New Orleans, Aug 11 (AP) Hezly Rivera stood out as the newcomer last year. Among a team of Olympic gymnasts in their twenties—featuring stars like Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey, and Jordan Chiles—Rivera was the teenager striving to learn and absorb everything from her experienced teammates.
What struck her the most, beyond their elite gymnastics skills, was the confidence they exuded. "They looked so confident," Rivera remarked. "They're like, I'm going to go out and I'm going to hit.' It gave me that confidence as well."
Now at seventeen, Rivera isn't focused on her emerging leadership role as the women's program progresses toward the 2028 Olympics, but she's certainly embodying the part. Demonstrating polished consistency—especially with her beam routine finally matching the quality she achieves in practice at her home gym in Texas—Rivera clinched her first national title at the U.S. Championships. Her two-day score of 112.000 was enough to surpass Leanne Wong, securing her position as the likely leader of the American delegation for the upcoming world championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, in October.
As the youngest member of the five-woman team that triumphed in Paris a year ago, Rivera rebounded from a shaky outing at the U.S. Classic last month. She delivered refined performances by "letting go" of the pressure she felt as a lone Olympic gold medalist in a youthful field.
"No matter how rough the competition is, I still can get back into the gym and work hard because all those months previously that I've been working hard, I know it's going to show up eventually," Rivera shared. "So it kind of just took a weight off my shoulders."
Rivera has at least secured her spot in the world championship selection camp next month. Joining her is Leanne Wong, a four-time world championship medalist, budding entrepreneur, and pre-med student. Despite juggling collegiate and elite-level competitions, Wong shows no signs of slowing down. She lives by the motto, "there's time for everything."
An Olympic alternate last summer, Joscelyn Roberson finished third despite an ankle injury sustained during her floor routine. She, Wong, and Rivera, as the top internationally experienced competitors, seem ready to lead after learning from Biles and other seasoned gymnasts.
"You go from, Oh, you're so young' to, Oh, you are the older kid,'" Roberson reflected at nineteen. "People say, How are you feeling?' Like, I honestly don't feel that different."
Having once been seen as Biles' enthused sidekick, Roberson is now leading the upcoming generation. "I felt more responsible to advise the younger, less experienced kids," Roberson noted. "It's not the end of the day if you have a bad day or a fall. I want to help them grow instead of believing they have to be perfect."
Despite turning her ankle on her final floor routine tumbling pass, she persisted, although her vault dismount was affected by the use of an additional protective pad, slightly hindering her all-around contention. Still, her perseverance symbolized her commitment.
Rivera's victory was not easily achieved. Over four rotations, she was pushed by Wong, who started with an impressive Cheng vault and remained strong throughout the event. Rivera countered Wong's challenge by securing top scores in three of the four events. Only after her final floor routine could she truly relax. "Everything fell into place," she reflected. "I tried not to get too overwhelmed because nerves can come in, especially when poised for a national title, but I took all pressure off myself."
Skye Blakely, who was injured during the Olympic Trials both in 2021 and 2024, excelled on the uneven bars and balance beam, positioning herself as a potential world team candidate. (AP)
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