1984 FIGHT! Opening Assumption: Athletes from the Eastern Bloc would have won all the golds and nearly every medal at the 1984 Olympics had they attended. The 1984 Olympic medals, while amazing accomplishments, do not mean you were “best in the world” in 1984. Is that actually true? Today, we're putting it to the test. Part 1: Gymnastics history with Jessica and Spencer. What happened in 1984 and why? What were the Friendship Games, and why are gymnerds so obsessed with them? Should the results from the 1984 Olympics have an asterisk because of who was absent? What about the similarly boycotted 1980 Olympics? What about any event where the top athlete was absent? Why footage from Olomouc is one of the gymternet's greatest triumphs Part 2: Event-by-event. We take each event in turn and compare the routines, Olympics vs. Olomouc What the Soviet vaulting taught us about the importance of Yurchenkos What Ma Yanhong taught us about ROV and beam choreography Olga Mostepanova's beam, end of conversation The importance of Irina Baraksanova's floor, and why Szabo and McNamara getting the same score in the floor final remains a TRAVESTY And finally...our ultimate 1984 verdict Watch Olomouc Highlights Bars Part 1  Bars Part 2  Beam Part 1 Beam Part 2 Floor Part 1 Floor Part 2 JOIN CLUB GYM NERD Join Club Gym Nerd (or give it as a gift!) for access to weekly Behind the Scenes episodes. Club Gym Nerd members can watch the podcast being recorded and see some of the gymnastics we discuss, plus get access to all of our exclusive interviews and Behind The Scenes episodes. Not sure about joining the club?  College & Cocktails: The Friday Night NCAA Gymnastics Post-Meet Show is available to sample (even if you aren't a Club Gym Nerd member yet). Watch or listen here. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have a Ukraine Fundraiser design, all proceeds go to the CARE Ukraine Crisis fund. RELATED EPISODES & RESOURCES Dunham Technique Katherine Dunham Library of Congress  364: 80s Fight! She Was Robbed! Behind the Scenes: June 9 Mexico's Moment Logistical Sweating & the Emma Spence Interview History's Best Beam Routines Gymnastics Mythbusters 4.0 Romanian Gymnastics Secret Police Files Project K Episode 2 Project K Episode 1 Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim Photo Galleries from NCAAs The Highest D and E scores from The Gymternet MORE WAYS TO LISTEN HERE