Hezly Rivera may not have immediately expected to make it to the final roster for the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics team at the Paris Olympics. Yet, fate had other plans for her, and her strength at the uneven bars and balance beam earned her a well-deserved spot.
The young New Jersey resident entered a team full of veterans – Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey – prepared to put on her best show. Things took a turn at the qualifiers when Rivera’s scores didn’t match up to get the team to the top of the roster.
She still had a lot to learn, and the team decided the better strategy would be to let her sit it out and observe during the finals. Yet, Rivera was happy to be there and support in case there was a need and was now a proud gold medal winner.
Personal details: Rivera’s age, school, and parents
Rivera is 16 years old, born in Hackensack, New Jersey, to Henry Rivera and Heidy Ruiz. She’s expected to graduate from high school sometime in 2026 from Connection Academy.
Rivera began training for gymnastics at the age of 5 and has since impressed several enthusiasts with her talent and skill. Her father has been a strong support system throughout her career, attending all of her competitions and cheering for her from the sidelines.
Coach
In 2021, after realizing that their daughter has the potential to be an elite gymnast, Henry and Heidy moved to Texas. Here, Hezly trained under Valeri Liukin and has since grown stronger and more resilient and improved on several moves to get her to the top.
Strength and physique
Hezly is one of the taller members of the team despite being the youngest of them all. Apart from that, she’s been easily adaptable to the challenges thrown at her so far, and that has made her one of the likable members of Team USA.
Biles even talked about how she was incredibly proud of Hezly’s involvement and enthusiasm in one of the press conferences during the Olympics. For the 16-year-old, the sky’s the limit currently, with her being a potential team member for the next Olympics as well.
