Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik Says Nailing Pommel Horse Routine Ahead of U.S. Bronze Medal Was 'the Greatest Moment of My Life'

Nedoroscik's impressive display helped the U.S. men's gymnastics team secure their first Olympic medal since 2008

Stephen Nedoroscik had just one job heading into the men’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics on Monday, July 29: nail the pommel horse.

Nail it he did. The 25-year-old’s impressive display on the apparatus helped push him and his Team USA teammates Paul Juda, Fred Richard, Brody Malone and Asher Hong to a bronze model, the U.S. men’s gymnastic team’s first Olympic medal in 16 years.

“It was just the greatest moment of my life, I think,” the athlete told reporters in Paris, including PEOPLE, of acing his routine with a 14.866. “[I’m] so happy to have been there.”

Nedoroscik said it’d been a “really long day” leading up to his moment in the spotlight, but that he was excited by the fact that pommel horse was the final apparatus.

“I framed that in my head as a positive, like I can be the exclamation point,” he said.

Related: U.S. Men's Gymnastics Team Take Home Bronze, Their First Olympic Medal in 16 Years

Prior to his event, the Massachusetts native — who quickly became a fan favorite on social media thanks to his glasses, which some likened to Clark Kent — said that as he completed his breathing exercises, he was able to hear big cheers for Malone and Juda, and knew that they were setting him for success.

“I kind of, in that moment, was like, ‘Alright, let’s run it back, then. Let’s go out there and do our thing,' " he said. “I have [coach] Sam Mikulak as just like, the greatest coach of all time. He’s up there, helping me keep the nerves in check. He knows exactly what to say to me. So when we got that chalk bucket, he kind of just settled me down and said, ‘You’re ready for this.’ I went up there, did my routine and during that dismount, I was just like, already smiling.”

Related: Team USA Gymnast Paul Juda Cries as He Praises Support of Gymnast Girlfriend and Family at Olympics: 'It's Pretty Sweet'

Team USA ultimately took home a bronze medal, coming in just 1.801 points behind the gold medal-winning Japan (China placed second for silver).

Jordan Gaarenstroom, Juda and Richard’s coach at the University of Michigan, told reporters that when it was clear Nedoroscik was nailing the pommel horse, the team realized they had a medal in their future.

"Once we got to the pommel horse and we started crunching the numbers, we like, stay on the horse and we can do this," he said. "Not only did they stay on the horse, they crushed the horse."

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