Hezly Rivera is flipping the script in the Olympic women’s gymnastics competition.
The 16-year-old New Jersey native is set to make her Olymꦍpic debut as the youngest gymnast on Team USA, joining forces with veteran Simone Biles, 🌺who will captain the five-member squad.
Rivera is also the youngest U.S. competitor in any sport at the Paris Games.
“We’re really excited to, kind of, show her the ropes,” Biles said, per . “And at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. She has four veterans that have been there before.”
The young star secured fifth place all-around at the U.S. Olympic Gymn🎶astics Trials in M🐽inneapolis, posting a two-day all-around total of 111.15, just shy of Biles, who earned her third appearance at the sport’s biggest stage 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 ♎ after the trials. “I’m so excited to represent Team USA at the Olympics. I’m, like, shocked.”
She started at a young age
Rivera’s journey into the sport began at the age of five, when a birthday party at a gymnastics facility revealed he🦹r natural talent, according to🐲 .
The event staff were so impressed that they suggested her parents sign her up for🐬 gymnastics lessons, where she quickly excelled and made her mark.
Rivera met Biles when she was seven
Eight years ago, w🔯hen Rivera was just seven years old, a then-19-year-old Biles on the brink of an Olympic debut in Rio made a surprise visit to ENA Gymnastics, Rivera’s local gym in Pꦺaramus, N.J.
Fast forward less than a decade, and Rivera is now teammates with the USA gymnastics stalwart she idolizes in an epic twist of fate.
At ENA, Rivera also trained alongside social media sensation and LSU star Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, anothe🅷r gymnastics phenom hailing from New Jersey.
Jersey, ENA Gymnastics, in a throwback photo. Courtesy of Craig Zappa / ENA Gymnastics
Initially coac🅺hed by Maggie Haney, who also trained 2016 Olympian and Jersey native Laurie Hernandez,🍬 Rivera’s family relocated to Plano, Texas, so she could train at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy and better pursue her dream.
“I know that anything is possible, so if I keep working hard in the gym, I know that I can achieve anything,” Rivera share꧟d after the move, according to . “My family made the commitment to come here and moved here just so that I could train.”
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She attends virtual high school
Rivera is a student at Connection Academy, a virtual high school progಌram that provides her with t🏅he flexibility she needs to balance her gymnastics career.
Though it’s her first Olympics, Paris will be yet another milestone on the young gymnast’s impressive resume.
Her boasts gold on the balance beam and bronze in both the floor exerci🔯se and all-around at the 2024 Winꦛter Cup in Louisville.
She also dominated the junior division at the 2023 Winter Cup with top finishes on the beam, floor and in the all-around, and snagged second place with her majesticཧ floor routine at the 2023 Junior World Championships.
The Women’s gymnastics events be♓gin July 28 at 5 a.m. ET with the qualification rounds at Bercy Arena in Paris.
Team USA, who settled for the silver medal ෴in the team event at the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021, is eager for redemptioꩵn and determined to bring home the gold.
Rivera will compete alongside Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade🐽 Carey and Biles, who is poised to make history.
To 𝔉watch every minute of the 2024 Olympics, look no further than . For $7.99/month, gain access and stream every event live from Paris, plus ext𝓡ras like highlights, , and more.
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With just one more Olympic medal, the 27-year-old U.S. gymnast will surpa🦩ss Shannon Miller and hold the record for 𒐪the most medals earned by an American gymnast.
If she wins gold in the all-around, she will also become the oldest women’s all-around Ol🐈ympic gold medalist since 1952.🍰
Josc💞elyn Roberson and Leanne W🍎ong will also be on hand as alternates.
