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Alex Naddour's bronze gets U.S. male gymnasts on the board

Alex Naddour (AP)
Alex Naddour (AP)

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The United States women’s team won all the headlines when it comes to gymnastics in Rio, but the American men won’t be going home emptyhanded.

Well, at least one American man will have something to pack in his suitcase. Alex Naddour won a bronze in the pommel horse on Sunday for the first medal won by an American male gymnast at these Olympics. It’s the first U.S. medal in the pommel horse since Peter Vidmar won gold and Tim Daggett won bronze in 1984.

Naddour, 25, has a pretty inspiring story. After only being named an alternate for the 2012 games, he got a large “London’ tattoo on the inside of his right arm to remind him of the disappointment. Naddour worked hard to make this year’s team, and as you can see at the picture atop this post, the tattoo was very visible to cameras after his routine.

[RELATED: 11 sports tattoos that are worse than the ‘Phelps Glare’ tattoo’]

Naddour, a 25-year-old who graduated from the University of Oklahoma, has a pretty inspiring story. After only being named an alternate for the 2012 games, he got a large “London’ tattoo on the inside of his right arm to remind him of the disappointment.

You might’ve noticed during the competition that Naddour’s left arm is blank, but he’s got a plan for that one. After getting the London tattoo directly after those games, he pledged to get “Rio” and the Olympic rings on the left. (Wonder if he’ll add a bronze medal to that design.)

Here’s another interesting tidbit: Naddour washes his uniforms in baby detergent to remind him of his seven-month-old daughter back at home.

All of that made for one emotional medal ceremony.

”The tears were about my family, what they’ve sacrificed to put me at the top,” Naddour told reporters in Brazil.

Naddour scored a 15.7 on the horse, finishing behind two British gymnasts: Max Whitlock (15.966) and Louis Smith (15.833).

The last time the American men went home empty-handed were the 2000 Sydney Games.

Two more individual events will be contested on Monday, though no Americans are expected to contend for a medal in the vault or rings. The U.S. men finished fifth in the team all-around last week.