The single-apparatus specialist heard the criticism about his place on the Olympic team. Then he clinched the Americans’ first medal since 2008 — and became a viral star.
Stephen Nedoroscik clinched the team medal for the Americans with a stellar pommel horse routine in Monday's final.
“I do it all the time,” Nedoroscik said of visualization. “Sometimes I think I do it too much, but what else am I to do with those empty spaces?” Nedoroscik has a difficult routine with a high scoring ceiling, but he has at times struggled in pressure-filled moments. He didn’t know the precise math, but he figured if he hit his routine, his team would win a medal. Because of the long wait and the stakes, Nedoroscik “probably had the most pressure than any other athlete tonight on the competition floor,” U.S. high performance director Brett McClure said.
At national championships and the Olympic trials, Nedoroscik had one standout routine but the other three were not quite up to his potential. He didn’t perform his full repertoire of difficult elements — sometimes intentionally and other times because he had to improvise mid-routine.Including a specialist on the team can be risky. Nedoroscik’s value hinged on his ability to hit one routine. He channeled the criticism into motivation.
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