American 'Pommel horse guy' Nedoroscik is an internet sensation

PARIS - Stephen Nedoroscik waited all day for his moment to arrive in the men's team final at the Paris Olympics and when it did he removed his thick glasses, took deep breaths and produced a flawless performance to lift the United States onto the podium.

Now Nedoroscik, affectionately known as "pommel horse guy" after his specialty apparatus, is having his moment on the internet with memes, jokes and tribute songs becoming unavoidable to see across social media.

"Obsessed with this guy on the U.S. men's gymnastics team who's only job is pommel horse," wrote X user @MegWritesBooks.

"So 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 that helps deliver the team its first medal in 16 years." The U.S. claimed bronze behind Japan and China.

Bercy Arena erupted after Nedoroscik smoothly executed his difficult routine, stuck the landing on dismount and was lifted in the air by his euphoric teammates in the final rotation to secure the U.S.'s first medal in the event since 2008.

The 25-year-old Massachusetts native and Penn State student is a world and twice NCAA national champion in the event but pommel horse is not his only talent.

Nedoroscik can also solve a Rubik's cube in less than 10 seconds, something he says helps him relax.

Whenever he is on camera in a competition, he tugs on his ear as a coded way of saying hello to friends and family.

His signature glasses, which he wears because he has strabismus, or crossed eyes, are not required while he swirls atop the apparatus, and their removal has been likened to nerdy journalist Kent's transformation into Superman.

"It's not necessarily clear, but the thing about pommel horse is if I keep them on, they're going to fly somewhere," he told NBC's Today Show.

"When I go up on the pommel horse, it's all about feeling the equipment. I don't even really see when I'm doing my gymnastics. It's all in the hands — I can feel everything."

The internet has also had a field day with a photo of Nedoroscik with his eyes closed and in a seemingly Zen state as he waited patiently for his moment to shine in the final rotation of Monday's team final.

"I think they're awesome," Nedoroscik said of the many memes.

He next competes in the men's pommel horse final on Saturday.

—Reuters