First Frederick Richard U.S. Gymnast Bobblehead Unveiled

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first bobblehead of Olympic gymnast Frederick Richard, who helped the U.S. men’s gymnastics team capture the bronze medal in the team competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics – their first Olympic team medal since 2008. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with Frederick Richard.

Standing on a base bearing his name, the smiling Frederick Richard bobblehead is decked out in a red, white, and blue uniform as he celebrates his performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Each bobblehead will be individually numbered and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in January, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

A Massachusetts native who was born in Boston and grew up in Stoughton, the 20-year-old Richard recently completed his sophomore season at the University of Michigan where he helped the Wolverines finish as the runner-up at the 2024 National Championships. The two-time Big Ten all-around champion was the NCAA all-around champion as a freshman and runner-up as a sophomore. The eight-time All-American was also the high bar and parallel bars champion as a freshman, and the runner-up on still rings as a sophomore.

At the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships, Richard earned the bronze medal in the all-around. At the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, Richard placed first in the all-around (170.500), first on high bar (28.850), second on parallel bars (29.850), and third on floor (28.700). After placing first in the all-around and in the top three in three events, Richard was automatically named to the U.S. Olympic Team for the first time, joining Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, and Stephen Nedoroscik. Malone was the only team member with previous Olympic experience.

On Monday, July 29th, Richard and his teammates edged out Great Britain for bronze with a combined score of 257.793 at Bercy Arena in Paris. Japan won gold with 259.594, and China took silver with 259.062. Starting their competition on rings, Team USA posted a higher score than it did in qualifying thanks to an improvement in Richard’s score by over half a point. In the parallel bars, Richard, Malone, and Hong put up consistent scores across the board to put Team USA in second place halfway through the competition. High bar served as the true test for the team after suffering multiple falls during qualifications. After a clean start from Juda, Richard performed one of his best routines of the Games. Increasing his difficulty from qualifications, Richard capped off the strong routine with a stuck dismount and electric celebrations from his teammates. During the floor rotation, the highlight was the crowd’s response to the stuck landings executed by Richard in the second half of his routine. In the individual all-around final two days later, Richard placed 15th.

When asked about being honored with the bobblehead, Fred said, “Being part of a medal winning team representing the United States is something I will always remember. To have that commemorated with a bobblehead doll is one of those surprises that you never think about when you dream about being on the podium. One of my goals is to spread the word about how exciting men’s gymnastics is so that we can grow our sport. I hope my bobblehead will help inspire kids across the country to try it out.”

“We are excited to release this bobblehead of Olympic gymnast Frederick Richard,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Making his Olympics debut in Paris, Fred did not disappoint in helping Team USA reach the podium and claim the bronze medal – the team’s first medal in 16 years. We congratulate Fred and wish him continued success, including in college and as he prepares for the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.