The records aren’t going anywhere, and neither is “Pommel Horse Guy” Stephen Nedoroscik. Fresh off his bronze in Paris last year, he traded competition for the ballroom on Dancing With the Stars, but never drifted far from gymnastics. He slipped back into EVO Gymnastics in Florida, put his head down, and returned at the U.S. Championships, where he settled for fifth. Now, as he rehabs a hip surgery, his rivals are already back grinding on the apparatus.

Rhys McClenaghan, the Olympic pommel horse champion, is finally back in the gym after missing this year’s World Championships due to injury. The Irish star was forced to shut down his season early and undergo shoulder surgery, but the comeback has officially begun. Returning with intent, McClenaghan shared clips on Instagram of him gliding through his pommel horse sequences, smooth and controlled. Another video clip of his from the gym was captioned ‘trying something new.’

Back when the injury happened, it broke his heart, as the gymnast had been looking forward to adding another medal to his collection. “I’m disappointed to miss this year’s World Championships, but my priority is to maintain my place as the best in the world on pommel horse.” However, this setback hasn’t stopped him from dreaming big.

Speaking to Inside Gym, the Irish star made it clear that his grieving period is behind him. “I’m due to start competing again early next year. Let’s see if I can produce my best gymnastics yet.” Looking to kick off his season early, the Irish star is clearly motivated, but his ambitions stretch far beyond a strong start. He’s already eyeing something bigger: defending his Olympic pommel horse title in Nedoroscik’s own backyard at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“My goal is not only to retain my Olympic title in LA 2028 but to continue striving for gold in every major competition. This surgery was necessary to ensure I can perform at the highest level for years to come. Setbacks are part of elite sport, but my mindset is about turning challenges – as I have done before – into opportunities to raise my performance.”

Speak of dominance in male gymnastics, and you will find his name written all over it. After his Olympic medal, Rhys completed gymnastics’ Grand Slam by becoming Olympic, World, European, and Commonwealth champion. With such a resume backing Rhys, Nedoroscik might have to work on his skills a bit, and guess what, he is not far behind.

Stephen Nedoroscik is out there to make a name for himself

The “Pommel Horse guy” may be recovering from hip surgery, but he’s already planning ahead. A two-time Olympic bronze medalist and four-time U.S. champion, Stephen Nedoroscik still needs Olympic gold to round out his résumé. His bronze in Paris marked the start of that pursuit. In April, after adjusting his training for the Xfinity Championship, Nedoroscik summed up his approach simply: he’ll keep going as long as his body allows it.

“I’ve always told myself, ‘I want to be done with the sport when my body is done with the sport,’ and I’m still getting better. I feel like I’d be doing myself a dishonor to not see how far I could go,” said Nedoroscik.

At the Championships in New Orleans, he quipped, “Being able to hear people cheer and root me on … this is what you do this for.” On the very first day of the competition, “Seeing these (kids) look up to me, doing a horse routine for them and hearing them cheer. It’s seriously amazing seeing how the community is backing not only me but the rest of the guys here. I’m more than happy to take pictures and sign (autographs) with them.”

Despite his best attempts, he placed fifth in the competition, and this gave him many more reasons to be back and train harder, “I’m going to continue going,” he said. “L.A. [2028 Olympics] would be amazing, so I want to shoot for that.” With a goal in sight, Stephen is working towards the gold, but will he be able to oust Rhys? Time will tell.