The Sam Oldham Podcast
- Episodes
- 189
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Nov 9, 2026
About the podcast
At seven years old I walked into a gymnastics club for the very first time. I was hooked. For the next twenty one years, I dedicated my life to becoming an Olympic champion. I'm going to share with you the life lessons, experiences and stories that have shaped the man I am today. I'm now starting a new chapter in my life beyond my sporting career and look forward to bringing you along with me.
Episodes 189
The Reuben Ward Story | EP 189
🇬🇧 At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Reuben Ward made history for Team Scotland, becoming the first Scottish male gymnast to win the all-around title in men’s artistic gymnastics. He followed that up …
Show notes
🇬🇧 At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Reuben Ward made history for Team Scotland, becoming the first Scottish male gymnast to win the all-around title in men’s artistic gymnastics. He followed that up with a silver medal on the pommel horse.
His performances earned him selection for Great Britain at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam in October. Although the British men’s team narrowly missed out on a podium finish and automatic qualification for the LA 2028 Olympic Games, Reuben impressed on his senior World Championships debut, delivering important routines on the pommel horse and horizontal bar.
But Reuben’s journey hasn’t always been straightforward. During the pandemic, he came close to walking away from gymnastics after losing motivation. Since winning junior European all-around bronze in 2022, however, he has gone from strength to strength.
Now, with his sights firmly set on an Olympic team medal at LA 2028, it’s a privilege to welcome to the podcast, Reuben Ward 🥇
World Championships Debrief 2026 | Gymnastics Show EP 188
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic …
Show notes
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic gymnastics, alongside post-competition debriefs with some of the sport's most passionate experts, coaches, and analysts.
In this episode of The Sam Oldham Podcast, I look back at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Sixteen years after representing Great Britain at my first major senior international championships, I returned to the Ahoy Arena, this time as part of the BBC broadcasting team covering the event.
With the LA 2028 Olympics getting closer, these championships marked a key moment in the Olympic qualification process.
Japan claimed the men's team title, with China and the Russian athletes also securing automatic qualification for Los Angeles. Daiki Hashimoto made history with his fourth consecutive men's all-around world title, moving him closer to the legendary Kohei Uchimura's record.
Across the individual apparatus finals, six different gymnasts took home gold medals, delivering some incredible performances along the way.
I'll be sharing my biggest takeaways from Rotterdam, including the standout performances, controversial moments and my predictions as we move closer to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
And don't forget, every episode of the Sam Oldham Podcast is available to watch or listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Our mission remains the same: to share the stories behind the finest athletes in gymnastics and celebrate the sport we love.
Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 10 of The Gymnastics Show! 🎙️
World Championships Preview 2026 | Neutral Deductions EP 187
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic …
Show notes
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic gymnastics, alongside post-competition debriefs with some of the sport's most passionate experts, coaches, and analysts.
In this episode of the Sam Oldham Podcast, I’m joined by Kensley Behel, the talented voice behind Neutral Deductions — a podcast, website and social media platform dedicated to men’s artistic gymnastics.
Today, we're looking ahead to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, taking place in Rotterdam from Saturday the 17th to Sunday the 25th of October.
With qualification for the LA 2028 Olympic Games on the line, there's plenty to get excited about. The top three men's and women's teams will secure their places at the Olympics, making this a huge competition for the world's best gymnasts.
In today's episode, we'll be focusing on the men's team final, the leading all-around contenders and the individual apparatus specialists.
Some of the biggest names in the sport are set to battle it out for gold, including Daiki Hashimoto, Oka Shinnosuke, Zhang Boheng, Illia Kovtun, Fred Richard and Jake Jarman.
Kensley recently visited the US National Training Centre, where she caught up with the American team and coaching staff ahead of their trip to the Netherlands. We'll be hearing more from those interviews during today's show.
Neutral Deductions will also be bringing you coverage directly from Rotterdam, with Kensley joined by Sam Lindley throughout the championships.
To stay up to date with all the action, make sure you're following Neutral Deductions across social media and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
And don't forget, every episode of the Sam Oldham Podcast is available to watch or listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Our mission remains the same: to share the stories behind the finest athletes in gymnastics and celebrate the sport we love.
Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 9 of The Gymnastics Show! 🎙️
The Eleftherios Petrounias Story | EP 186
🇬🇷 At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Eleftherios Petrounias won gold for Greece in the still rings, achieving a dream that had begun twelve years earlier.As a young boy, Eleftherios was in the arena at the Athens …
Show notes
🇬🇷 At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Eleftherios Petrounias won gold for Greece in the still rings, achieving a dream that had begun twelve years earlier.
As a young boy, Eleftherios was in the arena at the Athens 2004 Olympics when fellow Greek gymnast Dimosthenis Tampakos won gold in front of his home crowd. Watching that moment firsthand showed him what was possible in the sport he loved.
But his own journey was far from straightforward. Eleftherios stepped away from gymnastics for several years before making the decision to return. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the greatest still rings specialists in the history of the sport.
At Paris 2024, he won bronze and became the first gymnast ever to win three individual Olympic medals on the still rings. Across his remarkable career, he has collected Olympic, World and European medals and built a legacy that continues to inspire athletes around the world.
And he’s not finished yet. With his sights now set on Los Angeles 2028, it’s a privilege to welcome to the podcast, Eleftherios Petrounias 🥇
The Naoya Tsukahara Story | EP 185
At the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Naoya Tsukahara helped Japan’s men’s artistic gymnastics team win Olympic gold for the first time since 1976.It was a victory that continued an extraordinary family legacy …
Show notes
At the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Naoya Tsukahara helped Japan’s men’s artistic gymnastics team win Olympic gold for the first time since 1976.
It was a victory that continued an extraordinary family legacy. Naoya’s father, Mitsuo Tsukahara, was part of the great Japanese dynasty that dominated men’s gymnastics, winning consecutive Olympic team titles in 1968, 1972 and 1976.
Naoya went on to build an incredible career of his own, winning six World Championship medals. After the disappointment of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where he had arrived as one of the favourites following his all-around silver medal at the 1999 World Championships, he returned four years later to achieve Olympic glory in Athens. Along the way, he was coached by one of the legends of the sport, 15-time Olympic medallist Nikolai Andrianov.
The final chapter of Naoya’s competitive career took him to Australia, the country he would eventually represent before retiring from gymnastics in 2016.
For this episode, we’re joined by Naoya alongside Hiroaki Sato, his former personal coach during his time in Australia, who will also act as Naoya’s translator throughout our conversation.
Hiroaki has an incredible coaching story of his own, having worked with the legendary Kohei Uchimura and coached Japan’s men’s team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they won team gold.
Together, we’ll look back on Naoya’s remarkable career, his journey to Olympic gold, and the Tsukahara family legacy that continues to inspire generations of gymnasts around the world.
This is the story of Olympic champion Naoya Tsukahara 🥇
The Bart Deurloo Story | EP 184
Today’s guest is Dutch men’s artistic gymnast, Bart Deurloo.At the 2017 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Montreal, Canada, Bart Deurloo won bronze on the horizontal bar for the Netherlands, sharing …
Show notes
Today’s guest is Dutch men’s artistic gymnast, Bart Deurloo.
At the 2017 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Montreal, Canada, Bart Deurloo won bronze on the horizontal bar for the Netherlands, sharing the podium with his teammate and Olympic champion, Epke Zonderland.
Over a professional career spanning sixteen years, Bart represented the Dutch men’s gymnastics team at two Olympic Games. At Rio 2016, he made history by becoming the first Dutch male artistic gymnast to qualify for the Olympic all-around final, where he finished 15th.
Four years later, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Bart qualified for the horizontal bar final, finishing seventh. Throughout his career, he has continued to push the boundaries of what’s possible on his specialist apparatus.
This is the story of Bart Deurloo.
GB International World Championships Selection Event | EP 183
With just one month to go until the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, the Five-Way International in Stoke provided one final opportunity for athletes to impress ahead of team …
Show notes
With just one month to go until the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, the Five-Way International in Stoke provided one final opportunity for athletes to impress ahead of team selections.
The competition brought together teams from Great Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, with both men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics taking place at Fenton Manor Sports Complex.
On the men’s side, British stars Jake Jarman, Luke Whitehouse and Courtney Tulloch helped Great Britain take the gold medal.
For Jarman, this was an especially important competition. After missing the European Championships and Commonwealth Games, Stoke offered him a valuable opportunity to hit the selection scores needed ahead of the World Championships team announcement later this month.
Whitehouse and Tulloch also competed on some of their less-favoured apparatus, perhaps giving us an indication of their strategy as we move further into the LA 2028 Olympic cycle.
Sol Scott and Jonas Rushworth, fresh from winning European team gold with Great Britain, delivered solid performances across the competition. But one of the standout performances came from Oakley Banks, who broke the 80-point mark for the first time in his career and finished top of the all-around standings.
Ultimately, Great Britain proved too strong for the other nations, many of whom fielded younger athletes hoping to use this competition as a springboard for the years ahead.
Elsewhere, France’s Anthony Mansard made his return to competition following an injury that had kept him out so far this year. Italy finished second, narrowly ahead of France in third, with Switzerland fourth and Germany fifth.
In this episode, we’ll take a closer look at the competition, the standout performances and what it could all mean as attention turns towards the World Championships in Rotterdam.
And finally, a big thank you to the British Gymnastics media team for allowing us to cover the international event in Stoke.
The Josh Champion Story 2 | EP 182
Today’s guest is British men’s artistic gymnastics coach, Joshua Champion.Josh is the head coach of the men’s artistic programme at Notts Gymnastics Academy, where he works with some of the country’s top …
Show notes
Today’s guest is British men’s artistic gymnastics coach, Joshua Champion.
Josh is the head coach of the men’s artistic programme at Notts Gymnastics Academy, where he works with some of the country’s top gymnasts.
This summer, Josh was part of the coaching team that helped England win silver in the men’s team final at the Commonwealth Games, with the team featuring two of his own gymnasts, Adam Tobin and Alex Yolshin-Cash. Another of Josh’s athletes, Hamish Carter, was also in Glasgow competing for Team Scotland.
In August, Josh was back on the competition floor with Great Britain, supporting the talented junior men’s team as they claimed back-to-back European team titles. His gymnast Zakaine Fawzi also enjoyed individual success, winning European silver on pommel horse alongside the team gold.
In this episode, we talk about Josh’s journey as a coach, the challenges facing men’s artistic gymnastics coaching, and the financial pressures facing the athletes and coaches working at the highest level of the sport.
This is the story of Josh Champion.
European Championships Debrief | Gymnastics Show EP 181
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic …
Show notes
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic gymnastics, alongside post-competition debriefs with some of the sport's most passionate experts, coaches, and analysts.
In this episode, I look back at the Men’s European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which took place in Zagreb, Croatia, in August.
The men’s all-around final was won by Illia Kovtun, now representing the host nation, Croatia, by just one thousandth of a point. That incredibly small margin of victory was repeated in the junior event, where Daniil Smirnov, competing as a Russian athlete for Team World Gymnastics 2, took the title—demonstrating just how competitive the sport has become since the reduction to eight skills following the Paris Olympic Games.
In the team event, the Russian athletes dominated qualification, led by first-year senior Arsenii Dukhno and Daniil Marinov. However, an outstanding performance from Great Britain saw them claim the team title in Sunday’s final. The experience of Joe Fraser, Courtney Tulloch and Harry Hepworth proved to be the deciding factor in one of the most exciting competitions on the European stage in recent years.
All six individual apparatus finals were won by athletes from different countries, including a world-class pommel horse final that was eventually won by Gabriele Targhetta. Remarkably, the top four scores in that final would each have been enough to win the World Championships title less than twelve months ago—an indication of the extraordinary standard we might expect to see in October, when the world’s best gymnasts descend on Rotterdam.
Our mission remains the same: to share the stories behind the finest athletes in gymnastics and celebrate the sport we love.
Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 8 of The Gymnastics Show! 🎙️The Ethan McGuinness Story | EP 180
Today’s guest is Australian tumbling champion Ethan McGuinness.Ethan is a two-time men’s individual World tumbling champion, winning his first World title in 2022 and bringing the gold medal home to Australia …
Show notes
Today’s guest is Australian tumbling champion Ethan McGuinness.
Ethan is a two-time men’s individual World tumbling champion, winning his first World title in 2022 and bringing the gold medal home to Australia again in 2025.
But his journey to the top has been anything but easy. In 2017, Ethan suffered a devastating injury, fracturing both his tibia and fibula in a freak accident while competing in the double mini trampoline event.
After years of hard work and dedication, he returned to become a World champion alongside his coach, Dima Kachan. At one point, Ethan was even working full-time laying turf in the early hours of the morning while chasing his dream of becoming a professional athlete.
Today, through events like Face Off and his growing social media presence, Ethan has helped shine a light on the incredible talent within the sport of tumbling.
This is the story of Ethan McGuinness.
Gymnastics Show August 2026 Neutral Deductions | EP 179
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic …
Show notes
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic gymnastics, alongside post-competition debriefs with some of the sport's most passionate experts, coaches, and analysts.
In this episode of the Sam Oldham Podcast, I’m joined by Kensley Behel, the talented voice behind Neutral Deductions — a podcast, website and social media platform dedicated to men’s artistic gymnastics.
Together, we recap the Commonwealth Games and discuss some of the standout performances, including all-around champion Reuben Ward, multiple Canadian apparatus gold medallist Félix Dolci, and Australian star Jesse Moore.
Kensley also breaks down the recent US National Championships in Phoenix, Arizona, which doubled as the selection event for the US men’s World Championships team. We look at the leading all-around performances from champion Fred Richard, silver medallist Shane Wiskus and exciting young talent Danila Leykin, who finished third. We also discuss strong specialist performances from Kameron Nelson and Patrick Hoopes, which secured their places on the team heading to Rotterdam in October.
Finally, we preview the upcoming European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. Great Britain will be looking to defend their 2025 team title, while the competition will feature the return of a Russian men’s team to the European stage after several years away.
The all-around title promises to be fiercely contested, with Joe Fraser, Arsenii Dukhno, Illia Kovtun and former champion Adem Asil among the leading contenders. Meanwhile, some of the biggest names in the sport will battle for individual apparatus titles, including Harry Hepworth, Eleftherios Petronias , Rhys McClenaghan and Artur Davtyan.
Our mission remains the same: to share the stories behind the finest athletes in gymnastics and celebrate the sport we love.
Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 7 of The Gymnastics Show! 🎙️
The Jonas Rushworth Story | EP 178
At the 2025 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Jonas Rushworth helped the British men’s team claim gold. It was his first major championships, and Jonas made an immediate impression, competing across …
Show notes
At the 2025 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Jonas Rushworth helped the British men’s team claim gold. It was his first major championships, and Jonas made an immediate impression, competing across multiple apparatus and establishing himself as an important member of the team.
Now, just a year later, he’s been selected again to represent Great Britain at this year’s European Championships in Croatia.
And 2026 has already been a breakthrough year for Jonas. He’s been crowned English All-Around Champion and, at the British Championships in March, finished runner-up to Olympian and World Parallel bars Champion Joe Fraser.
Training at Leeds Gymnastics Club alongside Olympic vault medallist Harry Hepworth and World Floor Exercise medallist Luke Whitehouse, Jonas is surrounded by athletes who have already reached the highest levels of the sport.
With LA 2028 firmly in his sights, he’s hoping to follow in their footsteps and establish himself among the next generation of British gymnastics stars.
This is Jonas Rushworth’s story.
Marriage, Fatherhood and Life After Gymnastics | Ep 177
On July the 4th 2026, surrounded by family members, loved ones and close friends I married the most beautiful person in the World. It was truly the best day of our lives and we both felt incredibly lucky to …
Show notes
On July the 4th 2026, surrounded by family members, loved ones and close friends I married the most beautiful person in the World. It was truly the best day of our lives and we both felt incredibly lucky to have shared the experience with soo many wonderful human beings. Ozzy is now two and a half years old and growing at a pace that me and his Mum find rather bewildering. The past twelve months have been full of both challenges and positive milestones in all aspects of my self employed work. I've shared my Olympic story with thousands of children again this academic year, coached many young gymnasts at both ends of the performance pyramid and have had many exciting opportunities to work with elite athletes. Gymnastics continues to evolve but as we reach the half way point in the LA 2028 Olympic cycle the financial framework within the sport is something I'm watching extremely closely. A wedding signifies the start of a brand new chapter and I feel optimistic about the possibility of building a long lasting legacy that will give back to the sport of artistic gymnastics for many years to come. And this is my story.
The Tommaso Brugnami Story | EP 176
At the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, the young Italian vault specialist Tommaso Brugnami came within touching distance of the podium, finishing fourth in a world-class men's vault final. It …
Show notes
At the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, the young Italian vault specialist Tommaso Brugnami came within touching distance of the podium, finishing fourth in a world-class men's vault final. It was confirmation that one of gymnastics' brightest junior stars had arrived on the senior stage, capable of challenging the very best in the world.
But success has never come as a surprise to those who have followed his journey.
Brugnami's junior career was nothing short of extraordinary. He helped Italy capture the European Junior team title in 2022 before collecting three European junior gold medals in total. As his junior career reached its peak, he established himself as the world's premier young vaulter, becoming Junior World Champion on vault while also claiming two individual European titles. It was a statement that Italy had another world-class gymnast ready to make the leap to the senior ranks.
His rise mirrors that of Italian men's gymnastics itself.
Once defined by the brilliance of individual legends such as Olympic champion Yuriy Chechi and Olympic horizontal bar champion Igor Cassina, Italy has transformed into one of the strongest and deepest men's programmes in the world. Years of investment, belief and emerging talent have elevated the Azzurri into consistent contenders on the biggest stages, with a new generation carrying the sport into an exciting era.
Tommaso Brugnami is one of the leading faces of that generation.
Now, the next chapter begins.
His immediate focus is the Italian National Championships, where every routine offers another opportunity to prove he belongs among Italy's elite. Beyond that lies another chance to represent his country at this year's World Championships in Rotterdam—the first major milestone on the road towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Olympics are no longer a distant dream.
They are just two years away.
Every landing, every tenth of a point, every competition from now until 2028 carries greater significance than the last. The margins are small, but so too is the gap between fourth in the world and standing on a World Championship or Olympic podium.
For Tommaso Brugnami, the foundations have already been laid through years of junior dominance and a breakthrough senior season. The talent is undeniable. The ambition is clear. The destination is within reach.
The journey to Los Angeles starts now.
And this is his story.
Gymnastics Show July 2026 Commonwealth Games Katie Foster | EP 175
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic …
Show notes
🥇 In 2026, we're launching a brand-new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we'll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build-ups in artistic gymnastics, alongside post-competition debriefs with some of the sport's most passionate experts, coaches, and analysts.
In Episode 6 of The Gymnastics Show, Sam is joined by Katie Foster — a women's artistic elite gymnastics coach, qualified judge, and respected commentator with a lifelong passion for the sport.
This week, we preview the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, breaking down both the men's and women's competitions.
Team England will be looking to defend their men's team title, but with Max Whitlock ruled out through injury, the squad—led by 2025 World floor silver medallist Luke Whitehouse—will face fierce competition from Australia, Canada, and an experienced Scottish team.
England's women will also have a tough challenge in their pursuit of team gold. Australia, led by Georgia Godwin, and Wales, featuring Ruby Evans, will both arrive with medal ambitions. Canada bring a wealth of experience through multi-time Olympian Ellie Black, alongside Lia Monica Fontaine, who has surpassed the 54-point mark twice this season and is widely tipped as a leading contender for the all-around title.
The men's all-around competition promises to be one of the highlights of the Games, with Jesse Moore and Felix Dolciexpected to battle for gold. A strong chasing pack—including Adam Tobin, Reuben Ward, and Marios Georgiou—will all believe they have a realistic shot at the podium.
In the women's all-around, defending Commonwealth champion Georgia Godwin will aim to retain the title she won in Birmingham in 2022. Standing in her way are Ruby Evans, Abigail Martin, and Canada's talented all-around squad.
British fans will also be eager to watch Luke Whitehouse chase Commonwealth floor gold, while Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan takes on Britain's exciting new generation of pommel horse specialists, including Reuben Wardand Alex Yolshin-Cash.
World floor medallists Ruby Evans and Abigail Martin are expected to contend for multiple apparatus medals, while Ruby Stacey and Francesca Stone look set to deliver standout performances throughout the competition.
Our mission remains the same: to share the stories behind the finest athletes in gymnastics and celebrate the sport we love.
Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 6 of The Gymnastics Show! 🎙️
The Danusia Francis Story | EP 174
Few athletes have demonstrated the resilience, artistry, and determination of Danusia Francis. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, she proudly represented Jamaica in the women's artistic gymnastics …
Show notes
Few athletes have demonstrated the resilience, artistry, and determination of Danusia Francis. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, she proudly represented Jamaica in the women's artistic gymnastics competition, fulfilling an Olympic dream that had been years in the making.
Before competing for Jamaica, Danusia enjoyed an outstanding international career representing Great Britain. As both a junior and senior elite gymnast, she competed at the highest level at the European and World Championships, establishing herself as one of Britain's leading female gymnasts in the lead-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Although she was selected as the reserve athlete for Team GB, she narrowly missed the opportunity to compete on home soil.
That same summer marked the beginning of a new chapter. Danusia moved to the United States to pursue higher education while continuing her gymnastics career. At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), she flourished, graduating in 2016 as an NCAA balance beam champion. Renowned for her creativity and originality, she performed some of the most distinctive and innovative balance beam skills in the world, earning admiration from fans, judges, and fellow gymnasts alike.
The opportunity to compete for Jamaica reignited her Olympic ambitions and provided a second chance to achieve the dream she had chased since childhood. Nine years after narrowly missing the London Games, Danusia stepped onto the Olympic stage at Tokyo 2020, proudly representing her Jamaican heritage and completing one of the sport's most inspiring comeback stories.
Since retiring from artistic gymnastics, Danusia has successfully transitioned into a diverse creative career. She has become a respected broadcaster, choreographer, and stunt performer, continuing to combine athleticism with artistry in new and exciting ways.
This is Danusia Francis's story—a journey of perseverance, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of an Olympic dream.
The Sam Ghinn Story | EP 173
Over the past decade, Pegasus Gymnastics Club has consistently nurtured some of Great Britain's finest men's artistic gymnastics talent. Among those athletes is Sam Ghinn, who has proudly represented …
Show notes
Over the past decade, Pegasus Gymnastics Club has consistently nurtured some of Great Britain's finest men's artistic gymnastics talent. Among those athletes is Sam Ghinn, who has proudly represented both Great Britain and Team England throughout his competitive career.
Alongside Olympians James Hall and Courtney Tulloch, Sam is a product of the exceptional culture cultivated at Pegasus under the guidance of head coach Ionut Trandaburu.
At the 2025 Northern European Championships, Sam enjoyed one of the most successful competitions of his career. He claimed gold medals on his favoured apparatus, the pommel horse and parallel bars, while also earning bronze in the men's all-around, silver on the horizontal bar, and team silver with England.
Beyond the competition floor, Sam co-founded Satus, a sportswear brand designed by Olympians for athletes, alongside World, European and Commonwealth medallist James Hall.
After years of competing at the highest level, Sam has recently made the decision to step away from elite gymnastics, choosing instead to focus on growing Satus and pursuing his passion for freelance videography.
This is his story.
The Sebastian Sponevik Story | EP 172
At the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, Sebastian Sponevik delivered the performance of his career, capturing the vault gold medal for his home nation of Norway.The victory marked the …
Show notes
At the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Antalya, Turkey, Sebastian Sponevik delivered the performance of his career, capturing the vault gold medal for his home nation of Norway.
The victory marked the culmination of a remarkable 12 months. Sebastian announced himself on the international stage by collecting multiple medals on the World Cup circuit before qualifying for the men's all-around final at the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Indonesia, where he finished among the world's top 20 gymnasts.
Behind his rise stands one of Norway's greatest gymnastics icons, Espen Jansen. An 11-time Norwegian national champion, Jansen represented his country at 14 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships during an extraordinary career. It was Jansen who first spotted Sebastian's talent at a local sports fair after watching the young athlete perform a backflip—despite having never received any formal gymnastics coaching. Recognizing a rare natural ability, he took Sebastian under his wing.
Their partnership has transformed raw talent into world-class success.
Norway has become known for producing elite athletes despite its population of just 5.6 million people. The nation made global headlines at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan by finishing at the top of the medal table, highlighting the success of its unique approach to sport and athlete development.
Now, Sebastian is preparing for the next chapter.
Later this year, he will compete at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam with his sights set on breaking into the world's top 15. More importantly, every routine brings him one step closer to achieving his ultimate dream—qualifying for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
This is the story of Sebastian Sponevik.
The Megan Oldham Story | EP 171
At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Megan Oldham captured Olympic gold for Team Canada in the women's freestyle skiing big air event. She also earned an Olympic bronze medal in women's …
Show notes
At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Megan Oldham captured Olympic gold for Team Canada in the women's freestyle skiing big air event. She also earned an Olympic bronze medal in women's slopestyle, marking a remarkable performance at her second Olympic Games following her Olympic debut in Beijing in 2022.
Megan made history at the 2023 X Games when she landed the first-ever triple cork performed by a female athlete in competition, across both skiing and snowboarding. Throughout her professional career, she has established herself as one of the sport's most accomplished athletes, winning two Olympic medals, four World Championship medals, and three X Games titles.
Before discovering freestyle skiing, Megan competed in artistic gymnastics and figure skating. It was her older brother, Bruce Oldham, who first introduced her to the sport that would ultimately change her life.
Since becoming an Olympic champion, Megan has enjoyed a range of unique opportunities beyond the slopes, including invitations to Formula 1 events as a Monster Energy athlete.
From a young girl chasing her dreams in multiple sports to an Olympic gold medallist and trailblazer in freestyle skiing, this is the story of Megan Oldham.
Competitive Gymnastics At 33 | Ep 170
On Saturday, 6 June, at the British Team Championships, I successfully performed a horizontal bar routine—five years after retiring from men's artistic gymnastics.At 33 years old, I wanted to challenge …
Show notes
On Saturday, 6 June, at the British Team Championships, I successfully performed a horizontal bar routine—five years after retiring from men's artistic gymnastics.
At 33 years old, I wanted to challenge myself and question some of the traditional beliefs that are often accepted within the gymnastics community. This journey was about proving that limitations are not always where we think they are and that meaningful goals can still be achieved long after stepping away from competitive sport.
My inspiration for taking on this challenge came from two incredible charities: Parkinson's UK and the Samaritans. Through this effort, I am aiming to raise £2,000 to support the vital work these organisations carry out every day across the UK, helping people affected by Parkinson's and mental health challenges.
If you would like to support this cause, please consider making a donation through my GiveWheel fundraising page, which can be found via the link in my Instagram bio or YouTube description.
Thank you to everyone who has already donated and supported me throughout this journey. Your generosity and encouragement have meant a great deal.
This is my story.
The Sam Mostowfi Story | EP 169
At the 2025 artistic gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Sam Mostowfi claimed the bronze medal on floor exercise, earning one of the most significant international results of his career.That performance helped secure …
Show notes
At the 2025 artistic gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Sam Mostowfi claimed the bronze medal on floor exercise, earning one of the most significant international results of his career.
That performance helped secure his selection for Great Britain at the FISU World University Games in Germany. Competing against some of the world's best gymnasts, Mostowfi finished 14th in the all-around final and qualified for the floor exercise final. There, he lined up alongside elite international talent, including reigning Olympic champion Oka Shinnosuke and European champion Luke Whitehouse.
The start of the 2026 season brought another opportunity on the international stage at the American Cup, where Mostowfi competed in the mixed team event. However, his momentum was interrupted when he suffered an injury on his favourite apparatus, tearing his plantar fascia during a floor routine.
Despite this setback, Mostowfi remains part of an exceptionally strong British men's gymnastics squad, a group of athletes all striving to earn a place on Team GB for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
What sets Sam apart is not only his ability as a gymnast, but also the way he maximises every opportunity that comes his way. Whether competing on the world stage, balancing the demands of elite sport and education, or overcoming the challenges that inevitably accompany high-performance gymnastics, he continues to demonstrate resilience, ambition and determination.
This is the story of a gymnast pursuing excellence, overcoming adversity, and chasing an Olympic dream.
This is Sam Mostowfi's story.
Gymnastics Show May 2026 NHK Cup | EP 168
🥇 In 2026, we’re launching a brand‑new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we’ll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build‑ups in artistic …
Show notes
🥇 In 2026, we’re launching a brand‑new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we’ll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build‑ups in artistic gymnastics — plus post‑competition debriefs with some of the sport’s most passionate experts and analysts.
In this week's episode, I'm going to look at the biggest stories from the world of artistic gymnastics throughout the month of May.
The NHK Cup took place in Japan and served as the final selection competition ahead of the World Gymnastics Championships, which will be held in Rotterdam later this year. Oka Shinnosuke, the reigning Olympic all-around champion, took the title after posting the highest all-around total in the world so far this year, becoming the first gymnast to break the 86-point barrier.
Daiki Hashimoto was leading the competition after performing the Yonekura vault on the second day of competition, but a fall on the high bar opened the door for Oka to claim his third consecutive NHK Cup title.
The Japanese men's team is widely regarded as having one of the most rigorous and transparent selection processes of any federation, with athletes required to compete across four days of competition. Japan also selects its major championship teams considerably earlier than most nations. The team that will represent Japan at this year's World Championships consists of Oka Shinnosuke, Daiki Hashimoto, Shohei Kawakami, Doi Ryosuke, and Maeda Fusuke.
At the Chinese National Championships, first-year senior Yang Haonan won the gold medal, defeating Zhang Boheng, with Wang Chengcheng finishing in third place.
The World Gymnastics Federation has officially confirmed that the Russian Federation will be eligible to compete as Russia at this year's World Championships. We'll look at what a potential Russian team might look like and discuss whether any members of the Tokyo Olympic gold medal-winning squad could make a return to competitive gymnastics.
Following a recent podcast conversation with Sam Mostowfi, who spoke about the impact of the pandemic and the increase in pommel horse specialists that emerged during that period, I'll be reflecting on some of the other lasting effects that time away from the sport may have had on the new generation of gymnasts competing today.
Finally, after five years in retirement, I'll be returning to competition to perform a high bar routine at the British Team Championships on June 6th, raising money for Parkinson's UK and the Samaritans.
This year, our mission remains the same — to share the stories behind the finest athletes in the sport of gymnastics. Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 5 of The Gymnastics Show 🎙️The Jesse Moore Story | EP 167
At just 22 years of age, Jesse Moore is already rewriting the history books for Australian gymnastics.At the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Moore delivered the performance of his …
Show notes
At just 22 years of age, Jesse Moore is already rewriting the history books for Australian gymnastics.
At the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Moore delivered the performance of his career, finishing 11th in the men’s all-around final — the highest placing ever achieved by an Australian male gymnast at the World Championships.
Twelve months earlier, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Jesse stepped onto the sport’s biggest stage and qualified for the all-around final against the very best gymnasts in the world. Competing with composure and confidence, he became the first Australian male gymnast since London 2012 to reach an Olympic all-around final, ultimately finishing 21st overall.
For a country still emerging in the global gymnastics landscape, Moore’s rise represents something bigger than individual success. It signals a new era for Australian men’s artistic gymnastics.
Now, with 2032 Summer Olympics on the horizon, the opportunity ahead is enormous.
For Australian athletes, a home Olympic Games represents more than competition. It brings funding, exposure, belief, and the chance to inspire an entire generation. And for Jesse Moore, Brisbane 2032 is not simply a dream in the distance — it is a target.
Already in the opening months of the 2026 World Cup season, Moore has continued building momentum, winning multiple medals internationally and proving he belongs among the sport’s elite. His performances have showcased not only technical excellence, but also the resilience and maturity that define world-class athletes.
This year, Jesse is chasing a top-10 finish at the World Championships in Rotterdam. Beyond that lies another major opportunity: the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he hopes to challenge the best gymnasts from across the Commonwealth and contend for medals on one of the biggest stages of his career.
This is his story.
The Anna Hopkin MBE Story | EP 166
At the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were ultimately held in 2021 due to the global pandemic, Anna Hopkin swam the anchor leg for Team GB’s 4 x 100m mixed medley relay team alongside Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty …
Show notes
At the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were ultimately held in 2021 due to the global pandemic, Anna Hopkin swam the anchor leg for Team GB’s 4 x 100m mixed medley relay team alongside Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty and James Guy. Together, they won Olympic gold for Great Britain while breaking the world record in the process.
Across her professional swimming career, Anna won a total of seventeen major championship medals. Following her Olympic success, she was awarded an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours List for services to swimming.
In 2024, Anna qualified for her second Olympic Games, representing Team GB in 2024 Summer Olympics, before shortly afterwards announcing her retirement from professional swimming.
Anna’s journey to the Olympic Games was far from conventional. As a teenager, she stepped away from the sport after falling out of love with swimming. Yet through resilience, determination and rediscovering her passion, she returned to reach the very pinnacle of her sport.
And this is her story.
The Kameron Nelson Story | EP 165
In 2025, at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kameron Nelson announced himself on the world stage. Competing in his first major championships for Team USA, Nelson qualified for …
Show notes
In 2025, at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kameron Nelson announced himself on the world stage. Competing in his first major championships for Team USA, Nelson qualified for the floor exercise final and narrowly missed the medal podium, finishing an impressive fourth against the world’s best.
His rise to international gymnastics had been anything but conventional.
Nelson joined the Ohio State Buckeyes gymnastics team in 2021 as a walk-on athlete, determined to prove he belonged among the NCAA elite. Over the course of his collegiate career, he developed into one of the most exciting floor exercise performers in the country, capturing multiple NCAA medals on the event. In 2025, he reached another milestone by claiming the NCAA National Championship title on vault.
Building on that momentum, Nelson opened the 2026 international season with another breakthrough performance, earning the bronze medal on still rings at the Cottbus World Cup in Germany.
Now training at the EVO Gymnastics Centre alongside some of America’s most accomplished gymnasts — current World Champion Brody Malone, World medalist Donnell Whittenburg, and Olympic medalist Stephen Nedoroscik — Nelson continues to push the boundaries of the sport.
He made gymnastics history by becoming the first artistic gymnast ever to compete two triple back somersaults in the same floor exercise routine, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s boldest innovators.
With the LA 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon, Nelson has firmly set his sights on earning a place on the U.S. team that will begin Olympic qualification this autumn at the World Championships in Rotterdam.
This is Kameron Nelson’s story.
Gymnastics Show April 26 Neutral Deductions & Stag Media | EP 164
🥇 In 2026, we’re launching a brand‑new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we’ll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build‑ups in artistic …
Show notes
🥇 In 2026, we’re launching a brand‑new monthly gymnastics show on The Sam Oldham Podcast. Each month, we’ll explore the biggest names, emerging storylines, and major championship build‑ups in artistic gymnastics — plus post‑competition debriefs with some of the sport’s most passionate experts and analysts.
In this week’s episode, Lewis Thomson — the young, talented athlete turned independent gymnastics journalist — joins us to discuss the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup circuit. We’re also joined by Kensley Behel, the brilliant mind behind Neutral Deductions, who breaks down the conclusion of the NCAA Championships season.
We explore the world‑class field that attended the Osijek World Cup in April, reviewing key routines and standout performances. In Japan, Daiki Hashimoto captured his sixth consecutive National Title at the All‑Japan Championships in Takasaki, narrowly edging out reigning Olympic all‑around champion Oka Shinnosuke. Over in the U.S., Stanford University claimed the 2026 NCAA men’s gymnastics title, holding off Oklahoma, while Fred Richard continued his impressive start to the season, taking the all‑around crown.
This year, our mission remains the same — to share the stories behind the finest athletes in the sport of gymnastics. Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and supporters for being part of the journey.
Welcome to Episode 4 of The Gymnastics Show 🎙️
The Bram Verhofstad Story | EP 163
At the 2017 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Montreal, Bram Verhofstad delivered a standout performance, qualifying for the floor exercise final and finishing fourth. He trailed a podium of elite …
Show notes
At the 2017 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Montreal, Bram Verhofstad delivered a standout performance, qualifying for the floor exercise final and finishing fourth. He trailed a podium of elite competitors: Kenzo Shirai, Artem Dolgopyat, and Yul Moldauer—a lineup that reflected the sport’s rapidly rising technical standard.
But Bram’s story goes beyond rankings. While competing at the highest level, he began documenting his journey on YouTube, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at elite gymnastics. That decision helped him build a strong following and positioned him at the forefront of a shift in how athletes connect with fans.
Men’s artistic gymnastics itself has evolved significantly over the past decade. Changes to the Code of Points—including a roughly 20% reduction in the number of required skills per routine—have altered how gymnasts construct performances, placing more emphasis on execution and maximising difficulty. At the same time, the rise of short-form video platforms has opened new doors, allowing gymnasts to showcase skills, training methods, and personality in ways that weren’t possible before.
After retiring in the wake of the pandemic, Bram transitioned into a new creative chapter. He now collaborates with circus performers, exploring how gymnastics-based movement can blend with performance art—pushing the boundaries of what the discipline can look like outside traditional competition.
It’s a path that reflects both where the sport has been and where it’s going: from rigid routines on the competition floor to expressive, cross-disciplinary movement shared with a global audience.
And this is his story.
The Kacper Garnczarek Story | EP 162
Kacper Garnczarek has already built an impressive résumé in the world of artistic gymnastics. At the 2025 European Championships, he qualified for the men’s all-around final and made history as part of Poland’s …
Show notes
Kacper Garnczarek has already built an impressive résumé in the world of artistic gymnastics. At the 2025 European Championships, he qualified for the men’s all-around final and made history as part of Poland’s first-ever mixed team final.
Awarded a full scholarship to Pennsylvania State University, Kacper has balanced elite sport with academics, representing Penn State’s gymnastics team while studying business. On the international stage, he has competed at the highest level, including the World Gymnastics Championships, proudly representing Poland.
Most recently, he concluded his NCAA Championships journey with Penn State, closing an important chapter in his career. But his ambitions stretch far beyond—his sights are firmly set on the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Remarkably, at just 23 years old, Kacper has also become a published author. His book, “Today’s Pleasure to Tomorrow’s Success,” offers insight into his journey, mindset, and experiences in the demanding world of gymnastics.
This is his story.
The Victor Yeo Story | EP 161
In December 2025 Victor Yeo made his mixed martial arts professional debut winning by unanimous decision against Zanyar Kamaran. Victor had previously been a very successful British male gymnast out of Devon …
Show notes
In December 2025 Victor Yeo made his mixed martial arts professional debut winning by unanimous decision against Zanyar Kamaran. Victor had previously been a very successful British male gymnast out of Devon winning multiple junior National titles and medals for Great Britain on the international stage. He was tipped by many to be a superstar in the sport and was coached by professional stuntman and former Commonwealth Games silver medalist in artistic gymnastics Steve Jehu. Throughout the pandemic Victor struggled to transition into senior gymnastics battling with injuries and his physical stature having grown significantly to 180cm. In 2022 Victor made the decision to change course and he entered the world of mixed martial arts. Most recently Victor Yeo, AKA 'The Vanilla Gorilla' performed impressively at the Cage Warriors 203 event winning again by unanimous decision. And this is his story.
The Hiroaki Sato Story | EP 160
In 2024 at the Paris Olympic Games. Hiroaki Sato lead the Japanese men's artistic gymnastics team to victory as the head coach in the men's team final winning gold for Japan. In 2017 Hiroaki was asked …
Show notes
In 2024 at the Paris Olympic Games. Hiroaki Sato lead the Japanese men's artistic gymnastics team to victory as the head coach in the men's team final winning gold for Japan. In 2017 Hiroaki was asked by his childhood friend Kohei Uchimura to play the role of his personal coach in the final chapter of his gymnastics career as he prepared for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He spent four years working alongside arguably the greatest male gymnast of all time in Kohei Uchimura. His achievements include two all around Olympic titles and six back to back world championships gold medals which made him the most dominant athlete in the sport for a decade. Preceding the time he spent with Uchimura, Hiroaki coached the great Naoya Tsukahara the Athens 2004 Olympic champion with team Japan. Since Paris he is now working in Australia as the high performance head coach of the men's gymnastics team with the 2032 Olympic Games being held in Brisbane. Hiroaki sits on the FIG commission and is passionate about coach education. Remarkably as s a young gymnast he was coached by Nikoli Andrianov a fifteen times Olympic medalist, was mentored by Vitaly Scherbo's coach in his early coaching career and then went on to work alongside the legendary Kohei Uchimura. This conversation was a real highlight for me personally and I'd like to thank Hiroaki for giving us his time. And this is his story.
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