Let’s take a moment to celebrate a truly remarkable performance from the American men’s gymnastics team at the Paris Olympics, where history was made, thanks in large part to pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik. This Massachusetts native helped clinch a bronze medal for Team USA in the team event, marking the first time the U.S. men’s team has medaled in this category since 2008.
Now, let’s talk about what makes Nedoroscik’s story so special. On Monday, he delivered a textbook routine on the pommel horse, which turned out to be the crucial performance that secured the medal for his team. But it wasn’t just his flawless execution that caught everyone’s attention—it was also his calm and collected demeanor in the moments leading up to his routine.
Pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik CRUSHES the final routine that clinched Team USA’s first Olympic men’s gymnastics team medal since 2008. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/R303bZ0eQU
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024
NBC captured the moment perfectly, posting a video of Nedoroscik’s routine with the caption, “Pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik CRUSHES the final routine that clinched Team USA’s first Olympic men’s gymnastics team medal since 2008.” But before he even took to the pommel horse, photos of him sitting on the sidelines, eyes closed behind his distinctive rectangle-framed glasses, went viral. In these photos, he seemed completely unfazed by the chaos of the Olympics happening around him.
American icon. pic.twitter.com/C5ity3ELTA
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) July 29, 2024
And those glasses? They’ve become almost as famous as the routine itself. Nedoroscik has revealed that he was born cross-eyed, which has impacted his vision to the point that when he takes his glasses off to compete, he can’t actually see what he’s doing. Instead, he relies entirely on feel when he’s up on the pommel horse. As he explained during a 2024 appearance on “The Today Show,” “When I go up on the pommel horse, it’s all about feeling the equipment. I don’t even really see when I’m doing gymnastics. It’s all in the hands. I can feel everything.”
Stephen Nedoroscik, the Clark Kent of pommel horse! 🫡🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1HfYFSbJvH
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024
This unique approach, combined with his unassuming presence, has earned him comparisons to Superman’s alter-ego, Clark Kent. Social media has been buzzing with posts celebrating Nedoroscik’s cool, nerdy vibe, with one user jokingly referring to him as a “sleeper agent” who only activates when it’s time to perform his specialty. Even NBC got in on the fun, officially dubbing him “the Clark Kent of pommel horse.”
To truly understand Stephen Nedoroscik’s nerd credentials, you need to know that he is in Paris for the Olympics and posting to his insta story about solving a rubik’s cube in under 10 seconds. pic.twitter.com/2vFygJBifW
— John Green (@sportswithjohn) July 29, 2024
Adding to his “nerd credentials,” as some fans have noted, is the fact that Nedoroscik has been spending his time in Paris solving Rubik’s cubes in under 10 seconds. It’s clear that this athlete is a man of many talents, both in and out of the gym.
Reflecting on his performance, Nedoroscik remained humble and focused, saying, “It went really well today, I handled the nerves very well. I worked my whole life up to those 45 seconds.” He added, “This is just another day of doing the gymnastics. Sure it’s the biggest stage in the world. It only happens once every four years, but at the same time I’m putting chalk on my hands and doing the horse for the team, it’s nothing different.”
