Home Chưa phân loại US TEAM “IT’S NOT FAIR” GYMNAST HEZLY RIVERA, 16, WON’T COMPETE IN TEAM FINALS AT OLYMPICS 2024 – WHY WAS SHE REMOVED? The reasoп she was exclυded that left faпs OUTRAGED.

US TEAM “IT’S NOT FAIR” GYMNAST HEZLY RIVERA, 16, WON’T COMPETE IN TEAM FINALS AT OLYMPICS 2024 – WHY WAS SHE REMOVED? The reasoп she was exclυded that left faпs OUTRAGED.

Chưa phân loại · 6 August, 2024 · Comments off

Hezly Rivera was quite young when it was discovered that she had the skills to become a gymnast. She was taken under the wing of a well-known coach and managed to make it to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Hezly Rivera of Team US reacts after finishing her routine on the uneven bars during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Qualification at the Paris Olympic Games on July 28, 2024, in Paris, France | Source: Getty Images
Although the star failed to qualify for the finals, she still has the love and support of her family. Here’s what we know about her background.
Who Is Hezly Rivera?
Hezly “Hez” Rivera, 16, was born on June 4, 2008, in Hackensack, New Jersey. She and her family, parents Henry Rivera and Heidy Ruiz, and siblings Hanly Rivera and Carhelis Abreu, currently live in Plano, Texas. They moved there in 2021 or 2022 so the gymnast could join the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA).
At age five, Hezly attended a friend’s birthday party at a gymnastics facility. The coaching staff approached her parents because of how she stood out with her casual cartwheels and flips. They advised her parents to have her try out for the team.
Hezly made the team with her very first audition, which the coaching team
described as “very unusual.” They enrolled her in a class, and she “absolutely fell in love” with gymnastics.
She got hooked on the sport and started her career in 2013, spending hours practicing at ENA Gymnastics in Paramus. Her father recalled. “All she ever wanted

Hezly “Hez” Rivera as a little girl in a social media post uploaded on July 30, 2024 | Source: Instagram/hezrivera
When she was eight, Hezly’s parents started homeschooling her so she could practice intensely. Her computer engineer father and her mother said gymnastics would be their life, and there was no looking back.

Hezly “Hez” Rivera’s childhood wish in a social media post uploaded on July 30, 2024 Source: Instagram/hezrivera
Almost three years ago, the star’s family relocated from New Jersey to Plano, Texas, to allow Hezly to train under Valeri Liukin. He is famous for being Nastia Liukin’s father and Gabby Douglas’ coach. Nastia is a five-time Olympic medalist, while Gabby is a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
Henry was so focused on supporting his daughter that he once gave her a copy of “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play,” written by Kobe Bryant. The late Los Angeles Lakers player inspired the gymnast with his drive.
Her father shared, “Her ticket was always outworking everyone. Her mentality was almost that ‘mamba mentality.” Hezly believes if you want something, you must go for it. She also knows that things won’t be handed to her, especially since she’s Latina.
The teenager got to rub shoulders with future stars like LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne. Gymnastics coach Maggie Haney trained the athlete but when she was suspended, the athlete’s family relocated to Texas so the teenager could continue training.
While training, the star kept up with her education by attending Connection Academy. The academy is an online high school program that allows her time and space to maintain her training and competition schedule.
What she loves about gymnastics is that she can flip in the air, and she is also a fan of being with her teammates. Her favorite gymnastics event is the bars. Growing up the teenager was always a fan of the Olympics and often rewatched the 2008 and 2012 ones.
She became old enough to feature in senior-level competitions when she turned 15 At the 2024 Winter Cup, the gymnast placed third in the all-around. She was in sixth place in the individual all-around finish at the National Championships. And after years of training, Hezly finally got to perform at the Olympics in 2024.
Hezly’s Journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics
The National Championships placement allowed her eligibility to compete at the Olympic trials a few months later. In June 2024, she participated in a two-day competition of the team trials for qualification for the Paris Olympics.
Hezly was facing seasoned athletes who had medals from the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games. She had never competed at the Olympics before and described herself as the “underdog.” Fate was on her side and placed her in the run when three top contenders withdrew from the trials due to injuries.

Hezly Rivera of Team US competes on the balance beam during the Artistic
Gymnastics Women’s Qualification at the Paris Olympic Games on July 28, 2024, in Paris, France | Source: Getty Images
The star, who once revealed that her goal in gymnastics is to make the National team to have a chance to represent the US at the Olympics, was unmoved by the changes, revealing, “I just went out there and gave it my ‘normal,’ because that is good enough.”
On July 1, 2024, an X user shared a video of Hezly’s father crying in the stands while recording his daughter on his phone. At the time, it was revealed that she was chosen to represent the US Women’s Gymnastics Team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Speaking about her selection, the gymnast said, “This is everything that my inner child ever wanted.” She shared that being able to represent the US team at the Olympics was “amazing.” The star then revealed that she was “shocked” when her name got called, an experience he said felt “surreal.”

Hezly “Hez” Rivera getting a hug from Henry Rivera at the Paris Olympics in a social media post uploaded on July 2, 2024 | Source: Instagram/togethxr
She worked hard to get where she is and finally got to live out her dreams of being an Olympian. The unexpected selection meant a lot to Hezly but also to every person who helped her get there.
The athlete couldn’t explain how she felt knowing that she had put in years of hard work with her family making sacrifices to get her there. At the Paris Olympic Games, she was the youngest competitor representing Team US in any sport.
Becoming an Olympian didn’t go to her head, and she remained calm and continued training as usual. Before going to the Olympics, she kept the same mentality she always had and went to the gym daily, giving “it 100 percent.”
The star said if she takes to the Olympics’ floor and does the same things she did in the gym, she’ll know that she’s done her best.
As a Latina with a Dominican background — her parents come from the Dominican Republic the gymnast felt it was an honor to represent Latinas and the Dominican Republic at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But she also felt like she represented both the US and the Dominican Republic, as she’s “very proud to be Latina and American.”
Speaking about her goals at the Olympics, she said, “I just want to help the
community grow.” The star wanted other Latinas to look up to her and wish to be

Hezly “Hez” Rivera, Simone Biles, and another teammate at the Paris Olympics in a social media post uploaded on July 29, 2024 | Source: Instagram/hezrivera and usagym
The Christian gymnast revealed that she likes praying with her family before leaving to compete and on other occasions. Praying is essential as it helps her calm down and gets her in a good headspace. She also listens to Christian music.

Hezly’s Faпs Feel She Deserves to Perform iп the Olympic Fiпals

Why Was Hezly Not iп the Olympic Fiпals for Gymпastics?

Meetiпg aпd Workiпg with Simoпe

Gettiпg All the Sυpport She Needs

 

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