19 Feb “I Want To Be One Of The Best In The World.” Gold Medalist Hezly Rivera Set For 2025 Debut At Winter Cup
Eyes On the Future – Hezly Rivera Looks to LA2028
At 16, Hezly Rivera was the youngest qualified athlete for Team USA at the Paris Olympics. Now, she’s ready to make her mark in 2025 as an Olympic veteran. Rivera begins her Road to LA2028 this week at the 2025 Winter Cup in Louisville.
The full cover story on Hezly Rivera can be found in the February 2024 issue of Inside Gymnastics magazine.
For Inside Gymnastics’ Coverage of the 2025 Winter Cup, Click Here!
By Christy Sandmaier and Nate Salsman
Grateful
When Hezly Rivera was 11 years-old, she drew a vision board. A golden Eiffel Tower surrounded by purple swirls, a single golden star, with the words “2024 Olympics” written in shades of reds and blues, framing the French monument. It traveled with her from New Jersey to Texas and is a daily reminder that competing in Paris 2024 as a member of Team USA was always her dream.
In August of 2023, Rivera became the U.S. Junior National All-Around Champion. One year later, the 16 year-old could call herself an Olympic gold medalist. Competing alongside Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles as part of the most decorated U.S. Women’s Olympic gymnastics team in history, Rivera remains truly in awe of what she’s achieved. Walking into the Bercy Arena in Paris, surrounded by gymnastics royalty, was a full circle moment – and a new chapter in her story that was ready to write itself.
“Going from 2023 Junior National Champion to Olympic gold medalist, at just 16, is super insane, and all of my hard work finally paid off,” she said. “My teammates, my coaches, my friends, they were all a part of this. I want to thank them so much because they got me to where I am today. Obviously, it was not easy. There were many ups and downs, but I’m so thankful for them because they taught me so many lessons.
“I am so incredibly grateful for my family because I would not be here without them. I’ve moved so many times. I moved two or three times in New Jersey alone just to find a good gym, and they sacrificed everything for me. They moved houses, moved gyms. That’s so insanely hard to do, and I really give a lot of the credit to my brother as well because he had to move schools so many times. I know it’s so difficult to make friends and to be the new kid all the time. So, I’m really, really grateful for him, and he’s literally my biggest supporter.
“I’m truly, truly thankful and grateful for everything that my family has done to make my dreams come true.”
Chalking Up & Planning Ahead
In January 2024, a visit to WOGA told us everything we needed to know about how Rivera’s season was about to go. Noticeably more confident, stronger, and even more poised, her transformation from junior to senior was already apparent as she swung bars and trained beam that day. With a long season to go, she was pacing herself, knowing her goals were within reach and that it was only a matter of time before her work would send her straight up the senior ranks.
Together with her coaching team at WOGA, Rivera created a strategy that would lead her to success. Essential to the plan was competing senior elite-level difficulty as a junior athlete, and gradually becoming accustomed to competing her difficulty in front of the larger crowds, the fanfare, and the pressure she’d face as excitement built towards the Games.
“I was already doing really hard, high-level routines as a junior, and I would pretty much always fall on them, all the time,” Rivera said. “I was so frustrated with myself, but it was all a part of the plan because once I became a senior, then my routines would become easier, just upgrade a little bit here and there and tweak some things. Ultimately, I had to push the hard routines when I was a junior, so I could lead up to where I was for Championships and Trials. It was a very difficult process for me, but it all worked out in the end. Competing in front of that crowd at Trials, it felt like just another day at practice. So, it really helped me a lot.”
Louisville To Minneapolis… The Dream Becomes Reality
Rivera continued to build momentum throughout 2024. In February, she placed first on beam and third in the All-Around and on floor at Winter Cup in Louisville. In June, she finished sixth in the All-Around at the Xfinity U.S. Championships, qualifying her for Trials and the opportunity of a lifetime to compete for a spot on the Olympic team.
With the hype surrounding the depth of the U.S. women’s team, Rivera flew a bit under the radar at first, and that’s exactly how she wanted it. She channeled her confidence and waited to make her own statement. In Minneapolis, she was cool, calm and collected under an immense amount of pressure, embracing the moment and letting her gymnastics speak for itself. The plan was in place, she just needed to do her own gymnastics and trust her training. Her smile on beam on night one told the story, perhaps foreshadowing what was to come. Rivera executed her routines with ease, trusted the process, and never looked back. And suddenly, she went from under the radar, to primetime player.
“Honestly, I felt like the underdog,” Rivera said. “For me, this was a competition where I was getting more experience, and I was able to compete in front of this crowd and compete at Olympic Trials. That’s been one of my goals ever since I was a young girl. Just being there, I was super happy and enjoying the moment, but, also, I was just doing my job. [I knew] what I do in the gym is what I’m going to try to do here. Not do anything better, not do anything less. Just do what I always do. Be normal. Because when I do my normal, everything will be fine and everything will fall into place.”
What fell into place was magical, and one of the strongest and most incredible meets of her career. She placed first on beam (tied with Joscelyn Roberson), and fifth in the All-Around. Still, Rivera remained humble as ever and didn’t think it would be enough to make the team. “After I finished my vault, I came off, and I thought I probably made alternate,” she said. “I did my job. I was so happy with my performance.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was just chilling with my friends, and then they called our names, and I heard my name. And, I’m like, ‘Did I hear that right? Did I just make the Olympic team?’ I was so shocked and so surprised. I was so happy because I’ve been working for this ever since I was a young little girl. Now that it had finally come true, I was so excited. It honestly did not sink in at all until I was at the Olympics.”
Allez!
Under the bright lights inside Bercy Arena, Rivera readied herself for the job ahead on the grandest stage in the world. At 16, she was the youngest qualified athlete in the entire Team USA contingent. With unfulfilled Tokyo dreams surrounding them, the team deemed Paris their redemption tour. It set up an early expectation of greatness—the ultimate goal: gold. Not only had they missed out on the top spot of the podium in Tokyo, taking silver, they also performed in a nearly empty arena due to COVID restrictions. The cheering fans painted the perfect picture backdrop and made all the difference in Paris, as Olympic magic was captured and felt around the world.
In Qualifications, Team USA started on beam, and while the enormity of the moment could have been overwhelming for Rivera, her preparation instead carried an aura of confidence as she prepared for her first Olympic routine. Knowing she had already achieved a lifelong dream by stepping on the floor for Team USA, was the realization of the ultimate goal, and the words of wisdom she received from her teammates resonated throughout. It helped frame the pressure and put it into perspective.
“It was actually really comforting because they knew what to expect. They told me, ‘you’re going to feel nervous. You’re going to feel a little bit scared, but just block it out, do your normal and have confidence in yourself.’ They told me that’s the most important thing. I know how to do my gymnastics. I just try to not overthink, basically, and they really helped me with that. Especially Suni, she helped me not just inside the gym, but she also helped me outside of the gym to get my mind off of gymnastics. We would go to the dining hall, just walk around, grab something to eat, go to the grocery store, and get some coffee. We would just talk about life, and I could talk to her about anything. So, it was really nice to just get my feelings out and talk to somebody because, obviously, this can be a very stressful time competing.
“Suni was very, very helpful to me and so was Jade. They were just the biggest role models. And Simone and Jordan, they always take care of me. They were always with me. You know? It was a really cool experience just being with all of those veterans helping me, and guiding me for my first Olympics.”
Her beam routine was a nervous one, but will forever remain the moment Rivera not only officially became an Olympian, but in a mere one minute and thirty seconds, went from Team USA rookie to Olympic veteran.
Taking us inside the moment she saluted, she remembered the feeling well and what it meant to her.
“We go to beam, and it can be nerve wracking, let me tell you! There were very bright lights. There were so many people in the crowd, but I’m over here just on the beam trying to focus on myself and my routines.
“Especially in timed warm up, you can feel very rushed. I’m trying to stay calm, stay grounded, and think about my corrections, my skills and my routines because that will set me up for a good competition. So I was just there, and I was kind of a little bit nervous. But, honestly, I think I handled it pretty well.
“Being so young and doing an elite sport at the Olympic level is absolutely crazy. So I was just trying to soak it all in and enjoy the moment, but also stay confident in myself. It’s all muscle memory. It’s all there, and I just need to do my normal gymnastics all the time. When I have confidence, I know I can do all of it.”
Standing alongside her teammates, embracing their gold medal moment, was nothing she could have ever prepared for.
“It was just a feeling like no other. I was so extremely happy and excited, and I know that this was a redemption tour especially for them because, obviously, at the last Olympics, they got silver and they wanted to redeem themselves and get gold. Going through that with the best team ever is truly indescribable.”
Geaux Time!
Returning home to Texas, Rivera has been everywhere. From walking the red carpet at the TIME Latino Leaders Awards, to throwing out the first pitch for the Texas Rangers, to being honored with her very own Hezly Rivera Day, she’s taking her new-found star status in stride and hopes she can be an inspiration to the next generation.
During the fall, Rivera also spent her weekends on the GOAT Tour with Simone Biles and her Olympic teammates, which she loved.
“Obviously, being on tour, I’ve always wanted to be on tour! Being with the people that I love, we just put in so much effort and work into the show,” she said. “It was so awesome to see it come together. We just continued to grow our bond.”
She also spent time going on college visits and deciding which school would become her family as a member of the Class of 2026. Ultimately, she chose LSU, loving the vibe and camaraderie among the team.
“I committed there because it felt like a home to me, and I saw the way that the coaches treat their gymnasts and I just saw it was very family-oriented, and that’s what I personally really liked,” Rivera said. “I love how all the teammates and friends just communicate with each other and connect with each other, and how the coaches just connect with their athletes and don’t just think of them as athletes, but as human beings and students as well. So that really opened my eyes, and it was very cool to see, and I saw that I wanted to commit there. So it just felt very special to me and, the place that I wanted to be in.”
The One
Now, Rivera is the one – the gold medalist in a sea of incredible young talent. She’ll be the veteran everyone is looking to carry the torch towards LA2028 and will get her first chance this weekend in Louisville. Although the lure of a home Olympics is like no other, and the road is certain to be crowded, Rivera wants to lead the new generation for Team USA. She sets little goals everyday, but isn’t afraid to share what her big goals are for the next quad.
“Over the next four years, I would like to make the 2025 Worlds and 2026, 2027, and, obviously, the 2028 Olympics,” Rivera said. “I also really want to be one of the best in the world, so I’m continuing to work on that and just to work hard in the gym. I’d also like to compete at Championships and possibly get first place, you know, just win Championships.”
As Rivera’s 2025 plan is put in place, she continues to draw inspiration from her Olympic teammates who competed at multiple Olympic Games well into their twenties. She knows that because of them, there are no limits on her career and what she can accomplish.
“It definitely has inspired me because now I’m more motivated than ever to go back to my second Olympics, which is absolutely insane to say,” she said. “Just looking back and seeing these amazing athletes go to multiple Olympic Games and World Championships really is pushing me, and I’m able to push my limits and see what I’m capable of.”
She’s quick to name Nastia Liukin, Suni, Simone and Gabby Douglas as her biggest role models growing up, and is in awe and ever-appreciative of how much their accomplishments have elevated the sport.
“Nastia, obviously, her parents coach me, but I’ve been looking up to her probably since I was 6 years-old. I’m not even joking! I would watch her literally every day just compete, and I was like, ‘oh my gosh. I want be like her!’ I still look up to her to this day. She’s one of my biggest role model models, my biggest motivation. I also look up to Suni and Simone. Suni, I’ve gotten really close to her, and just watching her train in the gym and compete really just opened my eyes, and she became an even bigger role model than she was before.
“And Gabby, she’s just so funny and so uplifting, and she just gives me so much confidence. Obviously, training with her really changed my perspective on gymnastics. She’s been through this as well twice, So I trust her.”
Oh, and that vision board? She still looks at it.
“I brought it home. I brought it with me from New Jersey to Texas. It’s been in my room all the time, and it’s always a reminder. I didn’t even realize it until after the Olympics. I came back and looked at it and I was like, ‘I drew that’ and it actually came true.”
Photos of 2024 Olympic Games by Ricardo Bufolin for Inside Gymnastics magazine
Photos of the 2023 U.S. Championships and 2024 Olympic Trials by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics magazine.
The full cover story on Hezly Rivera can be found in the February 2024 issue of Inside Gymnastics magazine.
Look for Nate’s NCAA Notes each week and stay tuned to InsideGym.com and Inside Gymnastics magazine for spotlight features and interviews throughout the 2025 season!
Nate Salsman, Della Fowler, Megan Roth and Christy Sandmaier provide NCAA coverage for Inside Gymnastics.
Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics magazine.
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