“He just sits there until he’s activated like a sleeper agent, whips off his glasses like Clark Kent, and does a pommel horse routine,” comments went viral after Stephen Nedoroscik’s avatar was captured in the lens at the Paris Olympics. But what was he doing? In the men’s gymnastics team final, the 26-year-old had been scheduled to perform in the pommel horse routine. However, as per the serial number, his turn was bound to come later. Meanwhile, Nedoroscik was seen to be sitting along the fence line, waiting for his turn. Nonetheless, here came the exceptional moment. 

Stephen Nedoroscik was waiting for his turn with his teammates away from the mat. But unlike others, he sat on the chair with his head tilted back and eyes closed. The avatar made the fans think of him taking a nap when his American squad was lagging in fourth position. It could have been a risky job! Yet that wasn’t the end of the suspense. Stephen opened his eyes just before his pommel horse event and stepped onto the mat. 

In the following moment, the Worcester native showcased his phenomenal expertise on the apparatus and helped the squad win the bronze medal in the team event. It was Team USA’s first Olympic medal in the men’s gymnastics team event after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That accomplishment made Nedoroscik a meme character, calling him Clark Kent of Gymnastics and the pommel horse guy. But the question still lingers. What was he doing with his eyes closed before the event? 

In his recent conversation with The Squeeze, the Olympian disclosed a few things while revealing the answer. He said, “I am locked in like that because I’m also an overthinker. What’s going on in my head when it looks like I’m just sleeping, it’s like a thousand thoughts a second. Like I’m thinking about like, oh my gosh, like the clock is ticking in 15 minutes. My fate will be determined.” Those words have exactly narrated the nature of the moment. How? Here’s the answer. 

Japan held onto its lead in the men’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics. However, there was no clear winner for the next two positions since many teams competed for those spots. Before Nedoroscik’s turn, Ukraine and Italy were already in second and third place. China was nowhere in the contention. But when the LED scoreboard displayed the final scores, the Land of Dragon was second. That was the competition in the event. So many things had been on the list, only to be decided after Nedoroscik’s routine. Meanwhile, in the conversation, the gymnast emphasized that part. 

There, he laid out, “I was the last guy. That’s the team medal on me if I mess that up.” That may have been the reason behind his overthinking. But how did he perform at the critical moment? 

Stephen Nedoroscik had the last turn among his teammates in the pommel horse rotation. Before him, Paul Juda (13.900) and Brody Malone (13.700) did a great job on the apparatus. But something extraordinary had been needed to make a place in the top 3. Nedoroscik filled up that vacancy with his 14.866 points. Meanwhile, the US men’s team’s overall score reached 257.793. It was just 1.801 points short of getting the second position. But it was enough to hand Stephen Nedoroscik and his teammates the Olympic bronze medal. But hold your horses, folks! There’s something more to be revealed regarding Nedoroscik’s viral avatar. 

Stephen Nedoroscik explains the value of breathing exercises

Since July 29, the gymnastics world has been looking for the true explanation behind Stephen Nedoroscik’s viral avatar. How could he keep his demeanor when so many things were at stake? Moreover, before his pommel horse event final, the former world champion was seen solving Rubik’s cube in just 10 seconds. Those behavioral attributes made something close to superhero fame. But really, is he something more than a mere human? Jimmy Fallon had this question taking a round in his mind. So when he had the chance to invite Stephen Nedoroscik to The Tonight Show, he kept the question under his sleeve. 

You can predict the incidents afterward. Yes, Jimmy asked him the question on the talk show. Nedoroscik was happy to answer. He eventually conceded, “We get there earlier, then warm up and then march out and compete. So it was like five hours or so. So finally, when it got to horse, I needed to calm down.” He explained, “So all I’m doing there is, I’m tilting my head back and doing my breathing exercises and visualizing a lot, like, 100 times.”

Therefore, the activities helped the former Penn State gymnast to keep his nerves under his control. Now the world knows the actual answer. However, what is your take on the explanation?