Fueled by Tokyo Heartbreak, Stephen Nedoroscik Hungry for Gold in Paris Olympics

One fall the Olympic dream was over. At least that was the story of Stephen  in 2021. Despite heading into the US Olympics trials as one of the favorites in the pommel horse, Nedoroscik couldn’t get it done when it mattered. As a result, his dreams of glory were delayed by 3 years. However, 2024 is different. Paris is different. As Nedoroscik gets ready to compete for gold, he sure will remember the tragedy that befell him before the Tokyo Olympics.

The year was 2021, COVID-19 had just pushed the Olympics by one year. Not just them, the entire competitive calendar got shifted to 2021. That included the US National Championships and the trials. However, Nedoroscik’s dreams remained as constant as ever. The year started quite well for him, he placed second in the 2021 Winter Cup and then won the pommel horse event in the Nationals. But then, those infamous trials happened.

Stephen Nedoroscik was just one routine away from Tokyo, just one win away from his dream. But that’s when his hands slipped and he fell. For a moment, it looked like his Olympics dreams too fell with him. The Nationals champion finished third that day and the committee chose Alec Yoder as United States’ pommel horse representative.

But then things changed.

Stephen Nedoroscik announced himself to the scene with his pommel horse round during the team’s event. Clark Kent (as the fans call him) turned into Superman that day. And guided the US men towards their first gymnastics medal since 2008. Suddenly a superstar, Nedoroscik has raised hopes of another medal. Can he control those nerves to become a two-time Olympic medalist? Perhaps he could. After all, he has been waiting for this moment his whole life.

How Stephen Nedoroscik’s massive gamble paid off for the US

Per Boston Globe, Stephen Nedoroscik, though talented, couldn’t progress as well as others during his early years. It was a “frustrating” experience for them because they could see he was special. However, despite Nedoroscik’s slow growth, one thing was clear – he was good at pommel horse. “It’s so unusual of an event, and you can be very helpful to a college team if you’re good at it,” said his childhood coach Bob Dohaue.

That led to Nedoroscik taking perhaps the riskiest decision a gymnast could take. He became just a routine specialist. That isn’t something encouraged in colleges, mostly because teams prefer gymnasts who are versatile in many routines – thus increasing the chance of medals. However, Nedoroscik knew this was the path for him. It was also one of the reasons why his selection for Paris was met with some questions. 

But then, Nedoroscik answered those questions with a 15.200 pommel horse routine. And now he’s waiting to answer even more. His gamble has already given the United States one bronze medal. Could he now give it a gold? The excitement is palpable and so is the anticipation.