American pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik delivered a textbook routine on Monday, leading the United States to a bronze medal in the team event at the Paris Olympics, marking the first team medal for the U.S. men’s team since 2008.
NBC posted video of Nedoroscik’s routine, adding 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.”
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
Nedoroscik, a Massachusetts native, went viral for photos taken before he even stepped up to the pommel horse — pictures in which he appeared to be completely relaxed as he sat, eyes closed behind his rectangle-framed glasses, on the sidelines while Olympic chaos exploded around him. The glasses themselves became a talking point — and Nedoroscik has revealed in the past that being born cross-eyed has impacted his vision to the point that when he takes them off to compete, he often can’t see what he is doing.
“The thing about pommel horse is, if I keep them on, they’re gonna fly somewhere. When I go up on the pommel horse, it’s all about feeling the equipment,” he said during a 2024 appearance on “The Today Show.” “I don’t even really see when I’m doing gymnastics. It’s all in the hands. I can feel everything.”
But those glasses — and his ability to whip them off and perform at a world-class level — were what earned him a series of references to Superman’s unassuming alter-ego, Clark Kent.
“Obsessed with this guy on the US men’s gymnastics team who’s (sic) only job is pommel horse, so he just sits there until he’s activated like a sleeper agent, whips off his glasses like Clark Kent and does a pommel horse routine that helps deliver the team its first medal in 16 years,” one posted.
“American icon,” The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach added.
American icon. pic.twitter.com/C5ity3ELTA
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) July 29, 2024
NBC got in on the gag, officially dubbing Nedoroscik “the Clark Kent of pommel horse.”
Stephen Nedoroscik, the Clark Kent of pommel horse! 🫡🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1HfYFSbJvH
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024
John Green added another level to the conversation: “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.”
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
“It went really well today, I handled the nerves very well. I worked my whole life up to those 45 seconds,” Nedoroscik said of his brief time in the spotlight. “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.”
[#item_full_content]
[[{“value”:”
American pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik delivered a textbook routine on Monday, leading the United States to a bronze medal in the team event at the Paris Olympics, marking the first team medal for the U.S. men’s team since 2008.
NBC posted video of Nedoroscik’s routine, adding 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.”
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
Nedoroscik, a Massachusetts native, went viral for photos taken before he even stepped up to the pommel horse — pictures in which he appeared to be completely relaxed as he sat, eyes closed behind his rectangle-framed glasses, on the sidelines while Olympic chaos exploded around him. The glasses themselves became a talking point — and Nedoroscik has revealed in the past that being born cross-eyed has impacted his vision to the point that when he takes them off to compete, he often can’t see what he is doing.
“The thing about pommel horse is, if I keep them on, they’re gonna fly somewhere. When I go up on the pommel horse, it’s all about feeling the equipment,” he said during a 2024 appearance on “The Today Show.” “I don’t even really see when I’m doing gymnastics. It’s all in the hands. I can feel everything.”
But those glasses — and his ability to whip them off and perform at a world-class level — were what earned him a series of references to Superman’s unassuming alter-ego, Clark Kent.
“Obsessed with this guy on the US men’s gymnastics team who’s (sic) only job is pommel horse, so he just sits there until he’s activated like a sleeper agent, whips off his glasses like Clark Kent and does a pommel horse routine that helps deliver the team its first medal in 16 years,” one posted.
“American icon,” The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach added.
American icon. pic.twitter.com/C5ity3ELTA
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) July 29, 2024
NBC got in on the gag, officially dubbing Nedoroscik “the Clark Kent of pommel horse.”
Stephen Nedoroscik, the Clark Kent of pommel horse! 🫡🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1HfYFSbJvH
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024
John Green added another level to the conversation: “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.”
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
“It went really well today, I handled the nerves very well. I worked my whole life up to those 45 seconds,” Nedoroscik said of his brief time in the spotlight. “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.”
“}]]
