Gymnast and “Pommel Horse Guy” Stephen Nedoroscik Will Be a Contestant on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
The athlete captured the internet’s heart during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, who was lovingly dubbed "pommel horse guy" during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, is preparing to show off his dancing skills.
On Thursday, Aug. 22, ABC broke the news that the two-time bronze medalist will appear as a celebrity contestant on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.
Nedoroscik is now the first male gymnast to compete on the reality dance competition show.
"We thoroughly enjoyed watching you from afar, overnight sensation that you are—you’re keeping it going," Good Morning America host Robin Roberts told the athlete during his Thursday morning appearance.
"I got to ask you, do you have any moves from the pommel horse that you’re going to bring to the dance floor?" she asked.
"I’m hoping to bring some of them, I want to do some flares," the gymnast responded. "I want to bring some of that gymnastics, maybe a back flip or ah handstand. I want to have fun with it."
Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik during an interview on Tuesday, August 13, 2024
The 25-year-old gymnasts captured the hearts of millions and set the internet on fire with gifs and memes during this year's Summer Olympics, and as he took part in the U.S. Men's Gymnastics team's first team medal win in 16 years.
Everything from his incredible pommel horse performances, to his glasses (which provided Nedoroscik with a Clark Kent-type moment every time he removed them for competition) and his pre-competition ritual that made the athlete appear as though he was asleep catapulted Nedoroscik into stardom.
At one point, the official Olympics Twitter account dubbed Nedoroscik “the Clark Kent of pommel horse.”
While appearing on Good Morning America, the athlete was asked about those viral moments in which it looked like he was snoozing before a performance.
"That sort of moment is catching up and you’re getting closer to your competition time, your heart rate is just going crazy," he explained. "So I’m just trying to stay calm. I’m just really focusing on my breathing exercises, visualization, and then it’s go time."
When asked if he was going to deploy the same technique while competing on Dancing with the Stars, Nerdoroscik didn't hesitate.
"Actually, I do think so," he replied. "I’s kind of what I do just to calm myself down, so I probably will be bringing that to the dance floor."
Whether or not the athlete will wear his now-iconic glasses during the dance competition, however, remains to be seen.
