For many fledgling Olympians, this year’s Olympic Games mark a once-in-a-lifetime shot at glory, rendering most athletes a ball of nerves, grit, and focus. Except, apparently, if you’re the internet’s beloved “Pommel Horse Guy,” otherwise known as Team USA’s Stephen Nedoroscik. The gymnast and pommel horse specialist has won over audiences not so much for his flawless execution on his preferred apparatus, but his willingness to nap, chill, and appear pretty bored for three or more hours while waiting for his time to shine: that is, the moment he mounts the pommel horse. Energetically, Nedoroscik seems like the quiet quitter of Olympians; people, in particular, love his “nerdy kid” glasses. Technically, he is the sole reason that Team USA’s men’s gymnastics team broke its 16-year medal drought on Monday, according to NBC News. In other words, he is so much more than just Pommel Horse Guy.
Pommel Horse Guy is about to do the biggest Pommel Horse of his life and appears to be taking a peaceful nap. New #1 favorite Olympic athlete. pic.twitter.com/yqGgqjTc2O
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) July 29, 2024
The 25-year-old Penn State alum was tapped for Team USA to fill a very specific need, NBC reports. The men’s gymnastics team hadn’t won any medals since Bush was still in office, and naturally has had to contend with the charm and unfettered greatness of the women’s team. While gymnasts often have a specialty apparatus or performance, they typically need to be able to participate in multiple events to make the Olympic squad. Not so for Pommel Horse Guy. Nedoroscik is apparently so good at pommel horse and pommel horse only that the team made an exception for him, banking on the man appearing to fall asleep on their sidelines (NBC claims he was just meditating, okay) to bring home the gold … or whatever he could manage. Sure enough, with Nedoroscik’s help, they scored a bronze medal in the team final on Monday. Big ups to Pommel Horse Guy.
I love this nerdy kid from Worcester who's at the Olympics just to do pommel horse and only pommel horse and he is literally Team USA's best chance at Olympic gold for just pommel horse. And today he's literally just hanging out until it's time for pommel horse. LOVE HIM. pic.twitter.com/GbQZUqb0SZ
— Meghan O’Keefe (@megsokay) July 29, 2024
Winning team spirit aside, Pommel Horse Guy feels like the perfect Olympic answer to our country’s general online absurdism as of late. The juxtaposition of this guy who seems extremely bored at a high-intensity event like the Paris Games feels so goofy. Also, it’s not like Nedoroscik is a specialist in floor or parallel bars, but in an apparatus as niche and silly-sounding as the pommel horse. It’s perfect internet catnip, really. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he was also the only American man to qualify for an individual apparatus final in Paris. Whatever the vibes may be, they are working. We salute you Nedoroscik, for your great American duty.
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