Why Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik Doesn't Need His Glasses for Head-Spinning Pommel Horse Routine 

Fans are flipping out over the pommel horse guy at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Because when it was Stephen Nedoroscik's turn to shine at the one exercise he was brought to perform at the men's gymnastics final July 29, the athlete whipped his glasses off and almost effortlessly helped his U.S. team win their first medal in 16 years.

"The thing about pommel horse is," Nedoroscik told Today after the event of removing his spectacles, "if I keep them on, they’re gonna fly somewhere."

The 25-year-old has two eye conditions, which he has spoken about on social media before: Strabismus, or being cross-eyed, and coloboma, or missing eye tissue, which causes him to have light sensitivity. But Nedoroscik doesn't need to have perfect vision to perform his specialized form of gymnastics.

"When I go up on the pommel horse, it's all about feeling the equipment. I don't even see when I'm doing my gymnastics," the Penn State alum added to Today after Team USA took home bronze, in part thanks to his high-scoring pommel horse routine. "It's all in the hands. I can feel everything."

Nedoroscik also explained the moment cameras caught him reclining with his eyes closed ahead of his performance.

"So in that moment, I'm doing my breathing exercises," the two-time NCAA Champion said. "We always try to keep our heart rate down. And through that five minutes I'm sitting there, I'm just visualizing my routine over and over again."

And, yes, the athlete has seen the memes comparing him to Superman alter-ego Clark Kent. "I think they're awesome," he said. "I'm representing the people that wear glasses well."

While many on social media hail him a gymnastics hero, the Worcester, Mass. native said after the medal ceremony that his team had given him positive momentum to ace that final performance.

“These guys did that to the T, especially on vault,” he told NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico after the final. “You could get goosebumps from watching that back. And going out on pommel horse—last guy up in the whole competition—I had a good feeling that our team was in a great spot.”

He added, “I was like, ‘Let’s just get it done, let’s go for it. If I put this dismount up, team USA gets a medal.’ And I think you could see it, right away when I land: goosebumps, the best moment of my life.”

And his girlfriend could not be prouder. “I was so lightheaded from the screaming that I nearly fainted,” Tess McCracken, 26, told NBC News July 30, noting she was mentally telling Nedoroscik, “‘Stay on the horse.’”

Describing the athlete as a “goofy guy,” McCracken also expressed support for her boyfriend's newfound fame as a viral star.

“Blowing up on the internet has been such an unexpected side effect of this whole adventure,” she said. “It has been one of the best times.”

(E!, Today and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Read on to see candid moments from the 2024 Olympics...

 

Leon Marchand of Team France gave a whole new meaning to "green eyes" while competing in the Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals.

Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee and Hezly Rivera of Team USA take their ceremonial bite of the medal after winning gold in Women's Gymnastics.

Stephen Nedoroscik from Team USA's men's gymnastics team won the hearts of the world with his instantly iconic pommel horse routine that helped the team win a bronze medal—breaking a 16-year-long medal drought.

Team Great Britain's Andy Murray had quite the celebration during the Men's Doubles Second Round match against Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen from Team Belgium.

Women's basketball got intense as Team USA and Team Japan competed for the win.

Team Brazil's Gustavo Batista de Oliveira did a full 360 during the Men's Park qualifier.

Marta Kostyuk of Team Ukraine needed a moment to cool down during her tennis matchup against Maria Sakkari of Team Greece.

Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin of Team South Korea clearly loved winning bronze during the mixed doubles table tennis match.

Japan's men's gymnastics team reveled in their gold medal win. 

Great Britan's Tom Daley and Noah Williams sunk the competition to earn a  silver medal. 

USA's Vinson Chiu went sky high during a Mixed Doubles Group Play badminton match. 

Great Britain's Heather Cowell took a stiff arm from Ireland's Amee Leigh Murphy head on. 

Brazil's Gabriel Medina appeared to float above the water during the men's round three surfing competition, making for one of the best photos to emerge from this year's Games so far. 

Team Great Britain divers Tom Daley and Noah Williams shared a hilarious moment as they picked up silver for synchronized diving.

Ronald Zabala-Goetschel of Ecuador had a less than terrific time competing in the equestrian competition. 

Team USA swimmer Katie Grimes gave us all double vision.

Lauren Scruggs, Lee Kiefer and Eleanor Harvey of Team USA and Team Canada's foil teams celebrated their Olympic medal wins with the iconic biting of the medal.

Denmark and Norway delivered during the preliminary handball competition.

Frida Andersen of Sweden went for an epic jump during the equestrian competition. 

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal celebrated a win in their first double match. 

Lebron James made winning look easy. 

USA fencer Lee Kiefer celebrated her win against China's Huang Qianqian. 

Vietnam's Ha Thi Ling took a punch from Tonga's Feofaaki Epenis. 

Gymnastics champion Simone Biles gave a shoutout to her fans at the gymnastics qualifyers on day two of the 2024 Olympics.

Surfer John John Florence of Team USA got jiggy with it as he and his teammates celebrated the Opening Ceremony in French Polynesia.

Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci shared an excited moment with French Tennis player Amelie Mauresmo during the torch ceremony.

Team Japan didn't let the downpour soak their spirits as they lived it up during the Opening Ceremony.

Team New Zealand was clearly in a celebratory mood as they sailed down the Seine during the Opening Ceremony.

Surfer Saffi Vette of Team New Zealand maked sure to pour carefully as she partook in the sand ceremony in French Polynesia.

Team USA landed an incredible moment during the 2024 Opening Ceremony as they marked the start of the games in Paris.

Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics daily on NBC and Peacock until the summer games end with the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.