Olympic gold medalist Stephen Nedoroscik is out of his comfort zone on Dancing with the Stars. The gymnast is more comfortable on the pommel horse than he is on the dancefloor. Fortunately, he claims to have a “secret weapon.”
Longtime DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba believes there’s one thing that could give Stephen an edge. He normally wears glasses but doesn’t wear them when he’s dancing. He didn’t wear them in the Olympics either, and he still won a gold medal.
Just like Clark Kent, Stephen Nedoroscik becomes Superman when he takes off his glasses
“I also wear glasses at home, but wear contacts when I work and can see perfectly with them in,” Carrie Ann told Entertainment Weekly. “But without them, the world is a beautiful blur.”
“I suspect he can see shapes and outlines, and since these dances are partner dances, he’s got Rylee [Arnold] to guide him,” she added. “I’m guessing because his vision is a bit blurred, that he turns on his other senses … and tunes in to his partner, the music, and the moment with [his] other senses. This could actually be a secret weapon in this competition.”
While performing on the pommel horse, Stephen removes his glasses. “It’s not necessarily clear, but … if I keep them on, they’re gonna fly somewhere,” he told Today in July 2024.
“When I go up on the pommel horse, it’s all about feeling the equipment,” he added. “I don’t even really see when I’m doing my gymnastics. It’s all in the hands — I can feel everything.”
Is “pommel horse guy” really Superman?
As dance partners, Stephen and Rylee are well-matched. She may be young, but she’s a very good coach and choreographer. They’ve been getting good scores from the judges and are steadily improving.
The first member of Season 33 to be announced, Stephen is also the first male gymnast to compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy. He has a medical condition known as strabismus (crossed eyes). In addition, he was also born with coloboma, which means that some of the tissue is missing from his eye. He’s also light-sensitive.
On the October 8 episode, guest judge Gene Simmons told Stephen, “Superman wore glasses, too.” That’s not quite correct. Superman doesn’t wear glasses; Clark Kent does. But when he takes them off, he becomes Superman. Maybe that’s Stephen’s superpower, too.
Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF RYLEE AND STEPHEN’S DANCING? DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD WEAR HIS GLASSES?
