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Why Isn’t Hezly Rivera Competing With Team U.S.A. in the Gymnastics Finals? Absence Details
Hezly Rivera qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games to join her teammates Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chile and Jade Carey, in hopes of winning the prized gold medal — however, she did not perform during the women’s team gymnastics final. Sports fans are curious why the athlete isn’t competing with Team U.S.A. during the prestigious event.
Who Is Hezly Rivera?
Hezly is a New Jersey native, who is the youngest U.S. competitor in any sport at the Paris Games.
“We’re really excited to, kind of, show her the ropes,” Simone told TODAY of her teammate. “And at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. She has four veterans that have been there before.”
Meanwhile, Hezly was just excited to join the star-studded team. “I cannot believe that I’m here right now. It’s just — all my hard work has been paying off,” she told the outlet after the trials. “I’m so excited to represent Team USA at the Olympics. I’m, like, shocked.”
Hezly placed fifth all-around at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials in Minneapolis on June 30, 2024. The young gymnast was awarded a two-day all-around score total of 111.15, just shy of Simone, who earned a score of 117.225 during her third qualifying appearance.
Why Is Hezly Rivera Not Competing in the Gymnastics Team Finals?
Due to the stacked lineup, the 16-year-old athlete didn’t make the final roster for the gymnastics final, according to NBC News. The competition allowed for Team U.S.A. to allocate three of its five gymnasts in each event and Hezly was not chosen as a participant in any of them.
Hezly competed in two events — the uneven bars and balance beam — during the qualifying rounds on July 28, 2024, but finished 20th or worse in each event.
“We are in AWE of Hezly Rivera,” the U.S.A. gymnastics team shared from its official account. “Her first Olympic Games & she is performing with poise and grace well beyond her years! This is just the beginning!”
In comparison, Simone, Jordan, and Suni finished in 14th place or better during the qualifying rounds for those events. They were likely chosen for the finals because they had a significant edge over Hezly.
Instead, Hezly was on standby and on the competition floor as a backup — in case disaster struck with one of her teammates.
Similar to her teammate, Jade will also be competing in only one event — the vault. She ranked third among her competitors but finished with the second-lowest score on the floor, despite being the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the floor exercises.
Can Hezly Rivera Get an Olympic Medal Without Competing in Team Finals?
Team U.S.A. secured a podium finish in the event, which means Hezly will be awarded a medal for her contributions to the team score for the qualifying round.
Did Team U.S.A. Win the Gymnastics Finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Team U.S.A. won the gold medal in the gymnastics final on July 30, 2024. Jordan and Simone led the team by competing in all the events, while Jade excelled on the vault and Suni took charge of the beam, bars, and floor.
