What is the pommel horse? A quick guide to the Olympic event

Thanks to sudden viral sensation Stephen Nedoroscik — known to the internet at Pommel Horse Guy — the Olympic gymnastic event pommel horse is experiencing a peak in interest.

In previous Olympic games, the pommel horse event typically takes a back seat to whatever Simone Biles and other female gymnasts are up to. This year, the pommel horse is trending. So, what exactly is the pommel horse?

What is the pommel horse?

There are six olympic events in men’s artistic gymnastics: floor exercise, still rings, vault, parallel bars, horizontal bar and pommel horse.

Firstly, let’s take a look at the pommel horse event in action. Below is a clip of Nedoroscik competing in pommel horse in Paris on Monday.

“Pommel horse routines consist of continuous circular movements interrupted only by the required scissors elements,” according to USA Gymnastics . “Swinging through a handstand position, with or without turns, is allowed.”

Gymnasts can only touch the apparatus with with their hands, and placements of the hands are expected to be quick and quiet. If other parts of the body touch the apparatus, points are lost. The performance must flow with “steady, controlled rhythm,” per to USA Gymnastics . Olympic gymnasts perform two 40-second pommel horse routines.

Pommel horse is considered by many gymnasts to be the most difficult event, per USA Gymnastics .

“Pommel horse is the only event in which gymnasts do not get to stop or pause during the routine. If a gymnast gets in trouble, he must continue moving through the routine while making corrections. The constant movement makes this very difficult to do,” per USA Gymnastics .

Minute flaws that go unnoticed by the untrained eye can lead in large deductions from judges. If a gymnast’s hips are not raised high enough, his legs are held too close during scissor movements, his dismount does not match his routine, or other details, it can detract from an overall score.

Why is it called the pommel horse?

“Standing at 3 feet, 9 inches, a modern pommel horse is made of metal and covered with foam and leather,” per NBC New York .

The modern pommel horse looks similar to the wooden horse apparatus used by ancient Romans in military training to practice mounting and dismounting a horse. Hence, the “horse” part of the name.

“Pommels come from the French word pomel, which means ‘nob,’ or ‘hilt of a sword.’ It traces back to the Latin word pōmum, meaning apple or fruit, the same root in the word pomegranate,” reports NBC New York .

Do female gymnasts compete in the pommel horse?

No. There is no pommel horse event in women’s gymnastics at the Olympic level.

Men’s and women’s gymnastic events at the Olympics are different. Women’s gymnastics has four events in the Olympics: floor, vault, uneven bars, and balance beam. The two events both men and women compete in is floor and vault.

While the pommel horse is not an event women compete in at the Olympics, women can still practice the sport! Trying out the pommel horse, still rings and other traditionally male gymnastic events is not exclusive to men — anyone can try it.