In the meantime, I am so excited to chase this dream that God put in my heart. I know that if I fall on my faith, He will lead me right to where I am meant to be.”

Rhythmic

Gymnastics world mourns loss of Mia Sophie Lietke

Rhythmic gymnast Mia Sophie Lietke (GER) passed away unexpectedly last Thursday, November 16, at the age of 16.

Lietke was a newly-minted senior who had previously won the hoop national title as a junior in 2022. She was also the runner-up in the all-around.

Lietke trained at the national team training center alongside reigning world all-around champion Darja Varfolomeev, who paid tribute to her teammate on Instagram saying, “You will forever be in our hearts.”

The German Gymnastics Federation paid tribute as well.

“Mia was very popular and appreciated by her teammates but also by trainers and supervisors because of her open and honest character,” the federation said. “Despite her young age, the native of Ulm, who joined the RSG at the age of six at TSG Söflingen, stood for discipline, diligence and ambition. Because she had a dream – the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.”

“Our thoughts are in this difficult time of the family of Mia Sophie Lietke, who we miss as an athlete, but above all as a human being and will always be remembered,” the federation concluded.

Trampoline

Host nation Great Britain leads medal table at Trampoline World Age Group Competitions and first junior worlds

Great Britain led the Trampoline Gymnastics World Age Group Competitions (WAGC) with 11 medals, ahead of Australia with 10 and Japan and the United States of America with nine each. 

This year’s WAGC was held in conjunction with the first-ever junior worlds, which concluded competition. Read more here.