The American gymnast of Dominican descent Hezly Rivera won her second consecutive national title at the United States Gymnastics Championships.
At 18 years of age and after having been part of the team that won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the athlete overcame a hamstring injury to consolidate her position as the star of the women's program with a view to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A historic feat outside of Biles' legacy
With an accumulated score of 111,950 points in the two days of competition, Hezly Rivera surpassed her immediate second guard, Claire Pease, by more than one point.
This result makes Hezly Rivera the first North American gymnast not named Simone Biles to chain two consecutive individual national championships since Jordyn Wieber achieved it in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
In statements given to the media after the official award ceremony of the contest, Hezly Rivera addressed the responsibility of assuming a leading role within the group of competitors: “I feel comfortable with that and I love, in some way, being a leader,” the athlete pointed out when evaluating her sporting evolution in the last two years.
Mental resilience and improvement
Winning the championship required Hezly Rivera to make a comeback from fourth place in the general classification, after suffering a fall in the uneven bars test during Thursday's day. After adjusting the precision of her executions on the balance beam and in the floor routine during the Sunday session, the athlete confirmed that psychological strength was key to overcoming the physical setbacks derived from her participation in the Pan American Games.
“I think that shows how strong I am mentally, because physically everything is there,” said Hezly Rivera in his meeting with the accredited press when analyzing the management of his routines. In relation to supporting less experienced members on the elite circuit, the gymnast added: “It is very important to give pep talks because when you are young you are still learning a lot, so it is good to receive positive vibes.”
Positioning towards the World Championship and technical balance
The performance of the national monarch allows her to lead the North American team for the next World Gymnastics Championship to be held in the Netherlands. Her coaches, Anna Liukin and Valeri Liukin, highlighted the technical growth shown by the competitor, an appreciation shared by Olympic multiple medalist Jade Carey, who won the title in the jumping event and finished in fifth position in the overall competition.
During the media appearance in Phoenix, Jade Carey highlighted the consistency exhibited by her partner on the decisive day: “I think Hezly Rivera did a fantastic job tonight and showed herself and everyone else that she is capable of a lot,” declared the experienced gymnast.
The honor roll of the contest completed its main positions with Charleigh Bullock in third place, Reese Esponda in fourth place and Skye Blakely in seventh place after registering penalties in the floor test.
