Viral sensation from the Paris games is the first contestant named for Season 33 of reality dance competition
Stephen Nedoroscik will go from the pommel horse to the dance floor as the Olympics medal-winning U.S. gymnast will be a contestant on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.
The rest of the Season 33 celebrities-turned-dancers will be announced at a later date, Variety reports, adding that Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s Alfonso Ribeiro and DWTS vet Julianne Hough will return as co-hosts.
Dubbed both the “Clark Kent of pommel horse” and simply “pommel horse guy,” Nedoroscik went viral during the 2024 Paris Olympics for his outwardly nerdy appearance and calm demeanor, which quickly dissipated when he removed his glasses and turned in a bronze medal-winning turn in both the team and individual gymnastics events; the male team’s bronze was U.S.’s first medal in the gymnastics event since 2008.
As Nedoroscik — who has strabismus, a vision issue that necessitates the glasses — became one of the Paris Olympics’ overnight internet sensations, his pre-Olympics social media presence also came under the spotlight, including videos showing off his Rubik’s Cube prowess, a skill he also showcased on The Tonight Show, completing the puzzle in a mere 15 seconds.
“Going into that competition, I had big dreams, big hopes, and to come out and look back and say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I actually did that,’ it is an unbelievable feeling,” Nedoroscik said on the Tonight Show earlier this month after his bronze medal wins.
As for his reaction when he went viral in Paris, Nedoroscik added, “I learned shortly after, and then going into that pommel horse final, I had to literally turn my notifications off, so I didn’t get too absorbed into it all.”
