Blind Landing
Blind Landing is an award-winning independent documentary podcast. Hosted by Ari Saperstein, the series goes behind the scenes in the world of Olympic sports including gymnastics and figure skating. Blind Landing has been featured in dozens of publications around the world, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture and Elle. The series was named one of The Atlantic’s Best Podcasts of 2021, a 2022 Webby Awards & AIPS Awards honoree, and won the 2023 Ambie Award for Best Independent Podcast.
Episodes
June 25, 2021 • 2 mins
Blind Landing is the untold story of the greatest mistake in Olympic history. All episodes available on July 19th.
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July 19, 2021 • 24 mins
Elise Ray, America’s top gymnast, qualified for the 2000 Olympics with big dreams –– but during the all-around final, high expectations clashed with reality and came crashing down. Literally.
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July 19, 2021 • 20 mins
The story of the 2000 women’s gymnastics all-around final picks up with Australian gymnast Allana Slater. In the midst of the competition, Allana realized that it was no coincidence gymnasts were falling on vault.
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July 19, 2021 • 27 mins
The officials tried to solve the vault problem. Their decision had major consequences for everyone in the arena – but no one more so than the frontrunner, Russia’s Svetlana Khorkina.
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July 19, 2021 • 26 mins
Romanian gymnast Maria Olaru discusses how the vault problem might have been stopped before it even started. Olympic officials explain what was happening behind the scenes.
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July 19, 2021 • 31 mins
On the final episode of Blind Landing, British gymnast Lisa Mason reflects on the culture she trained in. Elise and Allana discuss the impact that the Sydney Olympics had on their lives.
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October 18, 2021 • 26 mins
We spoke with Olympic gymnasts from around the world about the current state of safety at competitions. Twenty years after the Sydney vault controversy, things have changed. And not necessarily for the better.
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October 18, 2021 • 28 mins
When it comes to addressing the safety concerns gymnasts have about competitions, there are structures in place to help gymnasts be heard... but are these structures working? Can they work?
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February 4, 2022 • 2 mins
The new season of Blind Landing is all about… figure skating! We’re taking you behind the scenes with the biggest names in the sport, from Adam Rippon to Kristi Yamaguchi, and telling the stories of skaters who dared to challenge the norms and put everything on the line for something greater than gold. New episodes coming February 7th.
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February 7, 2022 • 38 mins
From the outside, figure skating might look like a queer haven, a space where LGBTQ+ athletes can be out and open… but inside of the sport? That couldn’t be farther from the reality.
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February 7, 2022 • 38 mins
For decades, skaters have been pushed to play into narrow gender stereotypes on and off the ice, leaving queer athletes feeling like being themselves wasn’t an option –– but not everyone was going to stay silent.
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February 7, 2022 • 38 mins
“Out On The Ice” concludes with the story of Adam Rippon, the first out skater to represent the US at the Olympics, and a new generation of queer skaters determined to change the culture of their sport.
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February 23, 2022 • 49 mins
Mabel Fairbanks changed figure skating forever. As a Black figure skater in the 1940s, Mabel made a name for herself skating in ice shows all over the world — but was barred from entering competitions because of the color of her skin. Mabel made it her life’s mission to get Black skaters into the sport and to reach the highest peaks. Using excerpts of interviews with Mabel never before heard by the public, we’re bringing you not ju...
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March 18, 2022 • 18 mins
On this special episode of Blind Landing, we're stepping away from figure skating and going back to the world of gymnastics to bring you Ukrainian gymnast Illia Kovtun. Illia tells us about what it's been like to compete during the invasion of Ukraine and the story of how politics found it's way onto the competition floor.
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May 18, 2022 • 52 mins
For many Asian Americans, seeing Kristi Yamaguchi win the gold in women’s figure skating at the 1992 Olympics was everything. She was more than a famous athlete — she was one of the few Asian Americans on TV, period. Yet for Kristi, the polished, glamorous image that we all saw was very different from her experience on the inside. From her choice to skate solo to seeking endorsements in an anti-Asian climate, reporter Stefanie Rito...
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November 6, 2022 • 29 mins
The making of Rebeca Andrade, one of the greatest gymnasts of all time and a comeback unlike any other.
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June 7, 2024 • 44 mins
On May 18th 2024, the gymnastics world saw something that had never happened before: the return of three Olympic all-around champions. Host Ari Saperstein unpacks this historic story with producer Maddie Bender.
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The story for nearly half a century has been that youth is the key to women’s gymnastics –– but in recent years, there’s been a surge of female gymnasts in their twenties dominating the sport. Emily Giambalvo from The Washington Post joins host Ari Saperstein to break down how everything we were told about success in gymnastics got turned upside down.
You can follow Emily at @EmilyGiam on Twitter and read all her work at www.wash...
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June 27, 2024 • 37 mins
At most US Olympic Trials, you earn your spot by being the top finisher. In sports like track & field and swimming, it’s the top finishers who get to compete at the Paris Games this summer. Gymnastics doesn’t work that way –– but some people think it should. Unpacking this messy, subjective process are two guests: Dvora Meyers, author of The End Of The Perfect 10, and Emily Giambalvo, reporter at The Washington Post.
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July 11, 2024 • 37 mins
Host Ari Saperstein takes us inside the arena at the 2024 US Olympic Trials for women’s gymnastics. Today’s episode is a collection of moments from the competition in Minneapolis, from the Olympic Box Suite to Press Conferences to drinks with Nadia Comaneci. Featuring: Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Joscelyn Roberson, Matt Cowan, Erica Schnebel, Alicia Sacramone Quinn, Chellsie Memmel, Sarah Korngold and, of course, Cecilia...
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