Blind Landing

Last updated
Blind Landing
Blind Landing Podcast.png
Presentation
Hosted byAri Saperstein
Genre
Format
Developed by
  • Ari Saperstein
  • Myka Kielbon
  • Christian Green
  • Jessica Taylor Price
  • Stefanie Ritoper
  • Chris Schleicher
  • Jenna Levin
  • Maddie Bender
  • Donelle Wedderburn
LanguageAmerican English
Lengthapprox. 30 min
Production
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes11
Publication
Original releaseJuly 19, 2021 (2021-07-19)
Related
Website blindlanding.com

Blind Landing is a documentary podcast about professional sports hosted by Ari Saperstein. Season one focused on safety in gymnastics, while season two looks at identity in figure skating. The show was an honoree at the 2022 and 2023 Webby Awards and was named the Best Independent Podcast at the 2023 Awards for Excellence in Audio.

Contents

Background

The first season of Blind Landing released in July 2021, focused on artistic gymnastics and the vault controversy during the women's all-around final at the 2000 Summer Olympics, when the apparatus was set two inches too low, resulting in gymnasts falling and getting injured during the event. [1] [2] The first season featured interviews with Olympic gymnasts who were at the competition. [3] [4] All five episodes of the first season were released on July 19, 2021. [5] The second season of Blind Landing, released in February 2022, is about figure skating and LGBTQ+ athletes. [6]

Episodes

Introductory episodes

TitleRunning
time		Original release date
"Blind Landing: Season One Trailer"2:40June 25, 2021 (2021-06-25)
"Blind Landing: Season Two Trailer"1:56February 4, 2022 (2022-02-04)

Season 1

No.TitleRunning
time		Original release date
1"The Vault: Part 1"24:47July 19, 2021 (2021-07-19)
This episode discusses how the error in Sydney effected Elise Ray.
2"The Vault: Part 2"20:03July 19, 2021 (2021-07-19)
This episode discusses how Allana Slater discovered the error in Sydney.
3"The Vault: Part 3"27:13July 19, 2021 (2021-07-19)
This episode discusses how the error in Sydney effected Svetlana Khorkina.
4"The Vault: Part 4"26:18July 19, 2021 (2021-07-19)
This episode features a discussion with Maria Olaru on how the error in Sydney could have been prevented.
5"The Vault: Part 5"31:22July 19, 2021 (2021-07-19)
This episode addresses the error in Sydney with Lisa Mason and discusses the culture of the sport as well as how the controversy is perceived twenty years later.
6"A Look At Safety In Gymnastics: Part 1"26:46October 18, 2021 (2021-10-18)
This episode discusses safety concerns at the Olympics with Danusia Francis, McKayla Maroney and Shallon Olsen.
7"A Look At Safety In Gymnastics: Part 2"28:20October 18, 2021 (2021-10-18)
This episode discusses systemic issues of safety with the International Federation of Gymnastics.

Season 2

No.TitleRunning
time		Original release date
8"Out On The Ice: Part 1"38:30February 7, 2022 (2022-02-07)
Chris Schleicher, Adam Rippon, and Randy Gardner discuss the history and stereotypes of queer men in figure skating. Featuring .
9"Out On The Ice: Part 2"38:29February 7, 2022 (2022-02-07)
This episode discusses Rudy Galindo and Johnny Weir.
10"Out On The Ice: Part 3"38:33February 7, 2022 (2022-02-07)
Amber Glenn, Timothy LeDuc, Jeremy Abbott and Karina Manta discuss the present and future of the sport's queer community.
11"Mabel Fairbanks: Beyond The Edge"47:32February 23, 2022 (2022-02-23)
This episode was a collaboration between Blind Landing and the NPR podcast Code Switch, which discussed the life of Mabel Fairbanks with Tai Babilonia and Atoy Wilson. [7]
Special–Episode"Ukrainian Gymnast Illia Kovtun & The Story Behind The Photo Seen Around The World"18:41March 18, 2022 (2022-03-18)
This episode discusses Illia Kovtun and her experiences in gymnastics during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Reception

The Atlantic named Blind Landing one of the Best Podcasts of 2021. [8] Wendy J. Fox reviewed the first season in Podcast Review—a Los Angeles Review of Books publication—calling it a "thoughtful exploration of a decades-old scandal" and lauded the emphasis on the gymnasts' perspectives rather than sensationalizing the story: “What Saperstein succeeds at is uncovering the implications of how this played out in the rest of the competition and how it ultimately affected these gymnasts’ lives.” [9] Nicholas Quah of Vulture echoed that praise: “Blind Landing directs its attention toward the question of who gets heard when something is wrong and, by extension, the relationship between individuals and the overarching cultures or systems within which they operate.” [10]

Awards

AwardDateCategoryResultRef.
Webby Awards 2022Sports PodcastsHonoree [11]
AIPS Sport Media Awards2022AudioNominated [12]
Awards for Excellence in Audio 2023Best Independent PodcastWon [13]
Webby Awards 2023Sports PodcastsHonoree [14]
Gracie Awards 2023Best PodcastHonorable Mention [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vault (gymnastics)</span> Artistic gymnastics apparatus which gymnasts perform on

The vault is an artistic gymnastics apparatus which gymnasts perform on, as well as the event performed on that apparatus. Both male and female gymnasts perform the vault. The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring is VT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKayla Maroney</span> American artistic gymnast (born 1995)

McKayla Rose Maroney is an American retired artistic gymnast. She was a member of the American women's gymnastics team dubbed the Fierce Five at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the team and an individual silver medal in the vault event. Maroney was also a member of the gold-winning American team at the 2011 World Championships, where she won gold medals in the team and vault competitions. She defended her World title and won the gold medal on vault at the 2013 World Championships, becoming the first U.S. female gymnast to defend a World Championship vault title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Black</span> Canadian artistic gymnast (born 1995)

Elsabeth Ann Black is a Canadian artistic gymnast. She is a four-time Olympian, having represented her country at the 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024 Olympic games. She is the 2017 World all-around silver medallist, making her the first Canadian gymnast to win a world all-around medal, and she led the Canadian women's gymnastics team to a bronze medal in the 2022 World Championships team final, the first world team medal won by a Canadian gymnastics team. She won a silver medal on the balance beam at the 2022 World Championships. She is also the 2018 Commonwealth Games all-around champion, a two-time Pan American Games all-around champion, and a six-time Canadian national all-around champion. At the 2020 Olympic Games, Black placed fourth in the balance beam final, the highest placement in the Olympics for a female Canadian gymnast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simone Biles</span> American artistic gymnast (born 1997)

Simone Arianne Biles Owens is an American artistic gymnast. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time and one of the greatest Olympians of all time. With 11 Olympic medals, she is tied with Věra Čáslavská as the second-most decorated female Olympic gymnast, and has the most Olympic medals earned by a U.S. gymnast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexa Moreno</span> Mexican artistic gymnast

Alexa Citlali Moreno Medina is a Mexican artistic gymnast. She is the 2018 World bronze medalist on vault, the first Mexican female gymnast to medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She represented Mexico at the 2016 Summer Olympics where she was the second reserve for the all-around final and at the 2020 Olympics where she placed fourth in the vault final. She will represent Mexico at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She is the 2023 Pan American champion on vault. She won a silver medal on vault at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games and a bronze medal on vault at the 2010 Pacific Rim Championships. She is also a seven-time medalist on the FIG World Cup circuit. She is the 2011 Pan American Games and 2014 and 2018 Pan American Championships team bronze medalist and the 2010, 2014, and 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games team gold medalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Hernandez</span> American artistic gymnast (born 2000)

Lauren Zoe Hernandez is an American retired artistic gymnast. During her debut year as a senior gymnast, she competed as a member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team dubbed the "Final Five" that won the team gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Individually, Hernandez earned the silver medal on the balance beam. She took a break from gymnastics and returned to training in late 2018 to earn a spot on the 2020 Summer Olympics team, but she did not qualify for the Olympic Trials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipa Karmakar</span> Indian gymnast and Olympic medalist

Dipa Karmakar is an Indian former artistic gymnast. She is the first Indian female gymnast to compete at the Olympic Games. At the 2016 Olympics, in the vault event, she missed a medal by just 0.15 points. Karmakar is one of only five women in the world to have mastered the Produnova vault. In 2024, she announced her retirement from gymnastics.

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References

  1. ↑ Standley, Laura Jane; McQuade, Eric (December 27, 2021). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2021: The Shows That Kept Listeners Refreshing Their Apps This Year". The Atlantic . Emerson Collective. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  2. ↑ Minutaglio, Rose (July 22, 2021). "Inside the Biggest Gymnastics Mistake in Olympics History: How a Dangerous Error at the 2000 Sydney Games Cost a Gymnast Her Gold Medal". Elle . Czech Media Invest. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ Sandmaier, Christy (July 19, 2021). "Blind Landing Podcast Revisits Sydney Vault Controversy". Inside Gymnastics Magazine. Inside Publications. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  4. ↑ Dibdin, Emma (July 20, 2021). "6 Podcasts to Whet Your Appetite for the Olympics: Whether You're a Dedicated Olympics Fan or a Casual Viewer, These Shows Will Help You Get in Shape for the Tokyo Games". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ Marks, Andrea (July 26, 2021). "'Blind Landing' Podcast Examines One of the Olympics' Worst Mistakes: At the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, a Vault Apparatus Set Two Inches Too Low Risked Athletes' Lives — and Changed the Course of the Competition". Rolling Stone . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  6. ↑ Saperstein, Ari; Schleicher, Chris; Molino, Zach (February 15, 2022). "Nine Stories From Queer Figure Skaters in Their Own Words". The Advocate . Pride Media. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  7. ↑ Demby, Gene; Meraji, Shereen Marisol (March 2, 2022). "Code Switch: Ice Breaker". Code Switch . NPR. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  8. ↑ Standley, Laura Jane; McQuade, Eric (27 December 2021). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2021 Transcend Genre Conventions". theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Retrieved 9 Jan 2024.
  9. ↑ Fox, Wendy J. (July 28, 2021). "Blind Landing: A Thoughtful Exploration of an Olympics Controversy". Podcast Review. Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  10. ↑ Quah, Nicholas (August 5, 2021). "Blind Landing Jumps Into Gymnastics (And Four More Podcasts Worth Trying)". Vulture . Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Honoree: Blind Landing". Webby Awards . 2022. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Longlist: Blind Landing "Out On The Ice"". AIPS Sports Media . 2022. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved Jan 9, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Winner: Blind Landing". The Hollywood Reporter . 2023. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved Jan 9, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Honoree: Blind Landing". Webby Awards . 2023. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved Jan 9, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Honoree: Blind Landing" (PDF). Alliance for Women in Media . 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved Jan 9, 2024.
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