Frederick Richard soars into Olympic trials after No. 2 finish in U.S. Gymnastics Championship
Frederick "Flips" Richard, who has grown a massive social media following, dreams big for men's gymnastics and himself as he aims for the next U.S. Olympic team.
Updated (July 29, 2024, 3:38 p.m. ET): Frederick Richard and the U.S. men won bronze in the team event. Read about their triumph here and all the latest from the Paris games with our live blog.
Frederick "Flips" Richard is already making a name for himself in men's gymnastics as he soars into the Olympics, having clinched the a spot on the U.S. team and the No. 2 spot at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, but he has been captivating an audience on social media for years and has big plans for the sport's future.
Richard, 20, grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and first hit the gym at 2 years old. After his parents saw him on their bed throwing flips he'd seen in his older sister's gymnastics classes, they decided to put him in class, too. But he wouldn't listen to the instructors at that age, he said, so his parents took him back when he was 4. Competitions started when he was 6, and he "never did another sport."
Starting young helped Richard build a strong foundation, he said. Not only was he required to repeat levels to stay within age parameters, but he was also training with kids three years his senior.
"And then I compete against kids my age and destroy them," Richard said.
Rating: 5