Olympic ‘pommel horse guy’ Stephen Nedoroscik joins Dancing with the Stars season 33

Two-time Olympic bronze medalist will be the first male gymnast to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy

Paris 2024 sensation Stephen Nedoroscik, better known as “pommel horse guy,” is taking his skills to the dancefloor on season 33 of Dancing with the Stars.

The 25-year-old American, who became a viral meme for his meditation ritual before his pommel horse performance at the Olympics, was revealed as the first celebrity contestant of the popular dancing show’s new season.

Appearing on Good Morning America on Thursday (August 22), Nedoroscik was introduced by host Robin Roberts as “a two-time Olympic bronze medal winner and the first male gymnast to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy”.

Before making his way over to the hosts, the Olympian showed off some of his pommel horse skills on a nearby foam block.

When asked if he planned on bringing any of his gymnastic moves to the dancefloor, Nedoroscik responded: “I’m hoping to bring some. I want to do some flares, I want to bring some of that gymnastics, maybe a backflip or a handstand. I want to have fun with it.”

Co-host George Stephanopoulos jumped in to question him about the viral memes, in which the athlete can be seen appearing to be asleep before his competitions. “What was actually going on?” he asked.

Nedoroscik explained that in those moments before the competition “your heart rate is going crazy. So I’m just trying to stay calm. I’m really just focusing on my breathing exercises, visualization and then it’s go time.”

He added that he will likely perform the same ritual ahead of his performances on Dancing with the Stars. “It’s kind of what I do just to calm myself down. So will probably be bringing that to the dancefloor,” he said.

Also known for his signature thick-rimmed glasses, Nedoroscik was unsure whether he would be wearing them on the dancefloor.

Stephen Nedoroscik became an overnight sensation for his meditative ritual ahead of his pommel horse performances (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

“I’m scared they’ll fly off. But maybe we could do a gadget, keep them on,” he said. “Maybe a new pair of glasses, match the theme.”

Nedoroscik said that he is “very excited” to compete on the forthcoming season of Dancing with the Stars, premiering on September 17 at 8pm ET on ABC.

The US gymnast’s casting doesn’t come as a total surprise, as he had been among the rumored contestants. David and Victoria Beckham, retired NFL star Jason Kelce and Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval are also speculated to be joining. The rest of the season’s cast will be announced at a later date.

Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro are once again co-hosting the series alongside returning judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Hough’s older brother, Derek Hough.