Frederick Richard hopes his uniform design can change the face of men's gymnastics

Despite an Olympic bronze medal under his belt, Frederick "Flips" Richard is already gearing back up for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

But this time, he's hoping to have a different look.

Richard, a Massachusetts native, took a major risk during a recent competition by altering his uniform -- and it came at a cost.

While he stands by for a decision on his plan to change the face of men's gymnastics, he shared why he believes it's worth the wait.

Despite his bold leaps through the air and even keel, down-to-earth demeanor, Richard explained he feels uncomfortable in his uniform.

“I just felt like completely awkward like man I look so stupid right now. What are people thinking?"

Although he's worn the traditional unitard and fitted pommel horse pants hundreds of times, “that does not feel free, it’s uncomfortable," he told NBC10 Boston.

Richard said he's dreamt of creating a more modern design for a commonly misperceived "girl's sport," one that blends professionalism, performance and comfort.

So, he debuted his own design at the Winter Cup competition recently, swapping those tight-footed pants for more functional leggings under shorts and ditching the unitard for a relaxed shirt that can be tucked in.

“That does two things. Number 1, it’s looser, it’s more comfortable. Number 2, people in the crowd will actually be able to wear your jersey. Right now you see it in a lot of other sports. You don’t see it in ours," he said.

He explained that he spoke to the head judge before competing who told him he was taking a risk.

"You’re gonna get deducted because this is a violation, but from that we’ll be able to see ‘what do you look like in it’ if it’s safe," Richard said.

He was docked 3-tenths of a point while repping University of Michigan. He said at least in college gymnastics, coaches can vote on a rule change. But he acknowledges that the world stage is totally different, and he plans to use the momentum from his bold move to help young men feel empowered instead of insecure.

“It is my life. It is my art," he said. "I like to say the sport made me and now it’s time for me to make the sport."

Richard has a month left of his college season and competes again next Saturday, where he plans to don his redesign. In the meantime, he's launching an official website for it and working toward getting it added to the international level.