In my gymnastics collection that is still gathering dust in my spare room, I have a few copies of a publication called 'Flying Squirrels', produced by a freelance journalist called Keith McCaffety. This photocopied 'All American Gymnastics Newsletter' was kindly sent to me by friends in America; I never subscribed to the publication directly. The February 1992 edition included a story about international gymnast Erika Stokes and her experiences in elite gymnastics, including a short section on her life at the Karolyi Ranch. I seem to remember many more similar stories with details of how the gymnasts were treated there. Remember, the Karolyis defected to the USA from Romania in 1981. By 1984 they had made an Olympic Champion of Mary Lou Retton, and by the end of 1991 they had their first World All Around Champion, Kim Zmeskal. The article about Erika was published in February 1992. The same edition records a threat of legal action from the USA Gym...
Reporting and analysing Russian gymnastics since 2010. Includes original and exclusive interviews with leading coaches and gymnasts, and historical issues dating back to the Soviet Union. The first blog to report extensively on the sport using Russian language sources. I read, I argue, and I have opinions. Be warned.