Stephen Nedoroscik Spotted Preparing to Present at the Emmys with His Eyes Closed — Just Like at the Olympics!
The pommel horse king presented at the award show alongside Ilona Maher, Jane Lynch and Brendan Hunt
Katie Aselton/Instagram; ABC
Stephen Nedoroscik Spotted with His Eyes Closed Right Before Presenting at the EmmysStephen Nedoroscik was calm, cool and collected when he presented at the 2024 Emmy Awards.
Moments before the 25-year-old pommel horse king took the stage in Los Angeles to present the award for outstanding direction of a drama, Nedoroscik was spotted preparing for his big moment with his eyes closed — just like he did before medaling at the 2024 Paris Olympics!
Actress and director Katie Aselton snapped a shot of the gymnast — who will be competing on this season of Dancing with the Stars — in his seat just before presenting the award alongside fellow Team USA medalist Ilona Maher, and actors Jane Lynch and Brendan Hunt.
"Caught @stephen_nedoroscik right before he went onstage at the @televisionacad to present an emmy," Aselton wrote in the caption of her post on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Dressed in a sleek black suit and bowtie, Nedoroscik — who walked the red carpet at the Emmys with his girlfriend, fellow gymnast Tess McCracken — looked to be taking a moment of calm before his appearance. The gymnast sat with his head back, eyes closed and hands clasped in the seats of the theater.
The moment was reminiscent of the viral video captured just before Nedoroscik's bronze-winning pommel horse routine in Paris this summer.
After he and the American men's gymnastics team medaled in the event, Nedoroscik explained his warmup routine during an Aug. 15 appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
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The gymnast revealed that he was “doing my breathing exercises” and “visualizing a lot" when he had his eyes closed in the lead up to his turn on the pommel horse. “I was waiting around five hours to compete and represent [at the all-around final],” he explained to the late night host. “We get there earlier and then warm up and then march out and compete. So finally when it got to horse, I needed to calm down.”
Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty
Stephen Nedoroscik of United StatesNedoroscik said that would visualize himself “spinning, twirling, and flipping” on the horse in order to help him “get in the zone” before competing.
When the new season of DWTS premieres on Tues. Sept 17, fans of the gymnast should look for Nedoroscik to bring some of his gymnastics experience to the dance floor. During an interview on Good Morning America, Nedoroscik told host Robin Roberts he's "hoping to bring some of" his pommel horse moves to the competition.
"I want to bring some flares, I want to bring some of that gymnastics. Maybe a back flip or hand stand. I want to have fun with it," Nedoroscik said, adding, "I'm very excited," and revealing the opportunity was one he said "yes" to straight away.
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