Hezly Rivera Wins Second Straight US Gymnastics Title

Hezly Rivera has added another major milestone to her young gymnastics career by winning her second consecutive US women’s gymnastics national title. At just 18, the Olympic gold medalist has become the first American woman other than Simone Biles to win back-to-back national titles since Jordyn Wieber achieved the feat in 2011 and 2012.

Hezly finished the two-day competition with a total score of 111.950 points, placing more than one point ahead of runner-up Claire Pease. Her victory further establishes her as one of the rising stars of women’s gymnastics in the United States.

Hazly has had a very fast road to success. She was an “underdog” two years ago when she got picked for the US team for the Paris Olympics. She was the youngest and least recognized player in a talented team that had some experienced players like Biles and Suni Lee.

Though not a senior athlete, Hazly  joined an American Olympic team that went on to win gold in the women's team competition in Paris. The win was the first time the U.S. team won three medals in four Games and the first gold for Hezly.

While several of her Olympic teammates have taken extended breaks from competition, Hezly has continued competing and developing her skills. Her consistency has helped her quickly move from an emerging Olympic athlete to a national champion.

Her successful title defence was particularly impressive as it came after a difficult moment on the uneven bars. Hezly fell face-first onto the mat during Thursday’s competition after missing a release and losing her position on the apparatus. The fall appeared to put her hopes of retaining the national title in doubt.

However, Hezly responded strongly on the final day. She started off the competition on the uneven bars and executed with a very determined performance on the uneven bars on Sunday. Although she experienced a small stall near the end, she recovered and completed her dismount with only a small step. Her quick recovery from the fall underscored the resilience, confidence and mental toughness that are crucial components of her competitive career.

Key Highlights

• Hezly Rivera defended her US national gymnastics title for another year.
• She overcame a fall and returned with strong composure.
• Hezly became the first repeat champion since Jordyn Wieber.

Hezly first won the national title in New Orleans last year, narrowly defeating Leanne Wong. Her latest victory now gives her consecutive national championships and places her among a select group of American women gymnasts to achieve the feat.

The championship also comes at an important time for US women’s gymnastics. Biles and Suni have both stepped away from regular competition, although Suni recently announced that she had resumed training with the aim of returning to competition.

Behind Hezly in this year’s standings, Charleigh Bullock, who turned 16 last month, finished third. Reese Esponda, who trains at the Houston-area gym where Biles' family owns the club, finished fourth. Two time Olympic gold medallist Jade Carey was fifth.

Jade continues to challenge herself, adding to her competition with the next generation of American gymnasts as she hopes for a third Olympic berth.

For Hezly, the back-to-back title is another defining step in a journey that began with being labelled an Olympic “underdog.” Her latest performance shows how quickly she has grown into a confident young champion and highlights the continuing rise of a new generation of women athletes in gymnastics.