Team USA Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik sent a viral six-word message on X after the men’s team’s historic medal at the Paris Olympics.
According to USA Gymnastics, it was the first Olympic medal for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team since 2008. “Paul Juda, Frederick Richard, Asher Hong, Stephen Nedoroscik, and Brody Malone secured bronze Monday night, breaking a 16-year medal drought for Team USA,” USA Gymnastics wrote.
The Guardian called Nedoroscik “a breakout star as the American men won bronze in the team gymnastics,” who drew commentary for wearing prescription glasses during some competitions.
Nedoroscik responded with a post that went viral. “USA BABY. IS THIS REAL LIFE,” he wrote with three American flag emojis. The July 29 post has 1.7 million views.
USA BABY 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 IS THIS REAL LIFE
A photo shared by NBC Sports of Nedoroscik leaning back with his eyes closed became a meme online, according to “The Today Show.” He spoke to “Today” about that on July 30, saying of the memes, “I think they’re awesome. I’m representing people that wear glasses well.”
He explained what he was thinking at that moment. “I’m doing my breathing exercises,” he told Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie. “We always try to keep our heart rate down and through that five minutes I’m sitting there, I’m just visualizing my routine over and over . . . that’s all I’m doing in my head.”
Stephen Nedoroscik getting in the zone. #ParisOlympics
📺: NBC and Peacock
Nedoroscik also spoke to “Today” about his love of Rubik’s cubes, saying, “It’s a stress relief, sometimes I make the excuse that it’s good for wrist rehab too. I love to solve it — it’s just fun.”
Stephen Nedoroscik Was ‘Oblivious’ to the Importance of His Pommel Horse Routine
GettyStephen Nedoroscik of Team United States competes on the pommel horse.
According to USA Gymnastics, the men’s team “posted a score of 257.793 to finish behind Japan, gold medal winners for the eighth time (259.594), and China (259.062). The last time the Americans took home a medal in the event was in Beijing, where they also earned the bronze.”
Nedoroscik was described by USA Gymnastics as “the pommel horse specialist,” who was left “to wrap things up for the U.S.”
He “spent the the high bar and floor rotations off the competition floor in the warm-up gym,” the site reports. “As Nedoroscik stepped up to compete, he said he was oblivious to the fact that his routine would decide if his country earned a team medal. He was only aware of the energy exuding from the teammates that went before him.”
“I could hear all of them cheerin . . . it sounded like things were going really well,” said Nedoroscik to USA Gymnastics. “At that moment, I knew that every guy had hit every single routine. I have this thing where if everyone hits before me, I never miss.”
Fans Congratulated Stephen Nedoroscik for His Routine & Olympic Medal
@GymnastSteve Thank you for bringing one home! 🇺🇸
Fans offered congratulations on Nedoroscik’s X thread. “Congratulations! You and the rest of the team were clutch!” wrote one.
“Simply amazing. Congratulations young man,” a woman wrote.
One fan called Nedoroscik a “legend.”
@GymnastSteve YOURE A LEGEND STEVE!!!!
“I don’t know how I don’t lose my mind,” Nedoroscik, who is from Massachusetts, told The Associated Press before the Olympics. “But every day I go into the gym and there’s still something to do. There’s still something to improve.”
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‘Breakout Star’ Stephen Nedoroscik Had Viral 6-Word Response to Men’s Historic Medal