Latest news with #FrederickRichard
CBS News
a day ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Gymnast Frederick Richard chooses his own uniform to make statement
Olympic gymnast Frederick Richard from Stoughton, Massachusetts is making waves in the sport, not just for his performance, but also for his style. At the U.S. Gymnastics Championships over the weekend, Richard took home second place while wearing leggings and shorts instead of the traditional stirrup pants. His goal, he said, is to make gymnastics more appealing to young people. His former coaches at Premier Gymnastics in Stoughton have rallied behind him and his new look. "When Frederick came out with that, I'm like, listen maybe that's a really good thing to change something," said Russ Dakhitov, one of Richard's former coaches. "Maybe it looks better." Coach Russ noted that the standard tight-fitting uniforms serve a judging purpose, hugging the physique and highlighting every little detail within each move. Richard took two three-tenths deductions on his overall score both days for wearing the wrong uniform. "When you have tight pants for example, the judges can see better your knees, and toes, the way you point them, they way you stray them," Dakhitov said. Richard said the traditional gymnastics uniform was embarrassing to wear while growing up, and he hopes the change could encourage more kids to try the sport. "I always like when something gets changed around," Coach Russ said. "Routines change, uniforms change, and I think that will be great if we will have something new." Richard's point deductions did not stop him from finishing second overall. He said that he will continue to advocate for new, more stylish, comfortable uniforms for the sport.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Frederick Richard trades out pants, deliberately takes uniform deductions at U.S. Gymnastics Championships
In his quest to make men's gymnastics more 'cool,' Richard took -0.6 in total deductions, but still earned silver in the all-around Team USA gymnast Frederick Richard roared to a second-place finish in the men's all-around at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Saturday. His quest for a medal at the championships went hand-and-hand with another quest: to make men's gymnastics more cool. As part of his goal to help grow the sport, Richard swapped out part of his uniform for the competition. Instead of the stirrup pants and socks typically worn during four of the men's events — parallel bars, high bar, pommel horse and rings — Richard opted for color-coordinated compression leggings and a pair of shorts with his University of Michigan uniform. In order to make the swap, Richard had to deliberately take two three-tenths deductions (-0.3) on his score for both days of the competition. The 21-year-old finished the all-around standings with a score of 162.555, just ahead of bronze medalist Fuzzy Benas, who finished with 162.310 points. (If Richard had worn pants within regulation, he would have beaten Benas by .305.) "It's 1,000% worth it," Richard said, via the Associated Press. "If you look at these kids in the crowd, I'm thinking about them and I'm thinking about when I was younger." Asher Hong, Richard's Team USA teammate at the 2024 Paris Olympics, took first place in the all-around by a massive margin, nearly 7.5 points ahead with a 170.020 score. For Richard, the -0.6 in added deductions was worth it as part of a larger goal to raise the profile of men's gymnastics in the United States. Richard, who grew up in Boston, started gymnastics at a young age, but ran into obstacles in terms of his confidence in the sport. He says the uniform was part of why. "If I left the gym to go to the gas station, I didn't want anybody to see me in my pommel horse pants," Richard said, via the AP. "Kids would say, 'Do you do gymnastics?' I'd say 'Yeah.' But I didn't want them to search 'gymnast' and see the uniform. I didn't feel like it was cool." The stirrup pants — which viewers sometimes compare to "footie pajamas" — are designed to hold close to the leg on certain apparatuses, without excess loose fabric that can serve as a safety hazard. Richard's take on the uniform is one of the ways he feels the sport can modernize to bring in more interest. Much of Richard's decision making is based around getting younger kids more invested in the sport at an early age, especially when kids start to pick one sport over another. "It does add to what makes a 12-year-old boy decide, 'Do I want to keep doing this sport? Or should I play football or soccer, because my friends think I'm cool when I play with them?'" Richard said. On the first day of the competition, Richard wore maize-and-blue zebra strip pants with dark blue shorts; on the second day, he wore striped gray leggings with dark gray shorts. "[I want them to] see this, and they're like, 'This is cool. I want to wear this. This kid is trying to make the sport cool, he looks cool,'" Richard said. "And that's the stuff that gets kids into the sport, that's stuff that keeps kids in the sport." Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Frederick Richard trades out pants, deliberately takes uniform deductions at U.S. Gymnastics Championships
Team USA gymnast Frederick Richard roared to a second-place finish in the men's all-around at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Saturday. But his quest for a medal at the championships went hand-and-hand with another quest: to make men's gymnastics more cool. As part of his goal to help grow the sport, Richard swapped out part of his uniform for the competition. Instead of the stirrup pants and socks typically worn during four of the men's events — parallel bars, high bar, pommel horse and rings — Richard instead opted for color-coordinated compression leggings and a pair of shorts with his University of Michigan uniform. In order to make the swap, Richard had to deliberately take two three-tenths deductions (-0.3) on his score for both days of the competition. The 21-year-old finished the all-around standings with a score of 162.555, just ahead of bronze medalist Fuzzy Benas, who finished just over two-tenths behind Richard. (If Richard had worn pants within regulation, he would have beaten Benas by eight-tenth — nearly a full point.) "It's 1,000% worth it," Richard said, via the Associated Press. "If you look at these kids in the crowd, I'm thinking about them and I'm thinking about when I was younger." Asher Hong, Richard's Team USA teammate at the 2024 Paris Olympics, took first place in the all-around by a massive margin, nearly 7.5 points. For Richard, the -0.6 in added deductions was worth is as part of a larger goal to raise the profile of men's gymnastics in the United States. Richard, who grew up in Boston, started doing gymnastics at a young age, but ran into early obstacles in terms of his confidence in the sport. He says that the uniform was part of why. "If I left the gym to go to the gas station, I didn't want anybody to see me in my pommel horse pants," Richard said, via the AP. "Kids would say, 'Do you do gymnastics?' I'd say 'Yeah.' But I didn't want them to search 'gymnast' and see the uniform. I didn't feel like it was cool." The stirrup pants — which viewers sometimes compare to "footie pajamas" — are designed to hold close to the leg on certain apparatuses, without excess loose fabric that can serve as a safety hazard. But Richard's new take on the uniform is one of the ways that he feels that the sport can modernize to bring in more interest. Much of Richard's decision-making is based around getting younger kids more invested in the sport at an early age, especially when kids start to pick one sport over another. "It does add to what makes a 12-year-old boy decide, 'Do I want to keep doing this sport? Or should I play football or soccer, because my friends think I'm cool when I play with them?'" Richard said. On the first day of the competition, Richard wore maize-and-blue zebra strip pants with dark blue shorts; on the second day, he wore striped gray leggings with dark gray shorts. "(I want them to) see this, and they're like, 'This is cool. I want to wear this. This kid is trying to make the sport cool, he looks cool,'" Richard said. "And that's the stuff that gets kids into the sport, that's stuff that keeps kids in the sport."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Frederick Richard trades out pants, deliberately takes uniform deductions at U.S. Gymnastics Championships
Team USA gymnast Frederick Richard roared to a second-place finish in the men's all-around at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Saturday. But his quest for a medal at the championships went hand-and-hand with another quest: to make men's gymnastics more cool. As part of his goal to help grow the sport, Richard swapped out part of his uniform for the competition. Instead of the stirrup pants and socks typically worn during four of the men's events — parallel bars, high bar, pommel horse and rings — Richard instead opted for color-coordinated compression leggings and a pair of shorts with his University of Michigan uniform. In order to make the swap, Richard had to deliberately take two three-tenths deductions (-0.3) on his score for both days of the competition. The 21-year-old finished the all-around standings with a score of 162.555, just ahead of bronze medalist Fuzzy Benas, who finished just over two-tenths behind Richard. (If Richard had worn pants within regulation, he would have beaten Benas by eight-tenth — nearly a full point.) "It's 1,000% worth it," Richard said, via the Associated Press. "If you look at these kids in the crowd, I'm thinking about them and I'm thinking about when I was younger." Asher Hong, Richard's Team USA teammate at the 2024 Paris Olympics, took first place in the all-around by a massive margin, nearly 7.5 points. For Richard, the -0.6 in added deductions was worth is as part of a larger goal to raise the profile of men's gymnastics in the United States. Richard, who grew up in Boston, started doing gymnastics at a young age, but ran into early obstacles in terms of his confidence in the sport. He says that the uniform was part of why. "If I left the gym to go to the gas station, I didn't want anybody to see me in my pommel horse pants," Richard said, via the AP. "Kids would say, 'Do you do gymnastics?' I'd say 'Yeah.' But I didn't want them to search 'gymnast' and see the uniform. I didn't feel like it was cool." The stirrup pants — which viewers sometimes compare to "footie pajamas" — are designed to hold close to the leg on certain apparatuses, without excess loose fabric that can serve as a safety hazard. But Richard's new take on the uniform is one of the ways that he feels that the sport can modernize to bring in more interest. Much of Richard's decision-making is based around getting younger kids more invested in the sport at an early age, especially when kids start to pick one sport over another. "It does add to what makes a 12-year-old boy decide, 'Do I want to keep doing this sport? Or should I play football or soccer, because my friends think I'm cool when I play with them?'" Richard said. On the first day of the competition, Richard wore maize-and-blue zebra strip pants with dark blue shorts; on the second day, he wore striped gray leggings with dark gray shorts. "(I want them to) see this, and they're like, 'This is cool. I want to wear this. This kid is trying to make the sport cool, he looks cool,'" Richard said. "And that's the stuff that gets kids into the sport, that's stuff that keeps kids in the sport."
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Today
Frederick Richard is taking his fight to make gymnastics 'cool' to a new front: His uniform
Frederick Richard of the University of Michigan competes on the pommel horse during the senior men's finals of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) gymnastics By WILL GRAVES Frederick Richard is taking the fight to make men's gymnastics matter to a new front: his wardrobe. The charismatic 21-year-old Olympic bronze medalist switched out the stirrup pants that have long been a staple of the men's uniform for shorts with compression leggings at the U.S. Championships this weekend, firm in his belief that the three-tenths (0.3) deduction he receives every day of competition that he breaks the rules is worth it if it makes his sport more accessible. Even when those tenths add up. Richard edged Fuzzy Benas by less than a quarter of a point for second place behind two-time national champion Asher Hong. If Richard had worn the traditional uniform, his margin over Benas could have been a little more comfortable. Yet asked if the statement he is trying to make — that it's time for men's gymnastics to modernize its uniforms — is worth the risk to his potential placement during a given meet, he didn't hesitate. 'It's 1,000% worth it,' Richard said. 'If you look at these kids in the crowd, I'm thinking about them and I'm thinking about when I was younger.' While Richard quickly fell in love with gymnastics as a kid growing up in the Boston area, the stirrup pants worn by the guys on pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars, and high bar were another matter. 'If I left the gym to go to the gas station, I didn't want anybody to see me in my pommel horse pants,' Richard said. 'Kids would say, 'Do you do gymnastics?' I'd say 'Yeah.' But I didn't want them to search 'gymnast' and see the uniform. I didn't feel like it was cool.' His solution was to design an alternative. With the help of the apparel company Turn, Richard debuted the look earlier this year and 'refined' it ahead of nationals. During the opening night of competition on Thursday, the rising Michigan junior wore maize-and-blue colored zebra-patterned leggings with (almost) matching blue shorts. On Saturday, Richard swapped the maize and blue for gray. Both times, there was a 'ND -0.3' next to Richard's score on the first event in which the traditional pants were required. Yet Richard wasn't as focused on the ribbon board where his score was posted, but on the young boys in the stands below them. '(I want them to) see this, and they're like, 'This is cool. I want to wear this. This kid is trying to make the sport cool, he looks cool,'' Richard said. 'And that's the stuff that gets kids into the sport, that's stuff that keeps kids in the sport.' Even if it's a largely American conversation. While the popularity of men's gymnastics in the U.S. has declined for decades (though there is optimism that the bronze medal Richard and his teammates captured at the 2024 Olympics could help stem the tide), there are no such issues overseas. They're not talking about stirrup pants in China. Or Japan. Or Russia. Places with dominant programs whose stars become champions and national heroes in the process. The challenges men's gymnastics faces in the U.S. are many. The number of Division I programs that offer it as a scholarship sport is a fraction of what it was decades ago. And the impact of the recent House settlement could make opportunities at a level that has long served as a feeder system to the U.S. national team even scarcer. At the Olympic level, the men have long competed in the shadow of the star-studded (and highly successful) women's program. Richard has long understood this. He's seen the attrition firsthand. While the uniform didn't stop him from pressing on, he believes he might be the exception, not the rule. Countless young boys dabble in multiple sports growing up, gymnastics included. Richard thinks tweaking the uniform requirements into something he considers more modern could remove what he thinks might be a roadblock to sticking with it for some. 'It does add to what makes a 12-year-old boy decide, 'Do I want to keep doing this sport? Or should I play football or soccer, because my friends think I'm cool when I play with them?' he said. The rules do allow for a little latitude. Some German female gymnasts opted for full-body unitards at each of the last two Olympics, though the design does not run afoul of FIG regulations. What Richard is doing does. And while he stressed he would never wear his outlawed uniform in a team competition — he wore regulation pants while helping lead Michigan to the NCAA championship this spring — that might not be the case the next time he competes internationally. 'We'll see about the world stage,' Richard said. 'We'll have to talk and see what they allow, but I want to keep pushing it. I'm having fun. I feel more free.' He'll have some time to think about it. When the six-man roster for the 2025 World Championships was announced late Saturday night, Richard's name wasn't on it. The decision had nothing to do with Richard's uniform but the uniqueness of this year's world meet, which does not include a team event and is largely designed for event specialists. At his best, Richard is one of the top all-arounders on the planet. Yet even he admitted he was at about '80%' at nationals following a whirlwind stretch that included traveling to places like Uganda. Richard is partnering with the African nation to open a facility for boys there interested in acrobatics. The joy he felt during the trip was palpable. So has the criticism he's received back home for his uniform choice, with some telling him if he wants to look like a basketball player, maybe he should go play basketball. While Richard's modified look wouldn't look out of place on the court, pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik — who won a pair of bronze medals in Paris and became a breakout star in the process (all while wearing stirrup pants) last summer — agrees with his Olympic teammate that there 'should be a certain level of flexibility' when it comes to uniforms, though he also pointed out that having everyone wear identical outfits is designed to help the judges do their jobs. 'So like, you can't wear like super baggy clothes, obviously,' Nedoroscik said. 'But I do like there should be maybe a little bit of wiggle room.' That's all Richard says he is asking for, though it seems highly unlikely the FIG would eliminate the deduction for a uniform violation anytime soon. That is not going to stop Richard from pressing on. 'I'll wear it for the next 10 years if I have to,' he said. 'So eventually, if I keep succeeding and winning, and eventually on the international stage do the same thing and keep winning, (the FIG) will see how people like it (and) the younger kids will start wearing it ... and the trend is going to grow.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
