She was tipped to make a splash at the Olympics women’s gymnastics scene. Hezly Rivera, a 16-year-old from New Jersey, made her Olympic debut on Sunday as the youngest gymnast on Team USA, joining veteran Simone Biles on the five-member squad.
Rivera is also one of the youngest U.S. competitors across all sports at the Paris Games, according to the New York Post.
“We’re really excited to, kind of, show her the ropes,” Biles said ahead of the Olympics, per TODAY. “And at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. She has four veterans that have been there before.”
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At the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis, the rising star secured fifth place all-around with a two-day total of 111.15, just behind veteran Biles, who earned her third Olympic appearance with a score of 117.225.
“I cannot believe that I’m here right now. It’s just — all my hard work has been paying off,” Rivera told TODAY after the trials. “I’m so excited to represent Team USA at the Olympics. I’m, like, shocked.”
Rivera’s gymnastics journey began at age five when her natural talent was discovered at a birthday party at a gymnastics facility, according to NBC. Impressed by her skills, the staff recommended her parents enroll her in gymnastics lessons, where she quickly excelled.
Eight years ago, a then-19-year-old Biles, on the brink of her Olympic debut, made a surprise visit to ENA Gymnastics in Paramus, N.J., where a young Rivera trained. Now, less than a decade later, Rivera is a teammate of her idol Biles on Team USA.
At ENA, Rivera also trained alongside social media sensation and LSU star Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, another gymnastics standout from New Jersey. She was initially under the guidance of Maggie Haney, who also coached 2016 Olympian Laurie Hernandez.
But, Rivera’s family made the bold decision to relocate to Plano, Texas. There, at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, Rivera could better chase her Olympic dreams.
“I know that anything is possible, so if I keep working hard in the gym, I know that I can achieve anything,” Rivera shared after the move, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. “My family made the commitment to come here and moved here just so that I could train.”
Rivera, a student at Connection Academy’s virtual high school program, balances her academics with her gymnastics career. Though Paris 2024 marks her first Olympics, it is another milestone in the young gymnast’s impressive journey.
Rivera’s USA Gymnastics profile highlights her gold medal on the balance beam and bronze medals in both the floor exercise and all-around at the 2024 Winter Cup in Louisville. She also excelled in the junior division at the 2023 Winter Cup with top finishes on the beam, floor, and all-around, and secured second place with her floor routine at the 2023 Junior World Championships.
The Women’s Gymnastics kicked off on July 28 at 5 a.m. ET with the qualification rounds at Paris’s Bercy Arena. Team USA, having settled for silver in Tokyo 2021, is now driven to claim gold.
Rivera joined Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Biles—who’s set to make history—in their quest for Olympic redemption. She helped the U.S. women earn the top overall score to advance but she won’t be part of the team’s lineup for Tuesday’s final as she did not qualify for any individual finals, NBC New York reported.
In the qualifying round, Rivera was the lowest scorer in the two events she competed, bars and beam, the report said, adding that she will still receive a gold medal should the team win on Tuesday.
