Ever wondered why women’s gymnastics in the U.S. consistently steal the spotlight more than men’s? The sport has become synonymous with incredible female athletes like Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and others. The American women’s team was dazzled with Olympic golds at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite narrowly missing a third consecutive gold and securing silver in Tokyo 2020, their legacy remains unmatched. Conversely, the men’s team has faced challenges, finishing in 5th place in 2012. However, the USA men’s gymnastics team is determined to rewrite the narrative and catch up.

Just last year, the men’s team clinched a bronze at the FIG Artistic World Championships, marking their fourth-ever team medal at this event and their first since 2014. Among the standout names on the roster was Fred Richard. At just 19, he earned a bronze in the all-around, becoming the youngest U.S. gymnast to win an individual world medal in the men’s competition and the first U.S. men’s all-around medalist since 2010. This year, 20-year-old Fred leads the U.S. men’s team at the Paris Olympics. If he pulls off an all-around Olympic triumph, he’ll become the first U.S. men’s gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal since 2008. Now, with just days before Paris, Fred Richard is poised to shake up the gymnastics world with his A-game and social media fame.

Fred Richard is leveraging the algorithm to revolutionize gymnastics

In an interview with MLive, Massachusetts native Fred Richard discussed how he leverages his social media fame to transform the sport. About three years ago, he created his online persona, “Frederick Flips,” by sharing videos of his daring flares and flips. He began his TikTok journey during the COVID-19 lockdowns in April 2020. By 2024, he has amassed 675.4K followers on TikTok, 1,880 on Twitter, and 311K on Instagram, totaling over 900,000 followers across all platforms. Initially, his social media handle was “Gymkid108.”

Over time, Fred started thinking about his future and asked himself, “What do I want to be known as, known for? I do a lot of flips. I do crazy flips. Not just what I’m competing but I’m like the kid that does crazy challenges. flipping over anything — people, things, whatever.” This introspection led to his current username, which has evolved into his second persona.

“So I was like, Frederick Flips,’ – it fits the two F’s. It’s about pushing limits. It’s about showing that extra side of you that wants to go the extra level and definitely inspire kids with it.” Fred has posted some of the most engaging videos, ranging from behind-the-scenes content to even challenging Simone Biles in gymnastics routines. He has also ventured into fashion with his own apparel line catering to both adults and children. Reflecting on his online success and his goal of bringing more visibility to gymnastics, especially men’s gymnastics, it’s evident that this ambition has always been part of his vision.

From competing against to flipping alongside Simone Biles

After the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles is reviving her Gold Over America Tour this fall with a new twist—this time, men are invited too. The decision to include male gymnasts on the 30-city tour, which starts in Southern California on September 17 and ends in Detroit on November 3, aims to broaden the show’s demographic. Simone Biles said, “(The men) also bring a little bit, in the best way, sex appeal.” That includes Fred Richard.

Speaking about his role on tour with Biles and his ambitions, Richard shared that the goal is to attract as much attention as possible to men’s gymnastics and help people better understand the gymnasts and their craft. Fred stated, “The dream is that someone walks down the street one day and someone says ‘Name a male gymnast’ and they actually name a male gymnast.”

With the Paris Olympics just 11 days away, Fred Richard and Team USA are aiming to break their medal drought. Do you think they can achieve this? Could Fred and Team USA bring home medals from Paris both individually and as a team? Share your thoughts in the comments below!