Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik Is Joining Dancing With The Stars, And I Have A Strange Request For Season 33

Stephen Nedoroscik talking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show
(Image credit: NBC)

The wild ride keeps on moving for Olympic medalist Stephen Nedoroscik. Days after we saw him react to Superman actor David Corenswet reaching out to him, we found out there was truth to the rumor about him competing on Dancing With The Stars. He will indeed join the ABC and Disney+ series for Season 33 as it airs on the 2024 TV schedule, and now that he's locked in, I have a bit of a strange request.

Nedoroscik's claim to fame at the Paris 2024 games was being known as the "pommel horse guy" who gave the United States its first team medal in men's gymnastics since 2008. Now he's headed to DWTS, where jokes about him resembling Steve from American Dad or Clark Kent will undoubtedly continue, and I think he has an ace in the hole to wow the crowd and go far in this competition.

Stephen Nedoroscik Needs To Work The Pommel Horse Routine Into His Performances

Stephen Nedoroscik will become the first male gymnast to compete on Dancing With The Stars, but it's nothing new for Olympians to appear on the show. That said, the pressure will be on Nedoroscik to compete because an Olympian has not won the Mirror Ball Trophy since Adam Rippon did in Season 26. The gymnast is going to have to pull out all the stops to account for any competition, which is exactly why I think he and his pro need to work out a pommel horse dance routine.

Technical skill and tradition are good, but there's also room in DWTS for flair and style. A lot of people loved the men's gymnastics events, and now that the Paris 2024 games are over, wouldn't it be great to get an encore performance?

Is it a cheap stunt meant to cater to fans? Absolutely. However, these things are necessary when it comes to the fan vote. If Nedoroscik has his back against the wall and is at the bottom of the list up for elimination, a pommel horse routine could buy him a week of safety, maybe two.

Of course, the competitor in him may not want to resort to that, but I think that competitors should use any advantage they have.

Could He Do The Pommel Horse Routine On His Dance Partner's Back? 

If getting a pommel horse onto the dance floor is too much for Dancing With The Stars, I have an alternative solution. Imagine Stephen Nedoroscik doing the paso doble when, suddenly, his partner drops on all fours. He removes his glasses and then proceeds to do a flawless pommel horse routine on their back.

I'd buy a yearly Disney+ subscription on the spot just for that sheer entertainment, but can it be done?

I'm genuinely asking because I have zero clue. One thing I do know, however, is that if anyone was able to pull off such a stunt, it would be the guy who just won the United States its first pommel horse medal in decades. It's a trick I'm not sure the late Len Goodman would go for back when he was on the judges' panel, but this new group of judges just might be here for it!

Dancing With The Stars premieres on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday, September 17th at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to see the Olympic star and several other notable names compete for that coveted dancing trophy and for a lot of other fun.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.