You know pommel horse guy. You may not know his real name is Stephen Nedoroscik, but when he takes off his glasses and jumps on that gymnastics apparatus he goes from normal dude to a serious superhero. He’s been a gamer, and after landing the bronze medal in the pommel horse individual competition, it only makes sense that fans watching the 2024 Olympics have latched onto Superman and Clark Kent comparisons. It’s a glasses thing.
Men’s gymnastics has been a highlight of the Olympics, and a lot of that can be attributed to Nedoroscik. Along with just physically crushing his one event in the Olympics, the 25-year-old is known for taking his glasses off and basically performing without seeing, making the experience of watching him feel even higher stakes. Given Clark Kent would go out into the world with glasses on and ditch them when he became Superman, it’s easy to see how this became a popular comment from fans who have been watching the event.
Naturally, when the Internet latches on to fun and culturally relevant memes the best thing to do is compile them together into an amusing roundup and gawk at them. So, I did it for you. In fact, even the official USA Gymnastics account knows the Internet is obsessed with Superman comparisons after the men’s team added Nedoroscik as a one-event ringer to help them clinch bronze in the team event, writing “This Superman is made of Bronze!”
But if you really want to get the comparisons, it’s this TikTok that best illustrates the point.
@withwizmedia
♬ Lobster – Rj Pasin
It’s not just the Nedoroscik goes from looking a little nerdy with the glasses on and then looking heroic with them off, either. He literally does have an eye condition that basically renders him blind when his glasses are off, which is why you always see him reaching for them after he dismounts. After he won, NBC Sports showed footage of him hugging Brody Malone and others on the sideline and you could distinctly hear him asking, “Can someone get my glasses?” Still, he clearly doesn’t need ‘em on the pommel.
@alexisshur
♬ Star Spangled (Bass Boosted) – SNC
“The Specialist,” as the announcers have been calling him, then went and threw on the flag as a bit of a cape and had a hilarious moment with the other medalists.
I was just trying to get Stephen Nedoroscik with the Superman cape but it got better 🤣👏 pic.twitter.com/GvlcqkqxQQAugust 3, 2024
Another fan pointed out the real moment “Superman and Clark Kent merged,” meaning at one point he rocked the cape and the glasses, too.
Me watching Superman & Clark Kent merge. 🤯 Same place at the same time. Stephen Nedoroscik gets bronze!#gymnastics #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/Xai4JNuVBmAugust 3, 2024
Even the literal Olympic Games’ official account got into the fun, writing on X, “S̶t̶e̶p̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶N̶e̶d̶o̶r̶o̶s̶c̶i̶k̶ Clark Kent.” Lots of others got into the fun on the same post with similar sentiments, and a full-on Superman movement was born.
- Clark Kent in the gym! USA’s gymnastics just found its superhero! #gymnastics
- Congrats, @GymnastSteve!!! You’re like Clark Kent and Superman. Wearing glasses, an unassuming nice guy most of the time but you become this pommel horse superhero when you’re called upon. We thank you! #USA #Paris2024
- He really does give Clark Kent vibes and when he takes to an apparatus he is SUPERMAN,
- What a Superman Stephen Nedoroscik goes ALL the way! Leaping tall buildings in a single bound!
Most of these tweets stem from a tweet that went viral when the men were originally competing in the team event and Stephen Nedoroscik had to literally go last. Those watching live kept seeing him napping a bit in the background in his glasses, garnering comparison both to the famous DC Comics hero as well as a “sleeper agent.”
Obsessed with this guy on the US men’s gymnastics team who’s only job is pommel horse, 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. pic.twitter.com/0D1ZqJjFa1July 29, 2024
Those comments about Stephen Nedoroscik leaping tall buildings might be a bit joke-y, but there’s no doubt he’s been one of the unexpected and very viral personalities to come out of the 2024 summer Olympics. It’s not just the glasses thing either, as his ear tug quirk also captured people’s attention.
While gymnastics has had its moment to shine, with Simone Biles winning gold and the ladies also dominating, there’s still more fun to come however, and you can check out events during primetime on NBC and with a Peacock subscription.