Hezly Rivera, the youngest U.S. Olympian in Paris, can become the youngest U.S. all-around champion since 2017.
Hezly Rivera, an Olympic gold medalist at age 16, is halfway to adding a U.S. all-around title at 17.
Rivera, the youngest U.S. Olympian across all sports in Paris, leads the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships after the first of two days of competition.
She tallied 55.6 points in New Orleans, taking a slim lead of two tenths over Joscelyn Roberson into Sunday's final day (7 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock). Leanne Wong, an Olympic alternate like Roberson, is in third place.
While all her Olympic teammates are taking this elite season off, Rivera hopes to take a major step in her career.
GYMNASTICS: Results | Broadcast Schedule
She would be the youngest U.S. all-around champion since Ragan Smith in 2017 and the youngest American gymnast to pair Olympic gold with a national all-around title since Jordyn Wieber in 2012.
Rivera, the 2023 U.S. junior all-around champ, opened the 2024 Olympic selection season by placing 24th at the U.S. Classic (about a week after her grandmother died).
She climbed to sixth in her senior U.S. Championships debut, then fifth at the Olympic Trials. She was picked to be the lone rookie on the Olympic team alongside stars Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles.
In Paris, Rivera competed on uneven bars and balance beam in the qualifying round. She left as the youngest U.S. gold medalist in any sport since 2012, and with motivation to achieve more.
“My mindset is kind of like, I achieved my dreams, I achieved my goals, but I still have more (goals), so I kind of like to put that (the Olympics) in the back of my head for now,” she said in July. “Every time in the gym, I don’t think that I went to the Olympics. I’m just kind of training like I’ve almost never been, in a way.”
Rivera had the highest score Friday on balance beam and second-best on floor exercise, her first two events.
That came after she fell on her first two routines — uneven bars and beam — at the July 19 U.S. Classic, the primary tune-up meet for nationals.
"Not the meet i hoped for," she posted afterward, "but there is more to come."
Rivera boosted her chances of earning one of four spots at October's World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, where there are only individual events.
Those spots will be doled out after a selection competition in early autumn, also taking into account results from nationals and other 2025 meets.
Roberson, a 2024 Olympic alternate, had the top score on floor and tied for the highest on bars on Friday.
Wong, the most experienced gymnast in the field at 21, hopes to make a fourth consecutive world team.
Category: General Sports
