"My GF's like, ‘Have you looked at your phone yet?’” - Stephen Nedoroscik opens up about the moment he realized he had become an internet sensation

Stephen Nedoroscik opened up about the moment he found he had gone viral following his pommel horse routine at the Paris Olympics 2024. The American gymnast won the first medal for the USA men's gymnastics team since 2008.

Nedoroscik, now popularly known as "pommel horse guy," started his gymnastics career in 2003. He used to compete on all apparatuses before realizing his specialty in pommel horse during his high school career.

The 26-year-old won a gold medal in the event at the 2021 World Championships and was selected for the Paris Olympics for his expertise in pommel horse. Nedoroscik delivered a near-perfect routine under pressure to seal the bronze medal for the USA at the Paris Olympics.

Shortly after the finals, the American gymnast was trending across social media for his "clutch" performance. However, he didn't know about his sudden popularity until at least three hours after the finals, when his girlfriend Tess McCracken informed him in a restaurant.

"After I got drug tested, I walked to the restaurant, only had 15 minutes to eat food and I sit down and my girlfriend Tess, she is like 'Steve, have you looked at your phone yet and I'm like no and she's like you have to open your phone right now, you were trending on Twitter (X) and I was like what the heck and I open my phone up and found out. I was like going crazy, what's happening in my life right now? So yeah that was a very surreal moment," Stephen Nedoroscik said during a conversation with Shawn Johnson and Andrew East [3:30 onwards]

The 26-year-old followed up his performance in the team finals with a bronze medal victory in the pommel horse finals. He scored an impressive 15.300 for the win and was the only male American gymnast to earn an individual medal at the Paris Olympics.

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Stephen Nedoroscik "overwhelmed," receiving deals amid rising popularity at Paris Olympics

2024 Summer Olympics - Stephen Nedoroscik wins bronze medal (Source: Getty)

Speaking on a podcast with Joe Vulpis in October 2024, Stephen Nedoroscik revealed that he started getting endorsement offers even before the Paris Olympics ended and was overwhelmed by his growing popularity. Before winning bronze in the individual finals, the 26-year-old was offered a spot on Dancing With The Stars.

"I had to focus on you know, like 'Oh my gosh!' Like I need to get an agent you know, I'm getting calls about these deals and stuff, and I was like it was like so much, it was like overwhelming um, but like we got it all figured out, and I was like heck yeah, we're doing this Dancing with the Stars," Nedoroscik said [4:30 onwards]

The 26-year-old was paired with professional ballroom dancer Rylee Arnold and the pair have impressed so far in the 33rd season and recently qualified to the semi-final stage.