Headlined by seven-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, the Gold Over America Tour is well underway. With almost 20 shows under their belt, the gymnasts are almost constantly on the road, performing for huge crowds of fans. However, despite the constant flights, rehearsals, and performances, Team USA’s gymnastics icons are proving themselves to be relentless.

Whether it’s Hezly Rivera verbally committing to the LSU Tigers as their freshman recruit or Simone Biles getting tattoos, the athletes have not stopped. So things are not different with the men’s team. Just hours before their show at the Prudential Center in Newark, Frederick Richard uploaded a video on Instagram. However, it wasn’t footage of his rehearsals.

The Olympic team bronze medalist at Paris 2024 showed off the progress he’s making in practice. Yes, you heard that right. Despite traveling from one state to another, Richard has still found time to improve upon his craft. “It’s always fun to learn new skills,” the Olympian wrote as he showcased two failed attempts to land these new skills.

The first one Frederick Richard showed was a 360 spin on the high bar with a midair twist to change direction. The 20-year-old came excruciatingly close to executing the move as he landed one hand on the high bar, but the momentum was just too high. Something similar happened with the second trick, as this one was even more difficult.

Richard tried what’s known as a Kovacs with 3/2 t. to mix grip in the second skill. While that name may sound complicated, the skill looked even more complicated. Gymnasts often use the move during the dismount. That’s because the move involves slingshotting yourself up in the air while performing two twists before landing on the mat. However, Richard made it even more difficult.

Instead of building up momentum and dismounting, the 2023 World Championships all-around bronze medalist tried to grab the high bar. Unfortunately, Frederick Richard overshot the bar once again, landing on the mat. However, it’s important to note that Richard’s video was not to show off but to show the process. And there’s a good reason why Fred Richard isn’t letting up.

Frederick Richard wasn’t happy with himself in Paris

The men from Team USA entered the Olympics as strong contenders to finally break a 16-year medal drought. While they did exactly that, winning bronze in the team all-around, the individual performances fell flat. Despite winning bronze in the world championship, Fred Richard finished 15th in the individual all-around at Paris 2024. A disappointing result didn’t still go well with the 20-year-old.

“Fifteenth place means nothing to me… Yes, it’s amazing we’re at the biggest competition, but I know I have way more in me. The world knows I have way more in me,” the Olympian told the press. An error on the Pommel Horse led to a fall in the opening rotation for Richard. However, what may have hurt even more was finishing fourth on the horizontal bar.

Richard posted 14.400 to earn the fourth-highest horizontal bar score inside Bercy Arena. Unfortunately, the World Championship medalist didn’t get any medals for 4th place. “I still have a lot of work to do, which is good. I still have the same goals and am motivated to make that happen,” the gymnast later told the Boston Globe.

So it’s not surprising to see Frederick Richard practicing on the horizontal bar amidst the Gold Over America Tour. Although LA 2028 is four years away, next time Fred Richard aims to stand on the podium.