Hezly Rivera, the youngest member of the US women's gymnastics team that won gold at the Paris Olympics last year, captured her first national title at the US Championships on Sunday. The 17-year-old posted a two-day total of 112.000, edging out Leanne Wong to claim the all-around crown.
Rivera credited her confidence to observing Olympic teammates Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles. “They looked so confident,” she said. “It gave me that confidence as well.” Her performance, which included top scores on three of four events, marked a bounce-back from a shaky showing at the US Classic last month.
The victory puts Rivera in a strong position to lead the four-woman US delegation at the world championships in Indonesia in October. She said she paid no attention to being the leader of the women's program in the early stages of the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, focusing instead on “letting go” of pressure.
Leanne Wong, a four-time world championship medalist, finished second, while Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson took third despite an ankle injury during her floor routine. Skye Blakely, who missed both the 2021 and 2024 Olympic Trials due to injury, impressed on uneven bars and balance beam to put herself in contention for the world team.
