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The young man sat there and sat there and sat there.
His four teammates did a bunch of different gymnastics routines: floor exercise, vault, parallel bars.
They pumped each other up after sticking to their routines. No flubs. True teammates. This wasn’t fake.
They spent their lives doing this gymnastics stuff in places across the United States with very few people knowing who they are.
This was their moment. The eyes of the world were fixed on them. And it was going as they had imagined.
The one teammate still sat there, eyes closed, knowing it was nearing his time to help his teammates win a medal that would be the first in the Olympics for the U.S. men’s gymnastics in 16 years.
Two teammates did the pommel horse nearly perfectly.
Now his turn. His one event. He’s a pommel horse specialist brought on the team for this one highly difficult skill, using your hands, arms, and wrists to spin around and scissor your legs back and forth on a thin rectangular piece of equipment about a meter or two in length.
Oh, and do it wicked fast and look smooth.
He took his glasses off just before starting his routine that, if he did well, would cement the team’s medal; but, if he fell off or had a sub-par routine, it could cost him and his teammates the one thing they’ve all been focused on since little boys: winning an Olympic medal.
He climbed aboard the horse and started doing what he flew to Paris to do, placing his hands on the horse, moving them around so fast it’s hard to track while watching, whirling his legs.
Nothing looked off – yet.
Could he do it?
Would he fall?
No.
A well-executed routine. A landing with no bounce of the step, solid, two feet together.
Like the pitcher who comes at the end of a baseball game to hold his team’s position, he’s the team’s closer. He hurled a strike, got the outs, and assured the win, a bronze medal.
His name is Stephen Nedoroscik.
Remember that name. It’s all over the Internet right now. Forever he’ll be known as “Pommel Horse Guy.”
Stephen did this all the other night to seal the medal podium spot for himself and teammates Brody Malone, Fred Richard, Asher Hong, and Paul Juda.
These spellbinding athletes showed unrestrained joy after all this happened in a way so honest and pure and worthy of admiration that I can’t even explain to you how cool a moment it was.
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Sammy Sportface, a sports blogger, galvanizes, inspires, and amuses The Baby Boomer Brotherhood. And you can learn about his vision and join this group's Facebook page here:
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