“The pommel horse is probably the hardest event mentally. You need to be so focused, so precise — and there’s no room for error,” said Rhys McClenaghan from Northern Ireland. Sounds intense, right? But Stephen Nedoroscik? He’s out here breaking all the rules. The guy scored a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a solid 15.300, just behind Rhys and Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov. And instead of jumping right back into training, Stephen took months off to compete on Dancing with the Stars! Now that he’s back, he’s making a real, heartfelt ask of his fans.
Stephen Nedoroscik just dropped a behind-the-scenes look at his grueling pommel horse training, and it’s as intense as you’d expect. In the video, he stumbles and falls back-to-back during his swings but refuses to quit. After the first fall, he jokingly captioned, “gymnastics being hard and scary.” On the second fall, his finger bent awkwardly, which he called a “hyperextension,” but thankfully, no serious injury.
By the third attempt, he almost landed a double jump, showing clear improvement. Stephen kept pushing himself through tough swings, practicing back-to-back, perfectly capturing the ups and downs of a gymnast’s journey. His honest caption, “It’s all part of the process ,” reminds us that perseverance is key, even when the falls hurt. But Stephen Nedoroscik’s story stretches far beyond the gym.
In the same post, he added a humble request to fans: “Male Star of the Year voting is now open and you can vote for me using the link in my bio!!” And it’s no small nomination! He’s officially in the running for Male Star of the Year at the 2025 Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards. These awards celebrate the best in film, TV, and now, rising stars like Stephen, whose fame exploded post-Olympics thanks to his Dancing with the Stars appearances as both a contestant and a host.
He’s rubbing shoulders with Hollywood heavyweights like Stanley Tucci and Jonathan Bennett. And he’s counting on fans to back him; he posted on Instagram, “Voting closes on the 23rd!” But when Stephen Nedoroscik came to know he was being nominated for this award. His reaction to the nomination? Pure excitement. On his Instagram story, he summed it up with one word: “UNREAL.”
It’s clear Stephen is ready to take on whatever comes next, with his fans cheering him on every step of the way. While he got this notation, in doing this he missed the major national Championships roster name.
Despite missing major Championships, Stephen Nedoroscik remains confident in his comeback
Stephen Nedoroscik is surely talented. But the last time he appeared on gymnastics mats was on the national stage at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Minneapolis, where he secured his spot on the Paris Olympic team with a strong second-place finish on pommel horse. He went on to make history in Paris, winning bronze and helping lead the U.S. men’s gymnastics team to their first Olympic team medal in 16 years, instantly becoming a breakout star.
But after the Games, Stephen seemed to shift gears. He finished fourth on Dancing with the Stars, then went on to co-host its 2025 Live Tour in January. For fans keeping track, it’s been almost a full year since he last competed, and with his body now conditioned more for dance than elite gymnastics, his absence from the competitive scene was starting to raise concerns.
Things got even more uncertain when his name was left off the roster for the upcoming Senior Pan American Championships in June, despite his previous reassurance to fans: “Don’t worry guys, I can still [do] gymnastics a little.” But then came a turning point. On May 12, Stephen, EVO Gymnastics, and the MAG Foundation USA announced via Instagram that he had officially resumed training and re-signed with his club for the 2025 season.
“The Pommel Horse Guy is BACK at EVO!” the post read, confirming he’s targeting a return at the 2025 U.S. Championships. Stephen echoed the excitement with his own story post: “SO EXCITED TO REJOIN!” Just a few weeks prior, Stephen Nedoroscik shared clips of his return to training, laughing at a rough first day but hyped over how quickly things turned around by day two.
“Wasn’t gonna post for the first day back because it was underwhelming and kinda bust, BUT THE SECOND DAY BACK WAS INSANE ,” was what he eventually posted. With four national titles already under his belt and his name tied for the most U.S. pommel horse championships in history, Stephen’s comeback could be just what Team USA needs heading into a crucial competitive year.
The post Making Earnest Request to Fans, Stephen Nedoroscik Drops 6-Word Message Following Much Awaited Return appeared first on EssentiallySports.
