The U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Teams finally broke the 16-year medal drought and emerged as heroes in Paris. However, Stephen Nedoroscik achieved superstardom, earning the ‘Clark Kent’ moniker. The double bronze medal brought stardom and an opportunity to compete in Dancing with the Stars! Following his confession about the future, the gymnast drew parallels between the exhilarating performances on DWTS and the honor of representing Team USA on the grandest stage.

“I just want to continue to do the same thing that I’ve been doing… I want to go back to gymnastics and enjoy life,” Nedoroscik explained ahead of the DWTS season 33 debut. After two performances with his pro dance partner Rylee Arnold, those goals remain the same. However, during his LIVE with Kelly and Mark, the 25-year-old answered an interesting question.

“Which is more nerve-wracking?” between the Olympics and DWTS, asked Michael ‘Mark’ Strahan. While you may think it would be the Olympics, the pommel horse specialty had a nuanced answer. “Amazingly, they are quite similar. It’s obviously a little more nerve-wracking when you have people relying on you to get a team medal,” Stephen Nedoroscik told Michael Strahan.

While the gymnast who embraces the persona of Superman’s alter ego on his DWTS debut, he was quite nervous ahead of the performance. “I don’t know how good I am at dance. I don’t know how people are going to perceive it. So, there is that nervous factor,” explained the Olympic bronze medalist. However, embracing the Clark Kent persona served him well even on the dance floor.

Stephen Nedoroscik became Team USA’s Superman because the gymnast took off his glasses before his pommel horse routines in Paris. The 25-year-old made the same move, albeit with more flair, landing in third place on his DWTS debut. So despite thinking that he “might mess it up,” Nedoroscik proved himself a competent dancer under Arnold’s guidance. However, there was one thing about dancing that challenged the gymnastics icon.

Stephen Nedoroscik’s biggest challenge as a rookie dancer

The Paris 2024 double bronze medalist mastered the pommel horse. Yet, it’s become a disadvantage while training for DWTS. As Team USA’s only specialist, the former world champion only competes on the pommel horse. And as Mark pointed out, the apparatus gave the 25-year-old “a lot of upper body” strength. “Any experience with your legs in dancing?” joked the host.

However, Stephen Nedoroscik responded with his own. “For the last eight years or so, these legs have done nothing,” said the gymnastics icon. Thankfully, the Olympian is in good hands with Rylee Arnold. The choreographer has already started to integrate Nedoroscik’s power, flexibility, and mobility into his dance routines.

Despite being just 19 and dubbed a “baby dancer” by host Kelly Ripa, Rylee Arnold is among the pro dancers for Season 33. That’s because the 19-year-old’s sister Lindsey Arnold has been a pro dancer for DWTS for 10 seasons. “I’ve been around the show since I was like eight years old,” explained Arnold.

So far, it’s clear that Arnold is more than capable of guiding her rookie dancing partner near the top of the scoreboard. Now, with Stephen Nedoroscik’s nervousness out of the way, how far do you think the young duo will go? Write your thoughts in the comments.