Of all the notable storylines that played out amid the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the one that was arguably the sweetest was the one involving Stephen Nedoroscik. The Team USA gymnast won fans’ hearts and affectionately earned the viral nickname “pommel horse guy” while winning two bronze medals for his country. In time, people also compared Nedoroscik to Clark Kent/Superman. That DC Comics equivalence was due to the way in which the athlete would remove his glasses before his pommel horse routines. Nedoroscik has amassed a lot of fans, including DCU actor David Corenswet, who sent the gymnast some sweet congratulations. And I’m freaking out like the Olympian himself did!
Stephen Nedoroscik was recently interviewed by Gold Meets Golden (in collaboration with Samsung), and he discussed his Olympic victories. During the chat, the host discussed the numerous fans that the gymnast has amassed in such a short amount of time. The ever humble Nedoroscik seems to be well aware of that, but he still appeared shocked to receive the message from David Corenswet. You can check out what the star of the upcoming movie Superman had to say to Nedoroscik by checking out the video below:
The nerd in me is incredibly envious of the 25-year-old Olympian right now. Not too many people can say they’ve been compared to Clark Kent, and I’d imagine that there’s an even smaller sum of folks who can say they’ve also received a shoutout from a Supes actor. The clip that you can see above is quite special, and I’m happy that the Massachusetts native received that message. Though I may be a tad jealous, the excitement that I have easily supersedes any bit of that. Honestly, if anyone personified positivity and resilience during the Olympics, it would be “pommel horse guy.” (I'm also a bit envious that Gold Meets Golden partnered with Samsung to gift the young man a 98" TV.)
Over the course of the games, Stephen Nedoroscik won a bronze medal for the men’s artistic team all-around event and another one for Pommel horse. It was honestly quite amazing to see just how many comparisons cropped up amid Nedoroscik’s Olympic run. Early on, some of the announcers made a Hamilton analogy, which was honestly very appropriate. And, some time later, the gymnast was compared to American Dad! character Steve Smith (and I can’t unsee that now). But, above all of that, I definitely love that Nedoroscik was compared to one one of DC Comics’ most iconic characters.
Speaking of Supes, James Gunn’s Superman wrapped back in July, with David Corenswet celebrating by chowing down on dessert. Many seem eager (or at the very least, intrigued) to see Corenswet’s take on Clark Kent. It may be some time before the first bit of footage is unveiled, but those who’ve worked with the actor on the upcoming superhero film have hyped him up. Just recently, his co-star and Hawkgirl actress, Isabela Merced, hyped up his Man of Steel. She also called Corenswet “a very Superman-like person.” I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to seeing what the Twisters alum brings to the role.
I’m also interested in seeing what lies ahead for Stephen Nedoroscik, especially now that he’s achieved his goal of competing at the Olympics. He’s already expressed interest in competing in the games once more when they’re held in Los Angeles in 2028, per The Today Show. Of course, until then there are other endeavors that he can shoot for. For instance, some fans seem to think that Nedoroscik might compete on Dancing with the Stars like so many Olympians before him.
One of my personal hopes, though, is that Warner Bros. and DC Studios invite the fan-favorite Pommel horse pro to the premiere of Superman next year. It’d be a great gesture and would further solidify Stephen Nedoroscik’s connection to the film’s eponymous character. Also, it’d be downright wonderful to see a snapshot of Nedoroscik meeting up with David Corenswet. I’m optimistic that it’ll happen but, if not, I’ll definitely relish that video shoutout from Corenswet.
Superman is set to open in theaters on July 11, as part of the 2025 movie schedule. In the meantime, any sports aficionados out there can also grab a Peacock subscription to look back over some of the biggest moments from the 2024 Summer Olympics.
