Stephen Nedoroscik, 'pommel horse guy' from Worcester, talks about his 2 Olympic medals

Before he was known as a medal-winning Olympic athlete, "pommel horse guy" or even "Clark Kent" online, Team USA gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik was known for growing up in Worcester, Massachusetts. WBUR's Amory Sivertson chatted with Nedoroscik about his journey to the games, what it was like to perform under pressure and the triumphant feeling of winning two bronze medals. Here are some highlights from this Radio Boston conversation.

On what it was like to perform in the Olympic pommel horse finals...

"When I was on the actual apparatus, like I didn't know what the scores of the competitors were beforehand. I tried very hard to stay in my own zone. I pretty much went up there and was like, 'let's have fun with it.' My job was to help my team get a medal. Being in the pommel horse final was kind of like a victory lap. It's either going to have to be a perfect routine or it doesn't matter. Let's enjoy the moment.

"I was super happy with my performance because... other than like that one tiny brush, it felt like it was the best routine I did of the week. And looking back on it, it definitely was [and] the score also reflects that. So, I was very happy in that moment, and I'm happy that I was able to get on that podium for Team USA."

On how his career ups and downs have shaped him as a gymnast...

"When I didn't make the Olympic team in 2021, I was really sad about it. But I almost immediately accepted it. Like, 'You didn't do it. You didn't do well enough. What are you going to do next?' Of course, I was planning on continuing the sport. World championships [were] in three months. I [did] everything in my power to get on that world team and represent.

"So, after I represented at the [world championships], I was like, 'This is awesome. This is like the peak of your career, but don't let it be the peak of your career.' So, I always kind of have that thing in the back of my head that's like, 'You can do better.' That's always how I'm pushing through the ups and the lows."

On what people don't see as he's competing... 

"The thing about gymnastics is that it's hard for the fans to really understand what's going on because we make everything look so good, especially on the Olympic stage. As a spectator, it might not look difficult. But one of the things that's definitely very difficult is just that second skill. When I do a 360 on the pommel, I'm counting my hand placements. I go, 'one, two, three, four, five.' And that right there is a super fragile balance, almost like a seesaw trying to balance and then spin it, you know? So, I think that skill alone is a very difficult one."

On his hobbies and embracing himself... 

"The [Aug. 3] final was a little bit later in the day and a lot of my teammates were out and about doing stuff, so I kind of had the apartment to myself. I was like, 'let's just solve some Rubik's Cubes.' I did about a hundred solves and towards the tail end of it, I did manage to get a 9.7-second solve. And I was like, there it is. There's the good omen I was looking for.

"I enjoy those things, and I'm not too scared to tell people I watch math YouTube videos for fun, you know? Some people will be like, 'you are crazy for that.' But those are the things that interest me. I love to learn. I don't really try to be someone I'm not."