Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik is ready to lace up his dancing shoes on Dancing With the Stars, but he’s unsure whether he’ll be rocking his signature glasses on the ballroom floor.
“You’ll have to find out, guys,” Nedoroscik, 25, teased to Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 4. “We’ll see what happens. We haven’t decided.”
Nedoroscik became an internet sensation during the 2024 Paris Olympics when he went viral for appearing to take a nap before competing in the men’s gymnastics team final. (Nedoroscik set the record straight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August, revealing that he was not taking a snooze and was instead doing “breathing exercises and visualizing a lot.”)
Nedoroscik nailed his routine on the pommel horse — helping his teammates win bronze — and the internet began likening him to Clark Kent, who would turn into Superman when removing his glasses. (Nedoroscik later received a bronze medal in the men’s pommel horse final.)
“It’s like a roller-coaster. It’s still going up. The drop hasn’t come yet,” he told Us of his whirlwind few months. “It’s just a ride. I’m taking it one day at a time, enjoying every moment of it.”
While Nedoroscik initially said he wanted to have some time to relax after the Olympics, he was confirmed in August as the first celebrity on DWTS season 33. His partner was revealed on Wednesday to be pro Rylee Arnold — whom he told Us he was hoping to be paired with.
“I was so excited. She is an amazing dancer,” he gushed. “I didn’t know who I was gonna get and I was looking at all the pros and I was like, ‘I really hope I get Rylee.’ So I was so excited I got Rylee.”
Rylee, for her part, replied, “I’m glad.”
With the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on his mind, Nedoroscik is ready to work different muscles and bring home the gold.
“I’m a very upper body type of guy in gymnastics, so now I’m starting to use my legs,” he explained. “It is different, but I think the approach is very similar. I’m learning a skill, putting in a routine, and then I’m gonna compete it. So I’m kind of just translating those skills I’ve picked up in gymnastics to the dance floor. I’m excited to see where it goes.”
Dancing With the Stars season 33 premieres on ABC Tuesday, September 17, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
