U.S. Olympic pommel horse hero Stephen Nedoroscik takes bronze in the individual event
PARIS — He only does one routine, but Stephen Nedoroscik is no one-hit wonder.
After clinching the United States’ first Olympic team medal since 2008 on Monday — and becoming an internet sensation in the process — Nedoroscik took bronze in the pommel horse final Saturday for the first U.S. Olympic medal in the event since 2016. Between qualifications, the team final and the event final, Nedoroscik had three opportunities to compete during these Games, and he scored more than 15 points.
The internet compared the bespectacled self-admitted “dorky adult” to Clark Kent, Peter Parker and Steve Rogers this week. When Nedoroscik climbed onto the podium as the newest individual bronze medalist, he had an American flag wrapped around his neck like his own superhero cape.
“I’ve just been consistently on top of this world for the past week now,” Nedoroscik said.
His event final score of 15.300 was one-tenth better than his score from qualification that tied him for first place, but Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan took gold ahead of Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov. When Nedoroscik’s score flashed across the screen with third place next to it, he flashed a thumbs up to the camera.
The crowd sighed.
The Rubik’s Cube-loving, former electrical engineering major has turned into one of the breakout stars of these Games after his clutch performance in the team final that secured the bronze medal and ended a 16-year Olympic drought. The NBC screenshot of him closing his eyes with his head leaned back launched a thousand memes. He thinks they’re hilarious.
The internet swooned when Stephen Nedoroscik, who wears glasses and solves Rubik’s Cubes, nailed his pommel horse routine to seal a U.S. Olympic medal.
His teammates couldn’t help but take notice of the posts comparing Nedoroscik to a superhero who swooped in to save the United States.
“It’s so funny to see No. 1, his hard work pay off and clutch it like that,” said U.S. teammate Frederick Richard, a Massachusetts native like Nedoroscik, “but the world [is] starting to fall in love with him too.”
During the days since he and his rectangular, black-rimmed glasses went viral, Nedoroscik has solved Rubik’s Cubes on the “Today Show,” signed a sponsorship deal with an eyewear company that named a frame after him and met a young fan who shared the same eye condition as him, which leaves his pupils permanently dilated.
He admitted there have been some weird social media interactions, but declined to specify what they entailed. He said his most famous admirer was John Green, the author of “The Fault in Our Stars,” who praised Nedoroscik’s “nerd credentials” while sharing a screenshot of a Rubik’s Cube that Nedoroscik solved in 9.695 seconds.
But the attention grew so overwhelming that the 2021 world pommel horse champion turned off notifications on his phone Friday to prepare for his last competition. His teammates who were done competing had moved out of the Olympic Village and were staying with their families. Nedoroscik kept his monotonous routine in place. He had six pieces of green apple in the morning and a chocolate muffin. He passes the time by solving his Rubik’s Cube. When he solves it in less than 10 seconds, he takes it as a sign of good things to come.
It proved correct Saturday.
“I’m just a quirky guy,” Nedoroscik said, “and I’m glad that people are enjoying my competition.”
With his Olympic program done, Nedoroscik will spend the next few days in Paris with his family, friends and girlfriend, Tess. Then he plans on taking at least the next month to rest. He has stress injuries in his wrist and elbows and tweaked his back in training on Friday while experimenting with a more difficult routine.
But this won’t be the end of “Pommel Horse guy.” On the competition floor with Ireland’s McClenaghan, Nedoroscik twirled his finger in a circle in the air.
“I’m definitely running it back to L.A.,” he said with a smile.
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