Fred Richard has been on a generational run since the Paris Olympics. Having found a way to try to popularize men’s gymnastics during lockdown, Richard drew the eyeballs after his historic bronze medal win in Paris. However, this was only the beginning. So what’s next? Well, the NCAA championships, of course. So, come the finals of the 2025 edition, Richard has now taken one more giant step, establishing his reign of dominance. But that’s not all. To add to his blistering form, he has a cheeky request in his mind. But what’s that?

Well, for that, we might need to rewind. Seeded second, Richard and his team, Michigan, had a daunting task ahead of them. Facing the likes of Stanford, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Penn State, and Illinois, Richard had his task cut out. Coming into the meet, Michigan expected a lot from their stars, Paul Juda and Fred Richard. And they did manage to take their team over the line. But not without a hiccup.

Mounting the Pommel Horse for the first time, Juda stunned everyone by having a fall. Although he did have a second try, Juda could muster only 12.466. This was when Richard stepped up and helped Michigan become the NCAA champion. Soon after the feat, Richard had a surprising request from his fans. Now, after winning such a big accolade, it is only natural to flaunt the same.

However, for Fred Richard, his flex was something unusual. Richard took to his Instagram handle to pose with the NCAA championship title. He also had a host of other trophies lined up that elevated the value of the snap further. Hinting about the large number of trophies won by the team, Richard asked his fans if they knew about someone who had extra trophy storage. “Help, extra trophy storage needed if anyone knows a guy,” read the caption on his post.

Well, his flaunting is quite justified. After all, with a score of 13.9 on the Pommel Horse, it was Richard who dropped the highest points on the apparatus for the Wolverines. Speaking about the impact of Richard, Michigan’s coach, Yuan Xiao stated, “We have Fred… That’s the tradition in our sport. We had a Sam Mikulak. Now we had a Paul Juda, then we have a Fred. That’s what we are looking for. That’s the anchor.”

Surely, it is now established that Richard is the anchor for Michigan indeed. But he has some bigger goals. Fred Richard wants to anchor a drastic change in men’s gymnastics. And all of that starts with the uniform.

Fred Richard sparks gymnastics revolution with bold new uniform

Frederick Richard isn’t waiting for permission to spark a revolution—he’s doing it in real time, one meeting at a time. At the Winter Cup, the Olympic medalist unveiled a bold new take on the men’s gymnastics uniform, calling it “a modern-day switch of the uniform,” signaling his mission to reshape the image of the sport itself. So what did he do? He swapped out the traditional unitard and foot-covering pants.

Instead, Fred debuted with a looser tank top and shorts combo, more reminiscent of basketball gear than gymnastics wear. For apparatuses like the pommel horse, optional leggings can be worn to preserve function without sacrificing comfort. “It’s pretty simple, but it’s kind of just a much more comfortable feel,” he said. Richard’s push for change isn’t just about style—it’s about accessibility and confidence. 

From partnering with Turn Gymnastics to working on a soon-to-launch website allowing gyms nationwide to customize uniforms, he’s turning vision into action. The goal? To give gymnasts of all levels more choice and perhaps eliminate the self-consciousness he once felt growing up. “We had the Olympics. We had our successes. It kind of feels like the revamp of men’s gymnastics,” he said.

Even if it means taking point deductions, Richard plans to wear his design at every meet. “My dream is to walk into the L.A. Olympics being able to wear it.”