Pommel horse left! Pommel Horse right! Is it too late in the season for a new summer bop?

Like millions of Americans, gays were transfixed to their TVs Monday night watching the U.S. men’s gymnastics team win their first Olympic medal since 2008.

The team received an array of incredible performances, including Frederick Richardson’s event high score on the high bar (14.866), and Asher Hong’s 14.833 score on the vault.

But the star of the show was a bespectacled kid from Central Massachusetts, who was caught closing his eyes between routines.

Babygirl! He rests so peacefully!

Stephen Nedoroscik, who doubles as a quintessential short king, is the kind of athlete who makes the Olympics such a special event. Virtually unknown just two days ago, the 25-year-old Nedoroscik is now an American icon–or at least a leading meme.

A pommel horse specialist, he was brought to the Olympics for one purpose only. And he wound up securing the medal. (Believe it or not, the bronze-medal win actually might be Nedoroscik’s 2nd-biggest accomplishment in Paris. He solved a Rubik’s cube in under 10 seconds.)

OK, math whiz!

Male gymnasts, with their snatched bods and ripped physiques, have always been gay favorites. Two out gymnasts are competing in Paris: Brazil’s Arthur Nory and Rayan Dutra. And they are very, very popular! (Nory failed to secure a place in the pommel horse finals; and Dutra, a trampolinist, will compete later this week.)

Still, male gymnasts pale in popularity compared to their female counterparts, who will take centerstage Tuesday. Simone Biles, one of the biggest stars in the U.S., will once again lead the women’s push for gold.

With a disparity in popularity, there have been multiple ideas floated about how to increase the men’s visibility. One proposal that tickled our wandering gay eyes was an idea for the men to compete shirtless. U.S. Olympians Sam Mikulak and Jake Dalton pitched the idea in 2016 to the Wall Street Journal.

“People make fun of us for wearing tights,” he said. “But if they saw how yoked we are maybe that would make a difference.”

In the case of Dalton, we can comfortably say that seeing is believing!

While the push for shirtless competitors has fizzled over time, one gay (and ripped) male gymnast is still on board. Sam Phillips, a team captain at Nebraska who just transferred to Illinois, told Outsports’ Jim Buzinski the idea makes sense… both aesthetically and logistically.

“There are absolutely zero drawbacks to competing shirtless,” he said. “Every sport competes in what’s someone’s most comfortable gear. Gymnasts, however, are constantly uncomfortable in a tight and inhibiting [leotard]. 

“We work out shirtless and would prefer competing shirtless with 5-inch seam workout shorts. It’s where we are at our most comfortable. Swimmers don’t practice in Speedos then compete in loose swim trunks, right? So why should we change what we do?”

Related*

There is recent precedent for Olympic uniforms changing. This year, male swimmers ditched their Speedo briefs for tight jammers. Though gay men originally mourned the alteration, photo evidence shows they aren’t so bad after all…

But as far as the gymnasts are concerned, we’ll have to settle for tight spandex unis… at least for now. Good thing we have British divers on OF, Tyler Downs and rugby stars swapping sweaty post-match shorts to quench our thirst.

But more than anything, Americans have a thirst for athletic greatness. And Nedoroscik delivered.

Move over, Jacob Elordi. There is a new No. 1 babygirl in the house.

Related: Men’s Olympic gymnasts want more attention. Competing shirtless would be a start

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