Frederick Richard of the United States performs his routine on the floor exercise during the … More
Fred Richard, known for leading Team USA to the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, set the Guinness World Record for most standing backflips completed in 24 hours late Friday night.
The Olympic and World medalist completed over 1,100 standing backflips in under 24 hours, broadcasting his attempts on a YouTube livestream. Richard reportedly needed to complete 1,002 flips to set the record, a count that he reached before midnight, roughly 12 hours into his attempt.
The Massachusetts native attempted the record in a makeshift studio inside Premier Gymnastics in Stoughton, MA, his hometown.
The Olympian wasn’t just flipping for the Guinness World Record. Richard completed the stunt to raise funds to purchase gymnastics equipment for young African gymnasts.
In recent months, Richard had produced social media content showcasing the gymnastics talents of children from Clon Circus Uganda, a foundation committed to helping “street children and orphans discover purpose and build a better future.”
Through multiple social media posts, Richard drew attention to the stark contrast between his own training gear and the conditions faced by athletes at Clon Circus.
Unlike U.S. athletes who train with mats and advanced equipment, the Clon Circus performers practice challenging gymnastics moves directly on bare ground.
“We all have potential, it’s the environment we’re in that determines the outcome,” Richard posted in April, supplemented by videos of talented Clon Circus gymnasts.
The Frederick Flips Foundation had opened a GoFundMe dedicated to garnering contributions before and during Friday’s event. The foundation works in partnership with the Dominican Health and Education Initiative (DAHEI), and specifies donations “will go toward securing gymnastics equipment and a facility for the kids to train.”
As of Thursday, the fundraiser had raised under $10,000. After Richard’s successful stunt, the total reached over $35,000. The fundraiser remains open for donations.
One of the most successful American male gymnasts in recent history, Richard is widely considered the most prominent male gymnastics influencer in the world. He boasts a combined 1.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. In 2024, Time honored Richard as one of the most influential emerging stars in popular culture.
Bloomberg reported that Richard earned “roughly $6,000 a month from social media platforms” before the 2024 Olympics. He has worked with prominent brands like Crocs, Celsius Energy Drinks, and Peloton. He also owns an apparel line, Frederick Flips.
Richard is also immensely successful on the competition floor. Last month, he led the University of Michigan Men’s Gymnastics team to its seventh NCAA National Championship. He also clinched the all-around title.
In 2023, Richard became the first American man to medal in the individual all-around at the World Championships since 2010. That same year, he played a pivotal role in clinching the first World medal for the U.S. men’s team since 2014. At the Paris Olympics, he led the U.S. men to their first Olympic team medal since 2008.
ANTWERP, BELGIUM – OCTOBER 05: Bronze medalist Frederick Richard of Team United States celebrates … More
