The Nightmare That Was The 2000 Olympic Trials

We revisit the U.S. 2000 Olympic Trials where the selection committee's athlete rep REFUSED to certify the team and USAG announced the team anyway! 

The 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 

This week, we have a group commission from Brianna, Stephanie, Atwood, Laura, Karla, and Emma, all about [deep breath] the collective nightmare that was the 2000 Olympic Trials. We discuss:

• The gymnasts: Elise Ray, Amy Chow, Kristen Maloney, Morgan White, Jamie Dantzscher, Vanessa Atler, Dominique Dawes, Alyssa Beckerman, Tasha Schwikert, Rachel Tidd, Jeanette Antolin, Amanda Stroud, Shannon Miller
• The breaking news that there actually was official selection criteria, and it was technically followed.
• The significance of 2000 Trials as the worst thing that has ever happened ever, the controversy of the selection process, the low point this represented in athlete-first commentary, and just…the Bela of it all
• Shannon’s comeback
• What if Atler had been able to compete on the “new” vault?
• The way the commentators talk about Alyssa Beckerman
• The infamous Rybacki fluff piece
• DLO + Punch front
• Shannon’s vault injury
• BEIGE DRAPES
• Steve Nunno’s performance piece
• The Moceanu sadness forest
• Why they selected the team they did, and was it the right call?

RELATED EPISODES

• The History of Olympic Trials Controversies
• Shannon Miller Interview Part 1
• Shannon Miller Interview 2015 part 2
• Vanessa Atler
• Jamie Dantzscher Interview
• How to Stage a Gymnastics Protest
• Tokyo Olympics Recap

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CHAPTERS - pre-auto ad insertion

00:00 – Introduction: Jakarta Worlds  and Sleep Deprivation Update

03:29 – About : One of Our Most Popular Episodes

05:12 – Show Intro: The Nightmare That Was the 2000 Olympic Trials

08:10 – Format Overview: 6-5-4 and Why It Mattered

11:27 – The “Selection Criteria Is F***ing Shocking” Breakdown

16:42 – Who Was on the Selection Committee (and Why That’s a Problem) 21:08 – Setting the Scene: Panic After 1996, Comebacks, and Chaos

25:50 – Significance: One of the Worst Selection Decisions Ever

30:31 – Day 1 Begins: “This Will Be Bela’s Team”

33:52 – Jamie Dantzscher on Bars: The “Bela Fixed Jamie” Narrative

36:59 – Morgan White Isn’t OK

39:40 – Shannon Miller on Bars and Vault: Injuries and “Good Catch by Nunno”

43:52 – Vanessa Atler’s Vault: What If She’d Had the Table?

47:16 – Alyssa Beckerman Commentary: Moral Failings ≈ Missed Skills 50:08 – The Rybacki / Dantzscher / Atler Fluff: Coaching Betrayals

52:33 – Weird-Ass Shannon Miller “Party Time” Fluff

53:55 – Huel Daily Greens Ad: The Vitamin Redemption Arc

57:03 – Atler’s Floor and the Scoring Face That Said It All

59:49 – Atler’s Terrifying Beam Dismount and the “Nightmare Walrus” 1:03:14 – Day 2: Shannon’s Vault Injury and Bela/Nunno/Nassar on Deck 1:08:55 – The Beige Drapes Fluff: Bela as Star of the Show

1:13:29 – Atler Bars Semi-Miss and Nunno’s Performance Piece

1:17:12 – “Alternates Are Not Ranked” – The Policy Loophole

1:20:43 – Atler’s Day 2 Vault Downgrade and Implications

1:24:02 – The Wildly Inappropriate Morgan White Body Commentary 1:28:21 – Tasha Schwikert Appears: “Mom and Dad Are Dealers”

1:31:09 – More Beckerman Disrespect and MLT Quotes of the Year

1:34:38 – Moceanu Fluff: Clawing at the Tree in the Sadness Forest

1:38:12 – Amy Chow’s Calm Dominance on Day 2 1

:42:07 – Final Scores and Who Actually Hit

1:46:04 – Final Team Selection Disaster and Tracee Talavera’s Refusal to Sign

RESOURCES

• Jakarta Worlds Headquarters page
• The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer’s GIF Code of Points
• Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
• Kensley’s men’s gymnastics site Neutral Deductions

RESISTANCE RESOURCES > here