A clutch performance by a Penn State alumnus clinched the first Olympic medal for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team in 16 years on Monday at the Paris Games.
Pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik, a standout for Penn State from 2017-2020, scored a 14.866 in the final routine of the night to secure the team bronze medal. U.S. men’s gymnastics last took home a team medal at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, when it also won bronze with former Nittany Lion Kevin Tan.
“I knew he had it as soon as I saw him take the podium and do his arm swings and take his warmup,” Penn State men’s gymnastics head coach Randy Jepson said. “It’s just all about the first circle he does and as soon as he got that I knew his tempo was right and he was off to the races. I couldn’t be happier for Penn State’s second bronze medalist at the Olympics.”
The U.S. got strong showings all around to finish behind gold medalists Japan and silver medalists China. Brody Malone boosted the Americans competing in five of six events, while Asher Hong, Paul Juda and Frederick Richard all turned in noteworthy performances in four events.
Nedoroscik only competed in the pommel horse and waited hours through five rotations before his time in the spotlight. (An image of him appearing to meditate on the sidelines quickly became a meme after his performance.)
Then the 25-year-old came through on the biggest stage.
“Stephen was in the hardest seat of the entire competition, being last up on the last event, knowing that if you hit a routine, you’re probably going to medal,” Brett McClure, U.S. men’s gymnastics high performance director and a silver medalist in 2004, told USA Today. “And he did it.”
Nedoroscik also qualified for the individual final in the pommel horse on Saturday. Richard and Juda both qualified for the individual all-around final.
While at Penn State, Nedoroscik was a two-time national champion in the pommel horse and won the Nissen-Emery Award in 2020 as the nation’s top senior gymnast, the first specialist to do so. He went on to win a world championship in 2021.
