After returning from Paris in 2024, Stephen Nedoroscik took a nine-month hiatus. But when he returned in August 2025 for the Xfinity Championships to assert his dominance on Pommel Horse, something felt off. In late September, he revealed that he had a cam deformity, where his hip joint came under constant strain due to the femoral head. Later on, paired with the extensive training in the gym, he developed a double labrum tear and cartilage damage near the femoral head. Meaning, he had to undergo surgery to fix it. Now, as the surgery is done successfully, Nedoroscik is already planning a return!

As he missed out on the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, the 26-year-old said, “I’m pretty disappointed that after my comeback, I’m gonna have to get a surgery and do this comeback all over again.” Now, as the gymnast underwent the medical procedure, he is planning to return to competition in 2026 on his road to LA2028, as per the report of Inside Gymnastics Magazine. 

Taking to Instagram, the pommel horse specialist shared a few visuals of himself in the hospital. In one of the stories, he wrote, “You get special air if you have asthma,” as he threw some compressed and possibly medicated gas from a nebulizer. In the next story, he announced that his surgery was successful, but there was still some lingering pain. He stated, “Great successful. Ouch ouch ouch.” 

More so, it will take another six to nine months for a complete recovery. Nevertheless, with the 2028 LA Olympic Games in his crosshairs, his return is highly anticipated. 

Last year, reflecting his determination and love for gymnastics he stated, “I’m going to continue gymnastics until my body can’t handle it anymore.” But having to miss out on the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships had him disappointed. He was set to make a comeback after becoming the first male gymnast to compete on Dancing With The Stars. 

But his hip surgery delayed his plans. However, this is possibly the last time such troubles will keep him out of active competition. And Stephen Nedoroscik is already planning his epic return. 

Stephen Nedoroscik plans to return before the 2028 Olympics and ace it

As he got ready to return to the Xfinity US Championships, Nedoroscik expressed his feelings about the picture-perfect ending of the 2024 season and the late start of the current one. But one thing was crystal clear. Stephen Nedoroscik still desires to better himself. He certainly doesn’t want to disappoint the fans cheering for ‘The Pommel Horse Guy’. But even though the current scenario has him out of the gym, he aims to return and strive to get into the US Team for the LA Olympics. 

Nedoroscik claimed, “I’m going to continue going. L.A. [2028 Olympics] would be amazing, so I want to shoot for that.” We already know the kind of skills he brings into the gymnasium. After all, it was his childhood dream to step into the Olympic Games as a star athlete. He is now aiming for the gold at the LA2028.

With his surgery behind him and his spirit unbroken, Stephen Nedoroscik’s focus is clear — heal, rebuild, and return stronger. As the countdown to Los Angeles 2028 begins, fans await the Pommel Horse king’s golden comeback.