“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,” declared 20-year-old gymnastics phenomenon Fred Richard. Both Richard and sprinter Noah Lyles are eyeing gold at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Lyles’ recent triumphs at the 2023 World Championships have inspired Richard, who hopes to become the first U.S. male gymnast in over a decade to win an Olympic all-around medal. The two athletes recently shared a candid FaceTime call, showcasing their camaraderie and mutual determination.

Richard made history by winning two bronze medals and securing an all-around world medal, the first for a U.S. male gymnast in 13 years. With Lyles’ advice, Richard is honing his skills for the Summer Games. Lyles crowned the “world’s fastest man,” swept the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the World Championships. Their stories reflect the spirit of the Games as they prepare for their respective Olympic Trials.

Fred Richard shares exactly how Noah Lyles helped him and why

In a recent interview with MLive on July 15, 2024, Olympic gymnast Fred Richard discussed his eagerness to bring back ‘hardware’ from the Paris Olympics and the people who inspire him to push his limits. Richard said, “I’m thinking about gold medaling. I like to aim for the biggest (prize) and do whatever it takes to get there.”

He’s putting in the effort it takes in the training before he heads to Paris. Once he gets there, he’s going to concentrate wholly on enjoying the sport and having fun. “The results will come,” he said, “the medals will come. So have fun is definitely the biggest goal.” It’s well known that while the women’s gymnastics team from the USA has consistently given podium finishes with Suni Lee winning the 2021 AA in Tokyo, the men’s team hasn’t medaled since Bronze in Beijing.

Furthermore, a gold medal hasn’t been brought back home since the 1984 LA Olympics. So this year, the team is locked in. Aside from his Olympic quest, Richard has a social media series where he brings on athletes, including softball players, swimmers, and dancers, to determine who can jump higher, jump farther, and grab a piece of paper taped to another person’s back faster. This inspired him to reach out to sprinter Noah Lyles to improve his runs. Noah Lyles and Richard share a close bond. Richard even shared a FaceTime call between the two in January this year.

Lyles pointed out a few missteps in Richard’s run-up to the vault and gave him a routine that should sort Fred out. It includes 20m hill sprints, hill jumps, one-legged hill jumps, speed bounce, “reaction game,” and recovering in the pool. Richard admitted the advice, “gave me motivation to improve my run and get way more power from my harder vault.” 

Later during the US Championships, Noah retweeted NBC Olympics & Paralympics, writing, “I see you Dog.” In the accompanying video, Fred was seen performing a high bar routine where he placed second. Lyles is perhaps one of the prime people in the industry who can give track-and-field advice. As the “fastest man alive” per the 2023 World Championships, he’s set to represent the USA in the 100m and 200m events.

Lyles finished with a time of 9.83 in the 100m and 19.53 in the 200m finals, lowering his score from 19.60 in the semis. It was an Olympic trial record. During the Worlds last year, Lyles clinched the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events, a feat last achieved by Usain Bolt in 2015. Following in those footsteps, Lyles has expressed his strong desire to win four medals in the Olympics this year, aiming to surpass Usain Bolt, who won three. This confident proclamation has earned him the respect of peers worldwide. As Lyles takes on this challenge, Fred Richard aims to elevate men’s gymnastics to new heights.

Fred Richard’s plans for him and men’s gymnastics future

Fred Richard has had a stunning Olympic trials season this year at the Target Center in Minneapolis. He finished on top of the podium in first place with 170.500 points, edging out 2021 Tokyo team member Brody Malone by 0.200 points. He achieved this by placing first on the high bar, second on the parallel bars, and third on the floor exercise. This is no surprise, however, as Fred Richard maintains a rigorous training routine. The key is consistency. He does not want to be a single day behind, saying, “…[I] really love the feeling of just consistency. There’s not like a Monday like I kind of have to come back after that one-day lag. I just like…being able to keep going.” Not even one single day is off. “Sunday is the day off for the lighter day…still in the gym I’m in the gym right now,” says the gymnast.

He does not indulge in excessive weight lifting on Sundays and instead goes through a few hours of yoga and physical therapy. In addition, Richard has a very important side quest: he’s striving to bring men’s rhythmic gymnastics into the forefront of people’s minds. The sport is often associated with women, and he’s determined to change that. His handle @frederickflips has over 650,000 followers on TikTok as of May. His reach across all his social media platforms is extensive. There, he posts his preparation and training, showcasing his mastery.

Richard said, “Social media really provides a big opportunity for a sport like mine, to let more people know me, my story, and my sport. I really wanted to show the athleticism gymnasts have.” Even Simone Biles has been featured on his feed. The two ‘besties’ are planning to promote men’s gymnastics in the Gold Over America tour following the Olympics in September. Given his determination and excellent performances over the past few years, Fred Richard is more than ready to bring home the gold.