Stephen Nedoroscik Has ‘Eye on Something Shinier’ After Winning Bronze

Stephen Nedoroscik already has his eye on the next Summer Olympics.

The gymnast, 25, competed on Saturday, August 3, finishing third at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the men’s pommel horse final, behind Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan and Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov.

“Bronze team. Bronze horse. I am forever grateful to have had this opportunity. This Olympic experience has been everything and more. Thank you to everyone who has supported me,” Nedoroscik wrote in the Saturday, August 3 post.

“Bronze is a great achievement, but I got eyes for something shinier in my future #2028,” he added, hinting at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and a potential gold medal.

Bronze team. Bronze horse. I am forever grateful to have had this opportunity. This Olympic experience has been everything and more. Thank you to everyone who has supported me. Bronze is a great achievement, but I got eyes for something shinier in my future #2028

— Stephen Nedoroscik (@GymnastSteve) August 4, 2024

Nedoroscik quickly won over viewers when he helped lead the U.S. men’s gymnastics team to their first Olympic medal in 16 years, securing the bronze on Monday, July 29, alongside teammates Brody Malone, Fred Richard, Asher Hong and Paul Juda.

Since then many have been geeking out over Nedoroscik, and apparently that includes The Fault in Our Stars author John Green. Nedoroscik named Green when ​​a reporter asked him who is the most famous person he’s interacted with on social media, and the writer responded gleefully.

“THIS IS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE. LOVE YOU @GymnastSteve,” Green said via X.

In addition to getting recognition from other famous people, Nedoroscik went viral after a photo of him relaxing as he waited for his turn to compete became a meme.

“Obsessed with this one guy on the US men’s gymnastics team who looks like he’s getting his phd in anthropology and his only job is pommel horse,” one fan tweeted via X on July 29. Viewers also appreciated how Nedoroscik removed his glasses for his routine, in a move that earned comparisons to Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent.

As Nedoroscik’s popularity soared, his girlfriend, Tess McCracken, shared his reaction to the newfound attention, telling E! News on August 1, that he was “taken aback” by the love he received.

“I was trying to show him things, like, ‘You’re a meme, you are viral. Look at all this stuff,’” she continued. “And he loved them. He laughed at them. And at that point, they were just starting. We didn’t know what it was about to turn into.”

As for her favorite meme, McCracken told E! News, “My favorite so far has been the ‘and your friend Steve, do-do-do-do-do-do-do Steve.’ I love that one.”