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via Reuters

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via Reuters

Hezly Rivera once occupied the background. That arrangement is beginning to shift. Just one year ago, she was the newcomer on a U.S. women’s gymnastics team defined by Olympic champions. Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey carried the weight of experience, while Rivera, fresh from a decorated junior career, entered the senior ranks quietly. She observed, absorbed, and contributed where she could. Now, on the eve of the U.S. Classic in Chicago on July 19, Rivera stands in a different place. No longer the apprentice, no longer obscured. Can she deliver…

That evolution began last year. At the start of 2025, Rivera was still adjusting to the senior level. She had ended her junior tenure as national all-around champion but faced a crowded and daunting field. Her first senior U.S. Classic, held just days after the death of her grandmother, ended with a 24th-place finish. She improved to sixth at nationals and then fifth at trials, ultimately earning selection to the five-woman Olympic team. 

Her recent showing at the Pan American Championships confirmed the transition. In her first all-around competition since the Olympic Games in Paris, Rivera won bronze individually and helped secure gold for Team USA. What mattered more than the results, however, was her composure. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, and I felt more confident,” she said to Olympics.com. “I think the Olympics really helped with that pressure.” For an athlete who once entered arenas with hesitation, Rivera now carries a steadier temperament. One shaped by the crucible of Paris and tempered by the memory of walking among giants. At 16, she was the youngest American across all sports at the Games. She competed in qualifying on the uneven bars and balance beam. With the team’s gold medal, she became the youngest U.S. gymnast to win Olympic gold since 2012.

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The 17-year-old had studied the methods of Biles. How to build confidence through relentless precision. And found support in quiet conversations with Lee. Their talks, often held on long walks or over coffee, focused less on mechanics and more on self-trust. Those moments appear to have anchored her. Rivera has begun to lead, less by directive and more by consistency. She has found room to speak up when needed and to demonstrate maturity through presence.

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For Rivera, this summer’s season is not about replacing anyone. It is about no longer standing behind. The roles have not reversed, but they have loosened. The names at the front of the roster remain familiar, but Rivera is no longer merely following. Her voice now blends into the conversation, not as an echo but as part of the original chord. However, while Rivera aims to make her ground strong as an individual, she never forgets to acknowledge the support and guidance she received from her seniors at the Olympic stage.

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Has Hezly Rivera finally stepped out of the shadows of Biles and Lee to lead Team USA?

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Hezly Rivera shares how her seasoned teammates steadied her in Paris

In the stillness between routines and the weight of Olympic anticipation, Hezly Rivera found not solitude, but support. The young gymnast, fresh from a gold medal performance in Paris, began to reflect on the scaffolding that made her triumph possible. While her execution spoke volumes on the mat, Rivera was quick to credit the quiet strength and attentiveness of her more seasoned teammates, those who understood the strain of representing a nation and carried it with grace beside her.

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“They were always with me. You know? It was a really cool experience just being with all of those veterans helping me and guiding me for my first Olympics,” Rivera told Inside Gymnastics, her words marked by sincerity rather than spectacle. Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Suni Lee, each an established name in the sport, became more than mentors. They became anchors. Rivera spoke with particular warmth about Suni Lee, noting that her guidance extended beyond the competition floor. From quiet walks to casual grocery runs, Suni helped create a rhythm of normalcy amid the storm of Olympic intensity.

“We would just talk about life, and I could talk to her about anything,” Rivera said. Around all the noise and pressure of the Olympics, she had people who made things feel normal. As Rivera moves into this next part of her journey, it’s clear that what’s carrying her forward isn’t just talent. It’s also the quiet strength she got from teammates who didn’t try to lead the way for her, but walked right alongside her.

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Has Hezly Rivera finally stepped out of the shadows of Biles and Lee to lead Team USA?

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