2024 Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera can now name herself the 2025 U.S Nationwide All-Round Champion.
Rivera led the sector within the All-Round throughout each days of competitors, scoring a mixed 112.000 to win the title. She additionally captured gold on three of the 4 occasions together with successful steadiness beam (28.350), ground (28.200), and sharing the uneven bars title (27.600) with 2022 and 2023 World staff gold medalist Skye Blakely, who made her return to Elite competitors in New Orleans. 2021 World All-Round silver medalist and 2020 and 2024 Olympic alternate Leanne Wong completed second with a 111.200, taking gold on vault thanks largely to a shocking Cheng vault (test it out right here!), which she caught on Day 2. Arkansas standout and 2024 Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson completed third with a 109.600.
Rivera was coming off a dream 2024 season the place she was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. staff. The expertise gave her confidence heading into 2025, together with a brand new set of objectives. She eased into 2025, making her All-Round debut on the Pan American Championships, the place she helped Workforce USA to gold, and gained bronze within the All-Round and on beam. On the U.S. Basic, she appeared to battle together with her confidence and endurance with falls on each bars and beam (she stated it was extra of psychological recreation than bodily following the meet) and he or she definitely wished to show to everybody in New Orleans she’s nonetheless a contender for not solely the 2025 World staff however for gold in Jakarta later this 12 months.
In New Orleans, her confidence appeared to develop with every occasion.
“I used to be conscious it was fairly shut, proper earlier than I went on the ground, in all probability a minute or two,” she stated on NBC Sports activities on the conclusion of the printed. “It’s a bit of bit nerve-racking, however I simply tried to belief the method and belief God and simply let my physique do what it is aware of methods to do.”
The 12 months after an Olympic Video games is all the time a problem for any athlete who’s been by way of the pressure-cooker of the quad. Rivera went from Olympic rookie to veteran in a single day and has been within the highlight ever since.
Returning residence to Texas, Rivera was in every single place. From strolling the purple carpet on the TIME Latino Leaders Awards, to throwing out the primary pitch for the Texas Rangers, to being honored together with her very personal Hezly Rivera Day, she’s taking her new-found star standing in stride and hopes she could be an inspiration to the following era.
In the course of the fall of 2024, Rivera spent her weekends on the GOAT Tour with Simone Biles, and her Olympic teammates, which she cherished.
“Clearly, being on tour, I’ve all the time wished to be on tour! Being with the those that I really like, we simply put in a lot effort and work into the present,” she stated. “It was so superior to see it come collectively. We simply continued to develop our bond.”
She additionally frolicked happening school visits and deciding which faculty would turn into her household as a member of the Class of 2026. In the end, she selected LSU, loving the vibe and camaraderie among the many staff.
Of her Olympic Trials expertise and what she realized final 12 months, she informed us, “Truthfully, I felt just like the underdog,” Rivera stated. “For me, this was a contest the place I used to be getting extra expertise, and I used to be capable of compete in entrance of this crowd and compete at Olympic Trials. That’s been one in all my objectives ever since I used to be a younger lady. Simply being there, I used to be tremendous pleased and having fun with the second, however, additionally, I used to be simply doing my job. [I knew] what I do within the gymnasium is what I’m going to attempt to do right here. Not do something higher, not do something much less. Simply do what I all the time do. Be regular. As a result of once I do my regular, every thing might be fantastic and every thing will fall into place.”
What fell into place at Trials was magical, and one of many strongest and most unbelievable meets of her profession. She positioned first on beam (tied with Joscelyn Roberson), and fifth within the All-Round. Nonetheless, Rivera remained humble as ever and didn’t assume it might be sufficient to make the staff. “After I completed my vault, I got here off, and I assumed I in all probability made alternate,” she stated. “I did my job. I used to be so pleased with my efficiency.”
Paris was a dream come true and with that have, Rivera provided this attitude: “Being so younger and doing an Elite sport on the Olympic stage is totally loopy. So I used to be simply making an attempt to soak all of it in and benefit from the second, but in addition keep assured in myself. It’s all muscle reminiscence. It’s all there, and I simply have to do my regular gymnastics on a regular basis. When I’ve confidence, I do know I can do all of it.
“Over the following 4 years, I want to make the 2025 Worlds and 2026, 2027, and, clearly, the 2028 Olympics,” Rivera stated. “I additionally actually wish to be among the best on this planet, so I’m persevering with to work on that and simply to work arduous within the gymnasium. I’d additionally prefer to compete at Championships and presumably get first place, you understand, simply win Championships.”
As Rivera’s 2025 plan for New Orleans was realized and her plan going ahead put in place, she continues to attract inspiration from her Olympic teammates who competed at a number of Olympic Video games properly into their twenties. She is aware of that due to them, there are not any limits on her profession and what she will be able to accomplish.
“It undoubtedly has impressed me as a result of now I’m extra motivated than ever to return to my second Olympics, which is totally insane to say,” she stated. “Simply trying again and seeing these superb athletes go to a number of Olympic Video games and World Championships actually is pushing me, and I’m capable of push my limits and see what I’m able to.”
In August of 2023, Rivera turned the U.S. Junior Nationwide All-Round Champion. One 12 months later, she might name herself an Olympic gold medalist. Competing alongside Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles as a part of essentially the most adorned U.S. Girls’s Olympic gymnastics staff in historical past, Rivera stays actually in awe of what she’s achieved. Strolling into the Bercy Enviornment in Paris, surrounded by gymnastics royalty, was a full circle second–and a brand new chapter in her story that was prepared to jot down itself.
“Going from 2023 Junior Nationwide Champion to Olympic gold medalist, at simply 16, is tremendous insane, and all of my arduous work lastly paid off,” she stated. “My teammates, my coaches, my mates, they had been all part of this. I wish to thank them a lot as a result of they bought me to the place I’m immediately. Clearly, it was not straightforward. There have been many ups and downs, however I’m so grateful for them as a result of they taught me so many classes.
She nonetheless attracts particular inspiration from Suni Lee and Jade Carey, particularly.
“Suni was very, very useful to me and so was Jade. They had been simply the largest position fashions. And Simone and Jordan, they all the time handle me. They had been all the time with me. ? It was a very cool expertise simply being with all of these veterans serving to me, and guiding me for my first Olympics.”
Carey continues to mentor Rivera. She shared these phrases together with her the evening earlier than Sunday’s competitors.
“I simply inform her to be herself, and do her gymnastics,” Carey informed Inside Gymnastics. “Do what she does within the gymnasium day-after-day. And to recollect all the issues she’s already achieved. There’s no strain on something. She doesn’t have to put strain on herself. Her regular is totally sufficient.”
In New Orleans, Rivera simply wanted to belief herself and her coaching, and do her gymnastics her method. That’s precisely what she did, and it was golden.
