Frederick Nathaniel Richard[2] (born April 23, 2004) is an American artistic gymnast. He is the 2023 World all-around bronze medalist, as well as the 2021 and 2022 Junior Pan American Champion. He has been a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team since 2022 and represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics where he won a bronze medal in the team event.

Fred Richard
Full nameFrederick Nathaniel Richard
Country representedUnited States
Born (2004-04-23) April 23, 2004 (age 20)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
HometownStoughton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team2022–present
GymMassachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy
College teamMichigan Wolverines
Head coach(es)Yuan Xiao
Former coach(es)Levon Karakhanyan, Tom Fontecchio
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  United States
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 0 1
World Championships 0 0 2
Total 0 0 3
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Team
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Antwerp Team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Antwerp All-around
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2022–present
Genre(s)Sport, vlogging
Subscribers270K[1]
Total views185,388,882[1]
100,000 subscribers
TikTok information
Page
Followers860.5K
Likes32 million

Last updated: November 11, 2024

Early life and education

edit

Richard was born on April 23, 2004, in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Carl, is Haitian and his mother, Ann-Marie Richard, is Dominican.[3] He has two brothers and one sister: Carlton, Alexandra, and Kevin.

He started with gymnastics at age four.[4] He was affiliated with Massachusetts Elite Gymnastics Academy and attended Stoughton High School. He later attended the University of Michigan where he continued to pursue gymnastics.

Gymnastics career

edit

2019–20

edit

Richard competed at his first elite-level National Championships in 2019. He placed eighth in the all-around but won bronze on floor exercise behind Nick Kuebler and Khoi Young. He was added to the junior national team for the first time.[5] In 2020 Richard competed at the Elite Team Cup and the Winter Cup. He finished third at the latter behind Fuzzy Benas and Asher Hong.[6] The majority of competitions for the rest of the year were canceled or postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

2021

edit

Richard returned to competition at the 2021 National Championships where he won the junior all-around title.[7] He was named to the team to compete at the Junior Pan American Championships.[8] While there he helped the United States win gold as a team. He won gold in the all-around and on vault and horizontal bar. Additionally, he won silver on floor exercise and bronze on rings.[9]

2022

edit

Richard became age-eligible to compete at the senior level in 2022 but remained at the junior level in international competition. Richard competed at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge where he helped the United States finish first as a team. Individually he won gold on vault and parallel bars and placed fifth on floor exercise.[10] Later in the year Richard competed at the Pan American Championships where he once again led the United States to team gold and individually won the all-around competition.[11] During event finals Richard won gold on floor exercise, rings, and vault, silver on parallel bars, and bronze on pommel horse.[12]

Although he competed at the junior level internationally, Richard competed in the senior division in domestic competitions. He competed in three events at the U.S. Classic before competing in the all-around at the 2022 National Championships. While there he finished fourth in the all-around, third on floor exercise, and second on horizontal bar. As a result he was added to the senior national team.[13]

2023

edit

Richard began competing for the Michigan Wolverines in the 2022–2023 season.[14] He was selected to represent the United States at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge alongside Yul Moldauer, Asher Hong, Brody Malone, and Shane Wiskus. Together they placed first as a team.[15]

In August Richard competed at the World University Games where he helped the USA finish fourth as a team. Individually, he qualified for the all-around and horizontal bar finals. He finished fourth in the all-around final, and seventh in the horizontal bar final.[16] Richard next competed at the Xfinity National Championships, where he placed third all-around behind Asher Hong and Khoi Young.[17] The following day he was named to the team to compete at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships alongside Hong, Young, Yul Moldauer, Paul Juda, and alternate Colt Walker.[18]

At the World Championships, Richard contributed scores in four events to help Team USA to a bronze-medal finish. In the all-around competition, he earned the bronze medal behind Daiki Hashimoto of Japan and Illia Kovtun of Ukraine. Richard is the youngest USA gymnast to win an individual world medal in the men's competition, and the USA's first men's all-around medalist since 2010.[19]

2024

edit

During the 2024 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship, Richard finished second on still rings with a score of 14.400 and second in the all-around with a score of 83.999 which helped Michigan finish as runner-up in the team competition.[20] At the 2024 National Championships, Richard finished second in the all-around behind Brody Malone.[21]

In June, Richard competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where he placed first all-around (170.500),[22] third on floor (28.700), ninth on pommel horse (27.050), seventh on rings (27.650), second on parallel bars (29.850), and first on horizontal bar (28.850).[23] After placing first in the all-around and in the top three for three events, Richard was automatically named to the U.S. Olympic Team to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games alongside Malone, Asher Hong, Paul Juda, and Stephen Nedoroscik.[24]

During the qualification round, Richard competed on all apparatuses, helping the USA qualify to the team final in fifth place; individually, he qualified for the all-around final in tenth place and was the third reserve for the horizontal bar final.[25] During the team final, he contributed scores on floor exercise, rings, parallel bars, and horizontal bar towards the USA's bronze medal finish.[26] In the all-around final, Richard finished in fifteenth place after shaky performances on pommel horse and floor exercise.[27]

In September, Richard embarked on the Gold Over America Tour.[28]

Personal life

edit

Richard creates content about gymnastics training and athletic challenges on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, under the name FrederickFlips. He began posting on TikTok during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns in April 2020.[13][29] As of May 2024, he had a total of 900,000 followers across his TikTok and Instagram accounts.[30] Richard was honored by Time as one of the world's most influential emerging stars in October 2024.[31]

He also sells a line of apparel under his name for both adults and children and has worked with brands like Crocs, Celsius, Marriott International, and Peloton.[30]

Competitive history

edit
Year Event Team AA FX PH SR VT PB HB
Junior
2019 U.S. National Championships (15–16) 8   5 16 18 4 4
2020 Elite Team Cup  
Winter Cup     8 6 6 8  
2021 National Championships (17–18)     7     7  
Pan American Championships       4     7  
2022 DTB Pokal Team Challenge   5    
Pan American Championships               4
Senior
2022 Winter Cup 28 22 19 25 18 24 17
U.S. Classic 15 8  
U.S. National Championships 4   9 12 16 8  
2023 Winter Cup  
DTB Pokal Team Challenge   5
NCAA Championships       33 5 19    
World University Games 4 4 7
U.S. National Championships   7 17 9 8  
World Championships     8
2024 NCAA Championships     23 9   25 12 30
U.S. National Championships     14 6 9  
Olympic Trials     9 7    
Olympic Games   15 R3

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "About FrederickFlips". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Fred Richard – Men's Gymnastics". University of Michigan Athletics. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "Frederick Richard Meet the Athlete: Bio, career highlights, recent news | NBC Olympics". NBC Olympics. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  4. ^ "FRED RICHARD IS READY TO SHOW OFF HIS GYMNASTS, BOTH AT THE U.S. CHAMPS AND ON TIKTOK". Team USA. August 18, 2022. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "Mikulak cruises to sixth men's all-around title at 2019 U.S. Championships". USA Gymnastics. August 10, 2019. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  6. ^ "Mikulak wins four event medals, Benas claims Junior All-Around Title at 2020 Winter Cup Challenge". USA Gymnastics. February 23, 2020. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "Richard, Petrosyan take 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships men's junior all-around titles". USA Gymnastics. June 5, 2021. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  8. ^ "U.S. athletes set to compete at 2021 Men's and Women's Artistic Junior Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. June 17, 2021. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "Seven U.S. gymnasts capture 15 medals during the final day of 2021 Junior Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. June 21, 2021. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  10. ^ "Four U.S. gymnasts add apparatus gold on final day of men's competition at 2022 DTB Pokal Team Challenge". USA Gymnastics. March 19, 2022. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  11. ^ "U.S. juniors sweep team, all-around titles on first day of artistic competition at 2022 Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. July 14, 2022. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  12. ^ "Richard, Sumanasekera, Zhou golden on final day of Junior Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. July 16, 2022. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Fred Richard Is Ready To Show Off His Gymnasts, Both At The U.S. Champs And On Tiktok". TeamUSA.org. August 18, 2022. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "Michigan and Ohio State Capture Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Weekly Honors". Big Ten Conference. January 30, 2023. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023.
  15. ^ "U.S., Germany and Japan sweep team titles at DTB Pokal". International Gymnast Media. March 19, 2023. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  16. ^ "The 2023 World University Games conclude in Chengdu". USA Gymnastics. August 5, 2023. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  17. ^ "Hong rallies for U.S. men's title at Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships". USA Gymnastics. August 27, 2023. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  18. ^ "U.S. Senior Men's teams named for 2023 Artistic World Championships, Pan American Games". USA Gymnastics. August 27, 2023. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "Richard makes more history with all-around bronze at World Championships". USA Gymnastics. October 5, 2023. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  20. ^ Kemps, Scott (April 20, 2024). "Juda Takes Floor Title, Michigan Earns NCAA Finals Runner-Up Finish". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  21. ^ "Malone takes third career all-around title; Senior Men's National Team named at Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships". USA Gymnastics. June 2, 2024. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  22. ^ Peene, Sam (June 27, 2024). "2024 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials: All Results". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  23. ^ "2024 U.S. Olympic Trials - Men Day 2" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  24. ^ "Frederick Richard, Brody Malone and more named to men's U.S. Olympic gymnastics team". NBC News. June 29, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  25. ^ Barton, Hanna (July 27, 2024). "Michigan Duo Frederick Richard and Paul Juda Lead the Way for the U.S. After Gymnastics Qualifications". teamusa.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  26. ^ "U.S. men win historic team bronze at 2024 Olympic Games". USA Gymnastics. July 29, 2024.
  27. ^ "Juda, Richard top 15 in 2024 Olympic all-around final". USA Gymnastics. July 31, 2024.
  28. ^ "Olympic gymnasts head to Phoenix for Gold Over America Tour". KTVK. August 26, 2024.
  29. ^ Cornetta, Kat (July 14, 2022). "This Stoughton teen with 615,000 followers on TikTok is a rising gymnastics star, and he's out to flip his way into stardom – The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Mich, Alice Park / Ann Arbor (May 1, 2024). "Fred Richard Is Team USA's Next Olympic Hope for Men's Gymnastics". TIME. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  31. ^ Nedoroscik, Stephen (October 2, 2024). "2024 TIME100 Next: Fred Richard". TIME. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
edit