Fred Richard of the USA made American gymnastics history at the world championships. His national team and university coach is Finnish Juha Tanskanen.
19 year old American Fred Richard made US gymnastics history last week at the World Floor Gymnastics Championships in Belgium. The athlete, born in 2004, became the youngest American man to win medals in an individual event at the World Championships.
Richard overtook the Japanese Olympic champion Daiki Hashimoto’s winning third place in the 6-match competition. He also played a big role when the country’s men’s team achieved its first team medal since 2014. The United States was third in the competition.
Richard has strong Finnish expertise in his background, as he works as an assistant coach for the men’s team Juha Tanskanen. A famous ex-stiletto gymnast Jani Tanskanen my brother left for the United States more than 20 years ago to create an international career.
Tanskanen, who had an impact on the US national team for a year, works as a coach mainly at the University of Michigan, where Richard is studying. The talented guy is well known to Finns.
There were also Michigan university athletes on the US World Cup team Paul Judahwho was winning the team medal.
– The medal was not the expected value. If he (Richard) does a full intact race, that’s realism. The most important thing for us was to make the man withstand the pressure and create a good competitive situation even when it is needed. In the future, you can expect more medals, even the brightest ones, Tanskanen commented to Urheilu.
At its best in the home Olympics
Tanskanen describes the young American as a top-talented guy.
He gives credit to Fred Richard’s junior coaches who have been responsible for the biggest work in the athlete’s career. It is easier for his current coaches to add new nuances to the athlete’s everyday life.
– Fred trains hard, but when it comes to a competitive situation, he takes it easy. He doesn’t exercise much and does his own yoga. He does less in a competition situation and more in a training situation.
So does he have the makings of a superstar?
– I don’t know if there are even weirder gestures here. Let’s see if he starts to become some kind of star over the years. My guess is that the best years will be under the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. If he just stays healthy, Juha Tanskanen estimates.
Reminiscent of a superstar
The Los Angeles Olympics would therefore be a home competition for Richard. Also at next year’s Paris Olympics, the young athlete has good prospects for success.
Tanskanen reminds that the 6 matches of the World Championships were, however, missing a few top factors.
– If he stays healthy, we are pretty sure of his Olympic place. We’re going to get a medal from the team competition. If the gold of the Olympics comes from that, then we are on the right track, Tanskanen refers to the 6 match of the Paris Olympics.
Richard loves working out. Danskanen has a clear mission statement here.
– Mostly it’s that you have to put the brakes on the boy sometimes. To say go home and rest. I have to remind you to eat and rest sometimes. That is the biggest challenge with him, says Tanskanen.
– He is a young enthusiastic athlete who wants to do more and more. Time teaches when you get older and your body tells you that you need to rest now.