Everything You Need To Know About Team USA’s Stephen Nedoroscik AKA Pommel Horse Guy

Stephen is 25 years old and originally from Worcester, Massachusetts. His parents are Cheryl and John Nedoroscik. He has two sisters, Samantha and Anastasia. His great-grandparents moved to the United States from present-day Haligovce and Veľká Lesná, Slovakia. Stephen’s name honors his paternal grandfather.

Stephen has his parents to thank for getting him into gymnastics. He was an active kid and they needed to find an outlet for his energy. They took him to the gym when he was 4 years old.

"I would crawl up the walls, I’d shimmy up the door and it scared the babysitter," Stephen told New England Public Media. "And my parents just called me their 'little monkey boy,' and they decided, 'Hey, this kid probably would do a good job if we put him in gymnastics.'"

On his first day, he climbed a 15-foot rope. He was hooked.

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Stephen wasn't always a pommel horse specialist. As a teen he competed in all the events. He didn't know his talents on the event until a visiting coach complimented him. One year after these words of affirmation, he won the Junior Olympic national title in the event.

Stephen attended Penn State from 2017 to 2020. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and also competed for their gymnastics team. In college, he made the decision to specialize in the pommel horse event.

Stephen explained this decision in his own words. "When you go from a club gym to a collegiate gym, you see just how talented gymnasts really are in this nation," he said. "And purely just wanting to be the best at pommel horse at Penn State, I decided to specialize. And I've stuck with that ever since." It's good to have a niche.

Stephen has two eye conditions, which is why he wears glasses. He shared on TikTok that he has strabismus, which is a fancy way of saying crossed eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, this impacts the muscles of the eyes, causing them to not line up properly.

Stephen was also born with coloboma, a genetic condition in which some eye tissue is missing at birth. He shared on TikTok that this makes him photophobic, which means sensitive to light.

He chooses not to compete with his glasses and explained why to Today. "It’s not necessarily clear, but the thing about pommel horse is if I keep them on, they’re gonna fly somewhere," he stated. "When I go up on the pommel horse, it’s all about feeling the equipment. I don’t even really see when I’m doing my gymnastics. It’s all in the hands — I can feel everything."

Much to the dismay of many, Stephen is not single. He has been in a relationship with girlfriend Tess McCracken for eight years. They first met in college and she is a gymnast, too. She describes Stephen as a "goofy guy" and "really lighthearted." She loves that he "always sees the bright side of things." She was there to cheer him on in Paris and couldn't be happier for him.

On the morning of the team final, Stephen posted about finishing a Rubik's cube in under 10 seconds. He considered this a good omen for things to come and he was proved to be correct. His love for the puzzle goes way back.

Stephen's excessive energy and smarts got him into trouble at times as a young gymnast. His coaches would send him to the lobby as a punishment to calm down but he was prepared for this and brought his Rubik's cube. His friend and follow gymnast Bryan Perla recalled this to The New York Times.

"He loved it," Bryan remembered. "The coaches were like well, this isn’t very fair. He can’t do gymnastics, but he enjoys what he’s doing! They had to take away the Rubik’s Cube."

Remember Stephen's namesake grandpa? They pair were close, but his grandfather he died last year. To honor his dziadziu, grandpa in Polish, he tugs his ear during competition. He used to do it as a way to say hello to him when competing in college.

"I’ve kept the tradition up, and now it always means, 'Hey,' to everyone that I love," he explained on Today. "When I was at Penn State, that was the thing that I did whenever I was on TV to say, 'Hey, Dziadziu.'"

Stephen didn't make Team USA in 2020. He fell during the trials so they went with another pommel horse specialist. He didn't let that stop him and continued to compete. He won gold in the world championships that same year. He has four US pommel horse titles to his name and is tied for the record.

Stephen has a good sense of humor and is loving being the subject of so many internet memes. He has been compared to Superman/Clark Kent, earned the nickname pommel horse guy, and drawn comparisons to Ken from Barbie.

"I think they’re awesome," he told Today. "I’m representing people that wear glasses well." He hopes his moment in the spotlight also shines a light on men's gymnastics which historical doesn't get an many headlines as the women's teams.

Stephen is also looking toward his own future. He took to X to celebrate and give a preview of things to come. "Bronze team. Bronze horse. I am forever grateful to have had this opportunity," he gushed. "This Olympic experience has been everything and more. Thank you to everyone who has supported me. Bronze is a great achievement, but I got eyes for something shinier in my future #2028."