Gymnast Hezly Rivera Removed From Competing in Team Final at Olympics

The women’s national gymnastics team got off to a strong start during the qualifying round of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Anchored by Simone Biles, who individually finished in first place with a 59.566, Team USA held more than a five-point lead over the second-place team, Italy.

One day before the Team Finals on July 30, USA Gymnastics announced the official roster for each event. Biles and Jordan Chiles will compete on all four apparatuses. Suni Lee is set for the beam, uneven bars and floor exercise. Jade Carey, who had an uncharacteristically poor performance on the floor due to an illness, will only compete on vault.

As for newcomer Hezly Rivera, USA Gymnastics didn’t select her for any apparatus, which means her Olympic journey is over. She competed in just two events during the qualifying round. Rivera earned a 12.633 on the balance beam and a 13.900 on the uneven bars. Neither score was high enough to qualify for the individual finals.

Team USA coaches, however, can choose whichever lineup they want for the team final. While they aren’t required to select the lineup based on who had the highest score in the qualifying round, that appears to be the barometer used.

During the Team Final, USA Gymnastics announced the following women will compete on each event in the following order:

Vault: Chiles, Carey, Biles.
Uneven bars: Chiles, Biles, Lee.
Balance beam: Chiles, Lee, Biles.
Floor exercise: Lee, Chiles, Biles.

Despite sitting out the Team Final, Rivera will still receive a medal should Team USA win gold, silver, or bronze.

Fans Shared Strongly Mixed Reaction to Hezly Rivera Not Being Chosen to Compete in the Team Final

Having just turned 16 in June, Rivera is the youngest and most inexperienced member of Team USA, however, fans were split on the decision to omit Rivera. The New Jersey native earned her spot on the team after placing fifth overall at the U.S. Gymnastics Trials last month. In the finals, she scored 14.300 on bars and 14.275 on beam, much higher than her Olympic scores.

One woman posted on X, “I feel bad for Hezly.. I feel like her age showed and her nerves definitely got the best of her during the qualification round. These are the lineups you have to go with though, experience is important on this stage. With that being said.. LETS BRING HOME THE [EXLPETIVE] GOLD! ❤️🤍💙.”

Another fan replied, “People whining about this are making me crazy. You go with the best lineup based on scores not feelings. Let’s go!”

One person posted, “Hezly :( you deserve the world I hope you won’t lose your confidence.” Another fan complained, “Put hezly up bars omg??? she did such a good job and the other athletes do deserve a rest too that’s why it’s a five person team they all have a long week of competitions.”

Because Rivera is still so young, she’s entering her junior year of high school, there’s a strong chance she will come back as a leader during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Hezly Rivera Earned Applause For Making Her Olympics Debut

The last time Team USA kept a member from competing in the final was during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Of the six-member team, only Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone, and Bridget Sloan participated. Samantha Peszek sat out. They won silver.

Rivera has yet to comment on not participating in the Team Final. She posted on Instagram after the qualifying round concluded, “officially an olympian! wow today was awesome 💗.” Numerous current and former Team USA members flooded the comments section with messages of support.

Lee wrote, “big sis is proud of you 🥹🫶🏻,” while Carey added, “i am so proud of you hez.” Liukin, who won the individual all-around gold medal in Beijing commented, “YES HEZ!!!!!!!!! So beyond proud!!!!!! An Olympian FOREVER.”