Behind the Glasses of the ‘Pommel Horse Guy’
Stephen Nedoroscik, Clark Kent, Pommel Horse Guy, The Sleeper Agent — whatever you call him, he has captured the hearts of newfound male gymnastics fans around the world. And for good reason.
The pommel horse specialist garnered attention after a thrilling performance as the last athlete to compete on the last apparatus during the men’s gymnastic team portion of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
There he sat, on the sidelines with glasses over a pair of shut eyes, patiently waiting on his time to represent his country. Even his glasses have become iconic.
Three-time Olympian and four-time U.S. National pommel horse champion, retired gymnast John Roethlisberger, has been talking about the newest viral sensation for years while covering Big 10 gymnastics as a broadcast analyst.
“He’s just really genuine. He doesn’t try to be somebody he’s not. He is who he is, and he’s happy in his skin, and he’s quirky and funny — a super unique individual. He’s just a good dude,” Roethlisberger raved.
Over the past few days, the world has learned of Nedoroscik’s many quirks, including his superstitious nature.
While competing for Penn State, the bespectacled gymnast received athletic goggles as a Secret Santa gift from a teammate. The lenses were non-prescription, so they did not improve his vision on the horse, but he wore them once at a meet and had a great showing. So, naturally, he continued to compete in the googles, and it became his staple college look.
The fake goggles are no longer part of the Olympian’s uniform, but he gets his good luck elsewhere. On both days, Nedoroscik solidified his name in history, first by clinching the first U.S. men’s gymnastics team medal in 16 years and then winning a bronze of his own. He solved a Rubik’s cube in under 10 seconds.
Starting the morning with this mental exercise was described as a “good omen” by the gymnast, and he was right. With extreme precision and strength, his iconic pommel horse routine was a tribute to his dedication and paid off to the highest degree.
“You can’t have a form break. You can’t have a rhythm break. You can’t bend a knee,” Roethlisberger emphasized the difficulty of the event. “Stephen was incredible. To get on that medal podium, you had to be virtually, visually perfect.”
The owner of Sterling Gym —the proud home of Stephen Nedoroscik — shared the immediate increase of interest in boys wanting to sign up to do competitive gymnastics.
“Our phone’s been ringing all day … This is the recognition that the sport has desperately needed.”
Roethlisberger was moved by this report.
“I got a little teary-eyed and choked up. We’ve been really beaten up lately for a while … We haven’t won on the international stage like people want in our country. People like people who get on the medal podium. My teams didn’t… We’ve kind of had these long droughts of not getting up there.”
Fortunately, it seems we have not seen the last of America’s sweetheart on the pommel horse. On his latest Instagram post, Nedoroscik looks to the future:
“Onto the next chapter… #2028”
