Everything You Need to Know about Stephen Nedoroscik, Pommel Horse Hero Who Changed Olympic History after 16 Years

Stephen Nedoroscik’s remarkable performance on the pommel horse was instrumental in earning a bronze medal for the US men’s gymnastics team, ending a 16-year medal drought.

This achievement has not only etched his name in the annals of American gymnastics but also captured the hearts of fans worldwide, who noticed a particular resemblance between the athlete and a famous character. Let’s discover who this young man is and why he is suddenly on every headline!

Who is This Gymnastics Star?

Nedoroscik was born in 1998 in Massachusetts, and he’s currently a 25-year-old male gymnast representing the United States of America. He specializes in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics, with a particular focus on the pommel horse.

Nedoroscik’s career began at the tender age of four, driven by his natural athleticism and incredible manual force. “I was really just a monkey as a kid. I had a crazy good grip strength. I was just in a really good environment to become a gymnast,” he explained about his early start in the sport.

Beyond his athletic pursuits, Nedoroscik is a well-rounded individual. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and now balances his athletic career with coaching.

When he’s not busy, he likes to unwind by getting lost in video games, just like any young person of his generation.

Nedoroscik’s time in professional gymnastics has been marked by significant achievements and challenges. At the 2021 Global Championship in Kitakyushu, Japan, he made history as the first American athlete to clinch the gold medal on the pommel horse.

His biggest ambition was to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and it’s always amazing to see young people not only achieve their dreams but make a huge impact.

His Career Injuries

However, his victory in the Asian country was made even more impressive by the fact that he unknowingly competed with a broken bone in his left hand.

A while after the event, Nedoroscik wrote on X, “What if I told you I won Worlds with a FRACTURED HAND? Well my MRI results just came back so I guess I’ll be adding that to the list of craziness this competition had for me [sic].”

Moreover, he clarified, “Also, just so everybody knows, I was not aware of this injury. I blew off the pain as typical wrist problems. I competed because I wanted to compete and no other reason!”

The aftermath of his world title victory brought its issues. The fractured hand that he unknowingly competed with required ten weeks in a cast and pushed his return to training to May 2022. This extended recovery period meant Nedoroscik had to work even harder to regain his form and maintain his competitive edge.

However, this was not an isolated incident in his career. He has faced other health problems that would have derailed many athletes. In early 2020, he developed edema in his bone marrow, which forced him to take a two-month break from training. This setback occurred at a crucial time, as he was preparing for what would have been his first Olympic Games.

He was also diagnosed with vocal cord dysfunction in 2021. Despite these setbacks, Nedoroscik has consistently bounced back, and his efforts have certainly paid off this year.

His Approach to Gymnastics

The young athlete’s take on this sport is characterized by a mix of faith and science. During competitions, his sports eyewear isn’t just about clear vision; it’s also part of a personal superstition.

What’s more, his training philosophy is rooted in the power of positive thinking:

“I’ve always thought if you say something out loud, a lot of times it will happen. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Clearly, this conviction worked because it led to a record-breaking performance and a medal for the United States.

His Astounding Win

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked a historic moment for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team, as they finally ended a 16-year streak of no medals at the worldwide event.

At the heart of this triumph was Nedoroscik, whose stellar performance on the pommel horse was exactly what the team needed to get the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, the rest of the American team, consisting of Paul Juda, Frederic Richard, Brody Malone, and Asher Hong aside from Nedoroscik, also displayed remarkable consistency throughout the competition.

Their combined efforts resulted in a total score of 257.793, placing them just 1.801 points behind the gold medalists, Japan, and silver medalists, China.

The entire team’s approach to the competition was strategic and focused. As Malone, 24, explained to reporters after the medal ceremony, “We weren’t going to watch other teams. We weren’t going to worry about scores. All we were going to worry about were the controllables that we could control, and that’s our gymnastics.”

This mindset proved crucial as the competitors entered their final apparatus, the pommel horse. With the U.S. sitting in third place behind China and Japan, the pressure was on Nedoroscik to bring the medal home.

This star rose to the occasion and delivered a stellar routine, scoring 14.866, a number that cemented the team’s medal position.

One coach from the University of Michigan, Jordan Gaarenstroom, explained, “Once we got to the pommel horse and we started crunching the numbers, we were like, stay on the horse and we can do this. Not only did they stay on the horse, they crushed the horse.”

When asked about his mental preparation during the climatic moments before his performance, Nedoroscik answered:

“In that moment I’m doing my breathing exercises. We always try to keep our heart rate down. Through that five minutes, I am just visualizing my routine over and over again.”

The athlete’s affinity for the pommel horse goes beyond mere skill. He approaches the apparatus with a methodical frame of mind, as a true engineer.

“I’m a very mathematical, scientific-minded person,” he said to Vogue. “I love to solve problems, and I’ll be recording every single turn I do, and questioning, ‘Where did it go wrong? What did I do right?’ It’s almost like every turn is a puzzle that I’m trying to solve, and I just love that aspect of it.”

This logical way of thinking, combined with his natural talent and years of specialized training, culminated in the performance of a lifetime for the U.S. men’s team.

The victory was met with unbridled joy, with all of Nedoroscik’s teammates screaming and cheering on the arena floor, while proudly waving the American flag as the final scores were announced.

He Has a Girlfriend

Behind every great athlete, there’s often a supportive partner, and Nedoroscik is no exception. His girlfriend, Tess McCracken, has been by his side throughout his journey to Olympic glory.

McCracken, 26, was among the thousands of spectators in Paris, who cheered on the “Pommel horse guy” as he helped secure Team USA’s spot on the podium.

Their relationship, which spans eight years, began at Penn State University, where they both competed in gymnastics.

Describing Nedoroscik, McCracken paints a picture of a man quite different from his focused, intense competition persona. She characterizes him as a “goofy guy” who is “really lighthearted” and “always sees the bright side of things.”

Her understanding of the sport’s demands and pressures has been a source of support for Nedoroscik throughout his career.

In addition to this encouraging role, McCracken has found herself caught up in the whirlwind of public attention as her boyfriend’s fame has skyrocketed.

However, she’s embraced the internet’s fascination with the Olimpic athlete and finds humor in the memes and jokes shared by people all over the world. “To see the general public and the internet … go on and on about him and just make all of these memes — it has been one of the best times,” she shared.

Meanwhile, after her boyfriend was likened to Clark Kent, some online fans dubbed McCracken as “Lois Lane.”

Fortunately, she has taken this comparison in stride, “I have people like tagging me, calling me ‘Lois Lane.’ I’m like, ‘OK, I’m not going to be mad about it.'”

During Nedoroscik’s crucial performance, McCracken experienced the tension that comes with being an athlete’s partner. As he was finishing his routine, she had only one thought:

“Stay on the horse.”

The emotional intensity of that moment was so great that she admitted to NBC News, “I was so lightheaded from screaming that I almost fainted.”

As the couple plans to enjoy some sightseeing in Paris, they’re also looking ahead to the most important competition.

The men’s pommel horse finals on August 3 will be another opportunity for the athlete to showcase his skills, and undoubtedly, McCracken will be there, cheering him on every step of the way.

The Clark Kent of Gymnastics: The Memes

Nedoroscik’s unique pre-performance routine and dramatic glasses removal right before going on the pommel horse have captured the imagination of viewers worldwide. What’s more, it spawned a plethora of memes and nicknames.

Many called him “Pommel horse guy,” while others called him “babygirl,” which is slang for an attractive man. However, his most popular nickname has simply been “Clark Kent.”

One viral post on X encapsulated the public’s fascination with Nedoroscik, “Obsessed with this guy on the US men’s gymnastics team whose 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 [sic].“

The likeness to Superman’s secret identity struck a chord with Olympic watchers worldwide, who were fascinated by Nedoroscik’s change from an average-looking, bespectacled young man to a champion representing Team USA.

One great meme example was a video posted on the NBC Olympics account, which used a popular song that goes, “I can’t believe that it’s finally me and you and me, just us, and your friend, Steve.”

In another X post, a user uploaded two photos of Nedoroscik, one in his relaxed “goofy” persona, and the other in full “Mr. Pommel Horse” attitude. They wrote, “The Clark Kent / Superman vibes are off the charts.“

An additional online fan made a meme using Ryan Gosling’s Ken in 2023’s “Barbie.” They wrote, “Stephen Nedoroscik: my job is just horse [sic].”

Several other memes have been created and shared on social media, but they’re all completely positive. Meanwhile, several official accounts also joined in the praise, like journalist Sarah Fields, who took to X and added:

“This is Pommel Horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik. He didn’t move from his spot for two hours while he simply waited for his one special moment. He mentioned that he is cross-eyed and that he can inexplicably switch his dominant eye.”

That’s a remarkable feat, but Fields wasn’t done describing this athlete’s prowess. She finished her post by writing, “Before his routine, Nedoroscik removed his glasses. He told ‘TODAY’ that if he kept his glasses on, they would fly off mid-routine. And now because of him, we won our first medal in gymnastics in 16 years.”

The Olympic Officials account added, “Shoutout to Mr. Pommel Horse man for brining it home. Special Team on top [sic].”

Just like his girlfriend, Nedoroscik has embraced his newfound internet fame with characteristic good humor. When asked about his favorite meme, he shared that McCracken sent him several over the last few days.

He may have seen the one that compared him to Captain America’s transformation in the first film.

When asked if he consumed meme culture in general, Nedoroscik revealed that he was “100%” the type of person who finished a long day by doom-scrolling on TikTok.

On the “TODAY” show, the athlete said he is honored to be a representative of people who wear glasses, which is a key element to the Clark Kent comparison. However, he has to take them off before getting on the pommel horse.

When asked how he manages to compete without his glasses, Nedoroscik said, “It’s not necessarily clear. But if I keep them on, they’re going to fly somewhere. […] It’s all about feeling the equipment. I don’t really see when I’m doing gymnastics. It’s all in the hands.”

This explanation only adds to the charm that has endeared him to fans worldwide, who should tune in to the Paris Olympics on August 3 for the men’s pommel horse final. It’s the last chance for the Clark Kent of Gymnastics to earn another medal and create even more memes!