For decades, the U.S. women’s artistic gymnastics team has been the gold standard. From Mary Lou Retton’s historic all-around win in 1984 to Shannon Miller’s dominance in the ‘90s to Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin, and Gabby Douglas, they have all sealed their legacies. Then came Simone Biles, making history with every routine. But now, something’s changed. Some major bombshells have been dropped about the Golden Girls dominance. But what does this lead to? Is this a wake-up call nobody even envisioned?

Well, this all stems from a single podcast where analyst Katherine Keirns warns that the program is showing signs of decline. The host of the AdexIncc on twitch mentions, “I believe the US WAG program is in decline,” she wrote on X, arguing that its success has been heavily reliant on generational talents like Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee rather than a deep, well-developed system.

She pointed to the Tokyo cycle as an era of unparalleled depth—Sunisa Lee, Shilese Jones, Kayla DiCello, all forming the Golden Girls. But the transition to the next wave has been shaky. Keirns criticized the structural failings that have led to a dwindling pipeline of talent. “The US hasn’t hosted a meet with a field bigger than a dozen WAGs total since 2003. And they haven’t even done that since 2020. This is a joke when we’re talking about one of the most influential gym feds in the sport.”

She also pointed out, “The British have hosted Worlds 3 times since the last time the US did. By not hosting but saying international competitions don’t matter, and by not investing in strategic leadership at the developmental level, they told a generation of gymnasts in the US that they don’t matter.” Keirns mentioned that the US team was always known for their depth, with new stars always ready to win.

But that pipeline isn’t looking as strong anymore. With Simone Biles and a few veterans carrying the team, questions are being raised about what happens when they step away. Katherine Keirns didn’t hold back in pointing out the reality: “We’ve had our first major domestic meet without any gymnasts who competed at 2021 Olympic Trials, and things looked dire. The world has caught up, and if they want to stay on top, they’re going to have to hope some of those older gymnasts come back.”

One of Keirns’ biggest concerns? The NCAA pipeline. A lot of top U.S. gymnasts, including Lee, Chiles, and Jade Carey, have chosen the college route while still competing in elite. That’s great for their careers but not a perfect fix for USA Gymnastics’ long-term success. Kerns explains why: “Extending the career options of gymnasts is important. But doing both is no party. The NCAA season is 3.5 months of hard landings, week after week of competition, injury risk, and reduced training hours.”

Men’s gymnastics is under a cloud, too

Men’s gymnastics is in the midst of a quiet yet seismic shift, one that could have a say in the sport’s future. The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) has rolled out major scoring changes. And now they are counting only eight of the ten elements in routines. The goal? Reward execution over sheer difficulty. But this means gymnasts have even fewer opportunities to showcase their technical brilliance.

And the challenges don’t stop there. In the United States, men’s collegiate gymnastics is vanishing. Once thriving with over 150 NCAA Division I programs in the 1970s, the number has plummeted to just 12. Schools cite Title IX compliance, but the reality is a slow but steady decline in investment.

Globally, the picture is just as bleak. Once a powerhouse, Cuba’s men’s gymnastics has faded into obscurity. Coach Damian Merino recalls an era when Cuba was a force on the world stage.“I competed in every Moncada tournament between 1989 and 1996, which were highly competitive due to the participation of top gymnasts from the socialist bloc,” he said.

Yet, amidst the uncertainty, athletes like Fred Richard and Stephen Nedoroscik are fighting back. Nedoroscik, a world champion on pommel horse, insists people exaggerate financial concerns. “Men’s gymnastics is not going to cost you as much as you think. There’s so much talent in this country that will never be able to reach its true potential because people are cutting programs,” he warns.