In the hours leading up to the pommel horse final on August 3, Stephen Nedoroscik turned off his notifications and focused on his Rubik's cube.
“I probably solved it about 100 times, maybe even more than that," the American gymnast tells me during a video call from Paris. “It's a way for me to kill time and is also a stress reliever as well.”
His goal? Solve the complex puzzle in under 10 seconds — which he had done five days earlier before he helped secure the first medal for Team USA men's gymnastics in 16 years and in turn emerged as the internet's latest sensation. He saw the cube as an omen for how well he would perform that day.
But the Rubik's cube was just one part of his superstitious ritual at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Monotony was the theme for his first Olympic Games, the 25-year-old explains, which meant keeping the same exact routine each day, right down to eating the same number of green apple slices (it's six).
“I had to make sure to continue with the ritual," Nedoroscik said.
Whether it was his commitment to repetition or more likely Nedoroscik's swift hands that floated around the pommel horse, the gymnast gave the performance of a lifetime at both the men's team final the Monday before and his individual pommel horse final. Nedoroscik walked away with two bronze medals from both events.
“It is absolutely surreal,” Nedoroscik said. “I'm proud of all my boys.”
The athlete was brought on to Team USA as the pommel horse specialist to fill a weak spot for the men's team that ultimately became their greatest asset. Nedoroscik patiently waited on the side with his eyes closed — an image that's been memed countless times — before taking off his glasses and executing a near perfect performance.
In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, all eyes were on Team USA's well-loved superstars including Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, and Sha'Carri Richardson, to name a few. But it was Nedoroscik's precise moves on the pommel horse and his Clark Kent-to-Superman transformation that charmed fans. Becoming an American hero overnight could be overwhelming for anyone, but the Penn State alum's positivity has remained in tact.
“I'm on top of the world," he said. “I love getting new fans and people in my messages saying like, ‘I never understood men’s gymnastics but you're definitely gonna get me into this sport.' It's really nice seeing all those kind messages.”
The new fame had its limits though and Nedoroscik needed to shut out the white noise — including all the memes, (which he has seen, by the way) — ahead of his final event on Saturday.
“It does definitely get overwhelming," he explains. “I literally had to just take it all and put it on mute because I had a mission — I had a job to do here.”
While the attention has been mostly positive, Nedoroscik worried that when he walked into Bercy Arena for the pommel horse final, his focus would be skewed by the thought of new eager spectators around the world.
“I surprised myself with how I managed it. I totally thought that the pressure was going to be so much more intense,” Nedoroscik said. “But somehow when I went up to that pommel horse [on Saturday], I literally just enjoyed the moment and performed.”
And did he ever. Nedoroscik once again removed his glasses — which he wears for a condition called strabismus, causing his eyes to cross — and hopped on the horse for 45 seconds to win the only individual medal for a U.S. men's gymnast. Nedoroscik credits his muscle memory and a “sixth sense” for being able to perform without his glasses. “I don't even know what I necessarily look at when I do the event itself but I totally see with my hands on pommel horse.”
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If anyone can understand the pressures of stardom, it's fellow Team USA gymnast Simone Biles — who recently opened up about experiencing anxiety from all the attention she received throughout the Olympic Village. But when she did emerge from her room, she made sure to stop Nedoroscik and show him a meme of himself.
“That's just so surreal because I don't think she really even knew what my name was a month ago,” Nedoroscik added. “She's just an icon, she's the GOAT."
Nedoroscik won't be able to attend the closing ceremony, but after his burst of internet stardom, he said he's ready to “finally take a breath.”
“I've been so locked into gymnastics for probably five months now, it's like I now have all this time to just breathe, heal up, and relax — and kind of appreciate the year that I've had in this sport."
