Olympic ‘specialist’ Stephen Nedoroscik to join ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Stephen Nedoroscik could be placing a mirror ball trophy next to his Olympic medals in due time.

The Penn State alumnus who captured hearts — and became the subject of many memes — this summer for his role as “pommel horse guy” with the U.S. men’s gymnastics team will be among the celebrity cast for this season’s Dancing with the Stars.

Nedoroscik, 25, is the first celebrity contestant to be named so far as a participant on season 33 of the popular ABC competition series. The announcement came Thursday morning on Good Morning America.

Nicknamed “the specialist” for his focus on the pommel horse in this summer’s Olympics, fans had been hoping Nedoroscik would join the ranks of other gymnasts-turned-DTWS-contestants. Fellow Olympic gymnasts Suni Lee, Simone Biles, and Laurie Henderson have competed on the show.

In an interview with Access Hollywood last week, he revealed that dancing is an insecurity of his but that he’s “the type of guy who pushes boundaries.”

On GMA Thursday morning, Nedoroscik said he wanted to bring some of his pommel horse skills to the ballroom.

“I want to bring some of that gymnastics — maybe a backflip or handstand,” he said. “I want to have fun with it.”

Hosts also asked if Nedoroscik would bring a signature accessory of his to the dance floor: his glasses.

Nedoroscik has an eye condition called strabismus, an eye misalignment that requires him to wear glasses. The gymnast became known for wearing his specs while waiting to compete and taking them off just before launching into his routines. Fans compared him to Clark Kent.

“I might have fun with it,” Nedoroscik said about whether he’d wear his glasses. “I’m scared they’ll fly off … maybe we could [get] a gadget [to] keep them on. Maybe a new pair of glasses, match the theme, right?”

Dancing with the Stars season 33 premieres on ABC and Disney+ on Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.. Episodes are available to watch the next day on Hulu.