Hezly Rivera has exactly what the US Olympic gymnastics team needs for Paris

Rivera kept up that cool attitude for the next few hours and rose to the highest point of her sport. She entered the trials as a self-described “underdog.” She leaves as an Olympian.

Rivera joins four former Olympians on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team heading to Paris later this month. Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles have won a combined 55 medals at the world championships and Olympics. As the wide-eyed Rivera reflected on the accomplishments of her Olympic teammates, she admitted, “I can’t believe I’m on this team, too.”

But Rivera earned her spot with a performance so strong that Quinn, a member of the selection committee, said determining the five-member team was “a pretty simple, straightforward decision.”

Rivera entered the race when these trials were rocked by injuries to three of the top athletes. Shilese Jones, Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello each had to withdraw from the trials, giving several less experienced athletes like Rivera a chance.

Biles finished first at the trials, earning the only automatic berth; the selection committee chose the remaining four athletes. With the field depleted by injuries, the four Olympians from Tokyo seemed almost certain to be headed to Paris, leaving one spot open. Quinn said the committee analyzed the strengths of these four gymnasts and determined that the team would benefit from an additional athlete who was strong on beam and beam. Rivera was the ideal choice.

During the two-day national championships and both nights of the Olympic Trials, Rivera has scored at least a 13.700 on all four routines on the beam and uneven bars. She went into Sunday’s competition knowing those events were the most crucial to her Olympic hopes, and she showed her potential under pressure. Rivera opened the competition by nailing a tough routine on the beam to earn a score of 14.300, a mark only Lee could top. On the beam, she was precise and steady — while gymnasts like Biles, Lee and Chiles all fell — to score a 14.275, the night’s best on that apparatus.

Rivera’s solid performances at the national championships four weeks ago boosted her resume. None of the other trial participants could match what Rivera would bring to the team.

“She’s just so mature for a 16-year-old,” Quinn said. “And she’s always so calm and cool and collected.”

In the qualifying round at the Olympics, the U.S. team needs four gymnasts to perform on each apparatus. Biles, Lee and Chiles will likely compete in the all-around, while Carey, who is excellent on vault and floor, and Rivera will complement each other to fill the remaining spots.

This roster includes the top five finishers from the Olympic Trials, but more importantly, the pieces fit together in a way that maximizes the team’s score. Joscelyn Roberson and Tiana Sumanasekera were also in the mix for their fantastic performances on beam during the trials, but they have lower scoring potential on beam. They’re both solid on the floor, but so are the four Olympians from Tokyo. Leanne Wong scored at least 13.900 on beam twice during the tests, but her beam scores were not as high.

Rivera was the only option with the right combination of strengths. It didn’t matter that she had never competed at a world championship or that she had only just reached senior-level age this year. Rivera has competed internationally several times, including at last year’s junior world championships, but the pressure of the Olympic podium will be her toughest test yet.

By giving Rivera the opportunity to compete in Paris, “we are also investing in our future,” said Quinn, who added that she could be a contender for the 2028 Games.

Although Rivera won the junior national all-around title in 2023, this Olympic spot seemed unlikely, especially given the expected depth of the field, as many American gymnasts have continued their elite careers into their 20s. At the US Classic in mid-May, Rivera finished 24th in the all-around after a performance marred by errors. She recovered at the national championships, but still entered the trials as a hopeless candidate to make the team.

“She was always someone you watched because she had potential,” Quinn said. “And she was kind of figuring out how to get out of it. The transition from junior to senior is so hard. … But with the way the cards fell this week, it really gave her a huge opportunity.”

Rivera, who turned 16 in early June, initially saw these trials as a “stepping stone” with the 2028 Games as her best chance to make the Olympic team. She thought she had “a slim chance” of getting a spot in the Paris squad, but when her name was announced she was shocked.

“I mean, she can’t even drive,” Biles said. ‘Should we teach her to drive before she gets to Paris? Jesus! She’s so young. She is so cute. She’s so smart. She is beautiful. We are very proud of her for putting this team together, and we are very excited to help her get started. At least she doesn’t have to do it alone. She has four veterans who have been there before.