Squashing ‘Cocky’ Remarks, Fred Richard Asserts Dominance in Gymnastics World With Automatic Paris Ticket: “I’m an Olympian”

The young prodigy from Massachusetts has done it! Fred Richard has effortlessly punched his ticket to the French capital after a thrilling performance at the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials. The 20-year-old has finished in the top three in three events, automatically winning the all-around competition. This will be his first Summer Games, and Fred Richard couldn’t be any more excited.

His score on the high bar was officially the highest at the event. But by bagging the third spot in the floor exercise and securing the top score on the parallel bars, Richard has officially said oui to the 2024 Paris Olympics. His dismount from the vault was perfect, and with a huge grin on his face turned to the crowd. With his parents cheering him on, Fred walked away, shaking off the cocky remarks stating, “I’m an Olympian.”

Fred Richards makes his debut in the French Capital

The 2024 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships silver medalist might not have started out as a shoe in. But he slipped past the three-time U.S. Champion Brody Malone on day 3 with a total of 170.500 points at the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials. Richard edged Brody out with a small margin of 0.2 points to clinch his victory. NBC announced the news on Twitter, captioned ““I’m an Olympian.” Frederick Richard is GOING TO PARIS! #USAGTrials24” The young wunderkind snuck past several elite gymnasts to secure the all-around title. 

Target center witnessed the young 20-year-old dominate the mat since day 1 at the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials. But he started day 3 with just as much vigor, never letting his dream of the Summer Games out of sight. Many claimed the young wunderkind was cocky after walking on the mat leading the competition. But Richard has proved the naysayers wrong by celebrating with a deafening roar from the crowds. Carl and Anne-Marie Richard, his parents, were besides themselves as soon as Fred effortlessly dismounted from the vault.

Richard comfortably entered the final rotation, staying miles ahead of the rest of his competitors. His perfect dismounts kept him comfortable at the top. The young wunderkind has secured a spot in the Final Five! It’s safe to say Richard will now have his eyes set on a new goal. He will want to bring home the coveted Olympic gold, a dream he has always had.

By making the team, Richard is now the youngest U.S. male gymnast qualifier at 20-years-old. The prodigy has previously stated that he looks forward to dominating the sport for 10 more years, and what a stellar start he has had towards achieving that. As soon as he strongly completed his quest of winning the all-around title, his parents couldn’t help but jump up on their feet and cheer him on!

A goal beyond the Summer Games

The 2023 World Championships all-around bronze medalist stepped onto the mat confident on Day 1. Showcasing his remarkable flips during introductions, Richard ended the day leading the table with an overall score of 85.600. Apart from vying for a gold at the Summer Games, Richard has another goal in mind. He has mentioned he wants to continue bettering himself, as he will never be satisfied with the feats he achieves.

But apart from wanting to put his best foot forward, the young wunderkind is also looking to raise more awareness about the sport in itself. It’s not odd to talk about elite female gymnasts when it comes to gymnastics. Fred Richard is looking to change that. The 20-year-old has amassed a large following of 66.3K followers on TikTok.

He started posting videos of his incredible skills on the platform so people would start recognizing him and several other male athletes in the sport. He expressed, “We’re in a sport where there’s not as many viewers, you know. It’s a much smaller sport, especially on the men’s side. I had a dream to let the world know what I’m doing…so I just started telling my story and people love it.” While it might take some time for the movement to pick up, punching his ticket to Paris might expedite that process.

After a thrilling show at the Target Center, Fred Richard will now be making his way to the French capital. In 26 days, fans will get to watch Richard put his best foot forward on the big stage. Will Richard etch his name in the history books after the enthralling performances he pulled off at the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials? We will soon find out. Will you be watching?