>> BUT THE U.S. MEN'S GYMNASTICS TEAM TOOK OFF FOR PARIS TODAY LOOKING TO WIN THEIR FIRST GOLD MEDAL SINCE 1984, 2 OF THE GYM US. WE TOLD YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINING IN SARASOTA. YEAH. THAT IS WHERE NBC TO CHURN MAY MET UP WITH STEVEN CHICK THE WORLD'S BEST ON POMMEL HORSE. >> NICE TO SHIMMY UP. LIKE THE WALLS CARE, BABYSITTERS AND STAFF STEVEN 6 NICKNAME GROWING UP WAS SPIDER MONKEY FITTING AT JUST 4 YEARS OLD. YOU COULDN'T KEEP HIM ON THE GROUND FIRST DAY THERE. KIND ROBOT THE WAY TO THE TOP. AFTER THAT VEIN, I MAY JOIN IN GYMNASTICS TEAM. WE ACCEPTED IT AND THAT WAS EVER SINCE HIS CAREER HAS BEEN A WILD SPIN. THAT ARE ALSO CLAIMED MULTIPLE MASSACHUSETTS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL HIS JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL WITH STEVEN ONE AT THE JUNIOR OLYMPICS THAT HE TRULY BELIEVED IN HIMSELF. THAT IS DEFINITELY THE POINT WHERE I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I CAN MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THIS. SO WE WENT TO PENN STATE AND SPECIALIZED IN THE POMMEL HORSE. STEVEN WON 2 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND HAD A CHANCE TO QUALIFY FOR THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS. TRIALS DIDN'T GO AS PLANNED. >> I MESSED FELT THE KIND OF CRUMBLED UNDER ITS TONIGHT HEARING MY NAME WASN'T A SURPRISE THAT IS STILL HEARTBREAKING FAMILY TO MAKE THE TEAM IN TWENTY-TWENTY DIDN'T DISCOURAGE SICK. INSTEAD HE WORKED EVEN HARDER. HE GOT BACK ON THE HORSE AND IS NOW HEADED TO PARIS. A LOT OF TIMES IN MY CAREER I'VE TAKEN A NEGATIVE AND TURN INTO A POSITIVE. SO I KIND OF REDIRECT ENERGY LIKE IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK IN THE AND JUST OUT OF GRINDING THAT GRIND PAID OFF. >> STEPHEN IS THE FIRST AMERICAN GYMNAST TO MAKE THE OLYMPIC TEAM AS A SINGLE EVENT. SPECIALIST. >> EVER. IT'S ARE REALLY WHEN YOU WATCH PALM OR SPURS ANYONE ELSE IS ABOUT TO BE PUT ON DISPLAY FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. AND THE ARTIST REMAIN HIS QUIRKY SELF. >> ALL GUYS DURING COMPETITION MIGHT BE KIND OF HANGING OUT FOCUS ON THE NEXT EVENT. STEVEN MIGHT BE SOLVING A RUBIK'S CUBE IN THE CORNER RIGHT? AND THOSE ARE THE KIND OF COURSE THAT MAKES THE EVEN WHO HE IS AND WHO STEPHEN SICK IS. >> IS IN THE LIBYAN A TITLE THAT THE SPIDER MONKEY NEVER THOUGHT HE'D CLIMB TO HELP THINK ANYONE IN THE WORLD CAN SAY THAT. EXPECT IN SIZE KIND OF A LENGTHY. AND THAT IS THE DREAM TO BE HERE. AND I'M JUST MORE THAN HONORED T
Stephen Nedoroscik ready to make history with U.S. Olympics men's gymnastics in Paris
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Updated: 1:07 PM EDT Jul 22, 2024
The U.S. Men's Gymnastics team took off for Paris on Thursday. This summer, they are looking for their first gold medal since 1984. Two of the gymnasts have been training at EVO Gymnastics in Sarasota, Florida: one of which is the best pommel horse athlete in the world — Stephen Nedoroscik.Growing up in Worcester, Massachusetts, Nedoroscik's nickname was "spider monkey." It was fitting for someone who would shimmy up walls to scare his babysitters. By the time he was 4, his parents knew they needed to bring him to a gymnastics gym.“On the first day there, I climbed a rope all the way to the top," Nedoroscik said while laughing. "After that, they invited me to join the gymnastics team. We accepted it, and that was it.”The rest, as they say, is history.Nedoroscik went on to win multiple Massachusetts state championships along with youth national championships. However, it wasn't until his junior year of high school that Stephen truly believed in himself. That is when he won at the Junior Olympics, which opened the floodgates of college recruiting.“That was definitely the point where I was like, 'OK, I can make something out of this,'" Nedoroscik said.Nedoroscik went to Penn State and specialized in the pommel horse, an event that takes a different skillset from the others."He just has a beautiful circle," Team USA assistant coach and former Olympian Syque Caesar said while describing Stephen's abilities.Nedoroscik won two NCAA championships while in Happy Valley and had a chance to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, when the lights were the brightest, Stephen struggled.“I messed up," he said. "I felt the pressure and kind of crumbled under it. So not hearing my name wasn’t a surprise, but it was still heartbreaking.”Failing to make the team in 2020 didn't discourage Nedoroscik, though. Instead, he used it as motivation to work even harder.“A lot of times in my career, I’ve taken a negative and turned it into a positive," Nedoroscik said. "So I redirected that energy immediately, went back in the gym, and just started grinding.”The grind has paid off. Stephen is headed to Paris with Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, and while he does, he will be making history. Nedoroscik is the first American gymnast to ever make the Olympic roster as a single-event specialist.“It’s art when you watch him do pommel horse versus anyone else," Caesar said.That art is about to be put on full display for the whole world to see. They'll also get to see the fun, quirky side of Stephen, which his team loves.“While guys during competition might be hanging out or getting focused on the next event, Stephen might be solving a Rubik's cube in the corner," Caesar said. "Those are the quirks that make Stephen who he is.”Who Stephen Nedoroscik is, is an Olympian — a title that the spider monkey never thought he'd climb to.“I don’t think anyone in the world can say they’d expect themselves to become an Olympian," Nedoroscik said. "It was the dream to be here and I’m just more than honored to be on this squad.”The men's gymnastics competition begins on July 27.
SARASOTA, Fla. — The U.S. Men's Gymnastics team took off for Paris on Thursday. This summer, they are looking for their first gold medal since 1984. Two of the gymnasts have been training at EVO Gymnastics in Sarasota, Florida: one of which is the best pommel horse athlete in the world — Stephen Nedoroscik.
Growing up in Worcester, Massachusetts, Nedoroscik's nickname was "spider monkey." It was fitting for someone who would shimmy up walls to scare his babysitters. By the time he was 4, his parents knew they needed to bring him to a gymnastics gym.
“On the first day there, I climbed a rope all the way to the top," Nedoroscik said while laughing. "After that, they invited me to join the gymnastics team. We accepted it, and that was it.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Nedoroscik went on to win multiple Massachusetts state championships along with youth national championships. However, it wasn't until his junior year of high school that Stephen truly believed in himself. That is when he won at the Junior Olympics, which opened the floodgates of college recruiting.
“That was definitely the point where I was like, 'OK, I can make something out of this,'" Nedoroscik said.
Nedoroscik went to Penn State and specialized in the pommel horse, an event that takes a different skillset from the others.
"He just has a beautiful circle," Team USA assistant coach and former Olympian Syque Caesar said while describing Stephen's abilities.
Nedoroscik won two NCAA championships while in Happy Valley and had a chance to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, when the lights were the brightest, Stephen struggled.
“I messed up," he said. "I felt the pressure and kind of crumbled under it. So not hearing my name wasn’t a surprise, but it was still heartbreaking.”
Failing to make the team in 2020 didn't discourage Nedoroscik, though. Instead, he used it as motivation to work even harder.
“A lot of times in my career, I’ve taken a negative and turned it into a positive," Nedoroscik said. "So I redirected that energy immediately, went back in the gym, and just started grinding.”
The grind has paid off. Stephen is headed to Paris with Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, and while he does, he will be making history. Nedoroscik is the first American gymnast to ever make the Olympic roster as a single-event specialist.
“It’s art when you watch him do pommel horse versus anyone else," Caesar said.
That art is about to be put on full display for the whole world to see. They'll also get to see the fun, quirky side of Stephen, which his team loves.
“While guys during competition might be hanging out or getting focused on the next event, Stephen might be solving a Rubik's cube in the corner," Caesar said. "Those are the quirks that make Stephen who he is.”
Who Stephen Nedoroscik is, is an Olympian — a title that the spider monkey never thought he'd climb to.
“I don’t think anyone in the world can say they’d expect themselves to become an Olympian," Nedoroscik said. "It was the dream to be here and I’m just more than honored to be on this squad.”
The men's gymnastics competition begins on July 27.
