Two-time Olympic bronze medalist Stephen Nedoroscik, affectionately dubbed “Pommel Horse Guy,” is setting the record straight after going viral for a moment during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Viral Meme Moment
Nedoroscik, 25, became an internet sensation during the men’s team gymnastics final on July 29, when cameras captured him seemingly napping while waiting to compete. The now-infamous image, showing him with his eyes closed and relaxed posture, quickly became a meme across social media. One meme, shared on X, read, “This Ken’s job is horse.”
Clearing Up the Napping Myth
During a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on August 13, Nedoroscik was asked by host Jimmy Fallon whether he was truly napping as the internet had speculated. Nedoroscik explained that, as the last competitor to take part in the event, he had to wait around five hours before it was his turn.
He shared, “We get there earlier and then warm up and then march out and compete. So, finally, when it got to [pommel] horse, I needed to calm down. All I’m doing there is tilting my head back, doing my breathing exercises, and visualizing a lot—like a hundred times.”
A Historic Bronze Medal
Nedoroscik’s focus and visualization paid off. He and his Team USA teammates—Brody Malone, Fred Richard, Asher Hong, and Paul Juda—secured a bronze medal in the men’s team final, marking the U.S. men’s gymnastics team’s first medal in 16 years. “It was just the greatest moment of my life,” Nedoroscik said after the event.
Days later, on August 3, Nedoroscik won another bronze in the men’s pommel horse final, placing behind Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan and Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov.
The Viral Fame
Nedoroscik also opened up about how he became aware of his newfound viral fame. He revealed that he didn’t check his phone for hours after the competition due to drug testing. It wasn’t until he sat down for dinner with his family that his girlfriend informed him that he was trending on Twitter.
He recalled, “I only got about 15 minutes with them, and my girlfriend goes, ‘Dude, have you looked at your phone?’ And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ She’s like, ‘You’re trending on Twitter.’ And I was like, ‘You’re joking me.’ It’s insane.”
Embracing the ‘Nerd’ Image
Nedoroscik also shared a more personal side, admitting that he identifies as a “nerd.” “I totally am. I love math. I’m an electrical engineer,” he said in a GQ interview. “I like to think that I’m just a regular dude who happens to be really good at pommel horse.”
While he may have become an internet sensation for his pommel horse prowess and viral nap moment, Stephen Nedoroscik’s focus and dedication to his sport are what truly earned him two Olympic bronze medals in Paris.