“I have no problem saying that I want to win this Olympics and I want to be in the sport for 10-plus years and dominate, because that’s sports,” says Frederick "Fred" Richard, now 20, on a snowy March day at the University of Michigan gym where he trains. “That’s what you’re supposed to do-you’re supposed to talk big, you’re supposed to challenge yourself.”
Richard has the resume to back up the talk. Aside from his world-championship medals, he’s a national all-around bronze medalist and a national champion on the high bar. In April, he earned silver in the all-around competition at the NCAA championships and helped Michigan win silver in the team event. He was one of six finalists this year for the James E. Sullivan Award for the top U.S. athlete at the collegiate or Olympic level. (Caitlin Clark won for the second year in a row.) He has deals with Crocs, Celsius energy drink, Marriott, and Peloton, as well as his own apparel brand, aptly named frederickflips, whose logo is a silhouette of him in a backflip. And to reach an audience that might otherwise pay attention to his sport only every four years, he’s also leveraged social media to attract a combined 900,000 followers to his TikTok and Instagram accounts.
Even in the seconds-long clips he posts, Richard’s delight in learning new skills is obvious. “You know when you see kids in the playground and they look innately happy? That’s Fred when he’s in the gym,” says Jordan Gaarenstroom, assistant coach for men’s gymnastics at University of Michigan, where Richard is a sophomore. “He has a charisma that a lot of people work toward but comes so natural to him.”
This summer fans will tune in to the Games to see the powerhouse U.S. women, likely headed by Simone Biles, but Richard’s athletic prowess and personality will certainly generate some real excitement for the men’s competition too. “He sets goals other people may laugh at,” says Paul Juda, a Michigan teammate who was also part of the world-championship team, “but once Fred gets that desire in his heart and in his mind, the only person to tell him no is himself. And he never does.”
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