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‘Pommel Horse Nerd’ Goes Viral After Steven Nedoroscik Hits Incredible Routine To Earn Team USA Unlikely Team Medal

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Getty Image / Tim Clayton


The USA Men’s Gymnastics Team has long lived in the shadow of their dominant female counterparts, and for good reason. They seem to never get it done when it matters most and find a spot on the podium at major competitions.

But, that all changed on Monday evening in Paris. Considered an underdog to medal in the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Final, Team USA hit their first seventeen routines, meaning all Pommel Horse specialist Steven Nedoroscik had to do for the team to earn their first team medal since Beijing 2008 was stay on the Pommel Horse.

Nedoroscik is at the Olympics for one thing and one thing only, as the Pommel Horse is the only event of the six events that he competed during the team final. And, the way the draw worked out, he would be the last routine of the entire competition for the USA, meaning he would have to sit and wait for over two hours while his teammates competed.

The commentator team on the NBC broadcast kept bringing up how it could come down to Nedoroscik, who wears glasses and takes them off only right before he is about to do his routine. “Gymnastics nerd” or “Pommel Horse” nerd went viral on social media as people awaited his crucial routine.

Finally, it was time for the Penn State alum and 2021 World Champion to have his make-or-break moment. And, he made it a memorable one.

Nedoroscik scored a 14.866, plenty enough to get the USA on the podium, and social media went wild.

Nedoroscik will look to get back on the medal podium on Saturday in the Pommel Horse final, as he qualified tied for first for the final But, everyone will always remember the “Pommel Horse Nerd” coming through in the clutch for Team USA.