'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMopipf/xAAeEAACAgIDAQEAAAAAAAAAAAABAwIEBREAEiEiBv/aAAgBAQABPwClgsTl79ZIrtVBCpBohPoWQWDLe/fogEcV+dx91ULRrxWXgN6RjDUd+6Hxz//EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEjP/2gAIAQIBAT8AXOj/xAAXEQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAAET/9oACAEDAQE/AEDrZn//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Stephen Nedoroscik was brought into the USA lineup for the men's gymnastics finals for just one routine, which took less than a minute, but it ensured that the team ended its medal drought. The pommel horse specialist became an overnight celebrity for his stunning routine, with hilarious memes featuring the gymnast circulating all over the internet.
Nedoroscik was brilliant during the qualification round and finished second in the pommel horse to qualify for the finals. He only competed in the pommel horse event during the qualifiers, earning a massive score of 15.200 to finish second.
During the team finals on July 29, team USA fought hard throughout the first five rotations, and pommel horse was the last event they competed in. While the top two finishers were almost set by then, the fight was on between the United States and Great Britain for the bronze medal. It went down the wire, with America needing Nedoroscik to deliver a score of more than 12 points.
Trending
Stephen Nedoroscik stunned with a sensational pommel horse routine, earning a massive score of 14.866 to knock Great Britain out of the race and secure the USA men's gymnastics its first medal since the 2008 Olympic Games. The 25-year-old was calm under pressure, and his clutch performance drew several hilarious reactions from the online community.
Moments before he was set to perform his routine, Nedoroscik was spotted in a meditation mode with his eyes closed, which later generated scores of memes online. A user wrote:
"Stephen Nedoroscik is him"
Another user wrote:
"I know nothing about gymnastics and here I am living and dying with whether this nerdy guy in glasses named Steve can pommel that horse. The Olympics are a curse."
Drawing a comparison of Nedoroscik on the sideline vs on the mat, a user compared his clutch performance with Chris Evans' character in Captain America.
Here are two more memes featuring the American gymnast:
Why does Stephen Nedoroscik compete on pommel horse only?
Stephen Nedoroscik used to climb walls and furniture in his childhood. His parents decided to channel his activities into sports, and he was taken to a local gym. He climbed ropes on the first day, earning him a permanent invitation to gymnastics.
"On the first day there, I climbed a rope all the way to the top," Nedoroscik told WBBH. "After that, they invited me to join the gymnastics team. We accepted it, and that was it.”
Nedoroscik would compete on all six apparatuses as a child. However, during his high school days, he noticed that he was only improving in the pommel horse event. Nedoroscik, thus, decided to specialize in the event, and the rest is history.
