As the Apparatus Final Day 1 began, the gymnastics men had already set the bar high. The floor routine being the first show of the day, turned heads with back-to-back phenomenal displays. Moreover, the US Team, having set significant marks in the last few days, stepped foot on the floor. Undoubtedly, the most celebrated gymnast from the team started off with his routine. But a little shaky start for him this time cost America some tears.

Fred Richard, the 19-year-old Michigan-groomed gymnast, just grabbed his all-around bronze with 84.332. Not only that, his win added an all-around medal to the US men’s gymnastics history since 2010. The 2021 and 2022 Pan American Champion couldn’t quite live up to his team’s expectations this time. After a silver in the team’s finals with Fred’s terrific exhibits, it’s going to be tough for the US to buckle up.

Gymnastics starlet’s unanticipated fall

Right when Richard looked like he would triumph, the unanticipated happened. On his final pass, the 19-year-old was instantly shifted to the sixth, following a shift to the eighth. Inside Gymnastics shared the unfortunate incident on their ‘X’ handle, asserting a no-medal floor for the US Team. They wrote, “USA’s Fred Richard had a fantastic routine going on FX, but sadly fell on his final pass.”

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Moreover, the final floor score has Artem Dolgopyat on gold, Minami Kazuki on silver, and Miladi Karimi on bronze. However, this was not the first fall of Richard’s 2023 World Championships season.

Fred’s wobbly Kolman

On October 6, the gymnastic world boasted Fred’s high bar performance, as he anchored his team to the fourth team medal at this global event. The team had better described the historic moment as “a thrilling high bar routine from Richard.” But the unfortunate fall on the Kolman left fans devastated. Gymnastics Now captioned the post as “Fred Richard (USA) HB: This is the deciding routine that could see him on the podium… Cassina to start. Great. Falls on the Kolman. NO! My heart.” Though Richard executed a high-end Cassina, his Kolman looked a little off. However, the gymnastic-verse chimed in to support the talented gymnast, pouring out their good wishes. A fan wrote, “One mistake during an otherwise massively impressive day is going to cost Fred Richard a medal, but he doesn’t turn 20 until next April. He has to be encouraged by his performance.”  

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As the day concluded, Richard became the first American person of colour to medal in the men’s AA. Furthermore, he also became the first US man to win two world medals since 2014, and the first team & all-around US men’s medalist since 2003. As the second-last day is underway, fans await a high-anticipated apparatus final day 2 on October 8.