Olympian Hezly Rivera earned her first national title at the recent 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics National Championships when she grabbed the No. 1 spot for senior all-around.
From Aug. 7 to 10, the top gymnasts nationwide gathered in New Orleans to compete at the Smoothie King Center. According to ESPN, the 17-year-old gold medalist participated in two days of the annual event, which plays a key role in determining who will represent North America in global tournaments, including the Olympic Games. She ended the event on top, likely securing her position in Los Angeles three years from now.
Hezley Rivera’s confidence carried her to national victory
Rivera, who made the U.S. women’s gymnastics team with Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles and competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, is being predicted as the person who will lead the team at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She wrapped up a standout weekend by dominating the senior all-around and snagging three more apparatus titles, reported USA Gymnastics.
Across two days of competition, the 17-year-old stayed in control, posting a combined 112.000 to take the all-around crown. She also excelled on the balance beam (28.350), floor exercise (28.200), as well as tied with fellow North Texasn Skye Blakely for the uneven bars title (27.600).
After a rough showing at last month’s U.S. Classic, Rivera delivered a strong performance, crediting her turnaround to simply releasing the pressure that comes with being the only Olympic champion among the sport’s next wave of talent.
“No matter how rough the competition is, I still can get back into the gym and work hard because all those months previously that I’ve been working hard, I know it’s going to show up eventually,” Rivera told ESPN. “So it kind of just took a weight off my shoulders.”
Hezley Rivera prepares for world championships
Every event was a statement, and Rivera made sure her name stayed at the top of the scoreboard. When her final floor routine sealed the deal, the weight she’d been carrying all weekend seemed to disappear, reported ESPN.
“Everything fell into place,” Rivera told ESPN. “I tried not to get too overwhelmed because nerves obviously can be there, especially when you know you’re in a spot to win a national title, but I just took all the pressure off myself.”
Next up on the road to gold? The 2025 Senior World Championships which is set for October 19–25 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Ahead of this competition, the final U.S. women’s roster will be selected based on the results at the World Championships Selection Camp, happening September 29–October 2 in Crossville, Tennessee, according to USA Gymnastics.
