Stephen Nedoroscik Hailed As American Hero After U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Wins Bronze

Kristen Wong | Jul 29, 2024

James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

U.S. gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, a Penn State alum born in Worcester, Mass., became the Americans’ unassuming savior in the men’s team gymnastics final on Monday.

What makes the 25-year-old athlete stand out is that he only performs one of six events: the pommel horse. Nedoroscik was selected to the U.S. men’s Olympic gymnastics squad earlier this summer solely because of his pommel horse talents, and the gamble ultimately paid off.

After compatriots Paul Juda and Brody Malone logged solid scores with their respective pommel horse routines, Nedoroscik came up last in the rotation and stuck the landing, literally and metaphorically.

In an all-time clutch performance, Nedoroscik scored 14.866 to help Team USA clinch bronze, their first Olympic team medal since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He exited the stage and was immediately bear-hugged by his teammates, who were excitedly jumping up and down in anticipation of their bronze finish. 

Stephen Nedoroscik had to score big on pommel horse for Team USA in the last rotation…

AND HE DID. 🤯

📺: NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/hkhiHpovyh

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 29, 2024

Fans on social media quickly came together in support of the nerdy-looking gymnast who delivered for Team USA when they needed it most.

I love this nerdy kid from Worcester who's at the Olympics just to do pommel horse and only pommel horse and he is literally Team USA's best chance at Olympic gold for just pommel horse. And today he's literally just hanging out until it's time for pommel horse. LOVE HIM. pic.twitter.com/GbQZUqb0SZ

— Meghan O’Keefe (@megsokay) July 29, 2024

This guy just helped deliver the first US men’s gymnastics team medal in the #Olympics since 2008.

Stephen Nedoroscik: legend.#TeamUSA 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/7reNu3RcKB

— Jonathan Acosta (@_jacosta) July 29, 2024

American icon. pic.twitter.com/C5ity3ELTA

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) July 29, 2024

THE KINGGGGGGGGGG pic.twitter.com/qVJZDwpBoe

— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) July 29, 2024

👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓👓

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 29, 2024

obsessed with this one guy on the US men's gymnastics team who looks like he's getting his phd in anthropology and his only job is pommel horse

— marie ✨ (@hanyuchopin) July 29, 2024

Pommel Horse Guy seems like he’s the kicker of the US men’s gymnastics team who just made a clutch FG from 60 yards out. https://t.co/npAPKDjax5

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) July 29, 2024

taking off your glasses to then perform a near perfect routine on the pommel horse is so freaking metal

— sean yoo (@SeanYoo) July 29, 2024

Pommel Horse Guy is about to do the biggest Pommel Horse of his life and appears to be taking a peaceful nap. New #1 favorite Olympic athlete. pic.twitter.com/yqGgqjTc2O

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) July 29, 2024

Sports are the greatest thing in the world. This was Stephen Nedoroscik’s moment and he DELIVERED. pic.twitter.com/I1IbUbjrc1

— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) July 29, 2024

Stephen Nedoroscik coming out of the team USA locker room to do the pommel horsepic.twitter.com/wIPmkZNWv3

— Shane B (@strait_vibinn) July 29, 2024

Stephen Nedoroscik just struck a blow for nerds everywhere. Beautiful.

— John Green (@sportswithjohn) July 29, 2024