Stephen Nedoroscick wins bronze, Internet hails 'Pommel Horse Guy' as American gymnastics' 'superhero'

PARIS, FRANCE: Stephen Nedoroscik, dubbed 'Pommel Horse Guy' by the Internet, became an Olympic bronze medalist on Monday, July 29.

The athlete, famous for his resemblance to Clark Kent from 'Superman', became the second American man in four decades to medal in this event at the Summer Games, clinching bronze in a thrilling final at Bercy Arena on Saturday, 3 August, according to USA Today.

Stephen Nedoroscik beats two-time champion Max Whitlock

Stephen Nedoroscik beat out two-time defending Olympic champion Max Whitlock of Great Britain for the final spot on the podium. He finished behind gold medalist Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland and Nariman Kurbanov of Kazakhstan, who took silver.

The gymnast performed a more difficult routine than in the team final, scoring a 15.300. McClenaghan won Ireland’s first gold in gymnastics with a 15.533 in the final.

Nedoroscik was the only individual medalist from the US since no other gymnasts qualified for apparatus finals.

Stephen Nedoroscik's historic performance at 2024 Paris Olympics

Five days before his individual success, Stephen Nedoroscik became a breakout star of the Paris Games.

He anchored the US men's gymnastics team to their first team Olympic medal since 2008, securing the historic podium finish with his agility on the pommel horse.

Nedoroscik, the bespectacled 25-year-old electrical engineering major from Penn State, went viral as the internet dubbed him “the pommel horse guy." In memes and social media posts, he was likened to Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent.

The Olympic athlete doesn't mind the comparison. He told NBC that it’s “an awesome comparison."

Nedoroscik's following on Instagram ballooned from a couple of thousand followers to more than a quarter-million, all within a few days.

He becomes just the second US man in recent history to win a pommel horse medal, joining 2016 bronze medalist Alex Naddour.

The Americans also won both gold and bronze medals in the event at the 1984 Games, which were boycotted by most Eastern bloc countries as noted by USA Today.

Internet elated as Stephen Nedoroscik clinches individual bronze medal at 2024 Paris Olympics

The Olympic Games X account posted a congratulatory message, writing, "S̶t̶e̶p̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶N̶e̶d̶o̶r̶o̶s̶c̶i̶k̶ Clark Kent. USA's latest #gymnastics superhero!"

Others echoed the sentiment. "Wow Superman congratulations," wrote one user.

Another added, "Super Olympic hero :)". One more wrote, "Clark Kent in the gym! USA’s gymnastics just found its superhero!"

Another commented, "Bro is a whole vibe."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.