Gymnast Hezly Rivera is the youngest U.S. athlete to qualify for Paris Olympics
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Hezly Rivera competes in the floor exercise during the women's U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials on June 30 in Minneapolis. Photo: Nikolas Liepins/Anadolu via Getty Images
Hezly Rivera is now the youngest athlete in the entire U.S. delegation headed to the 2024 Olympic Games after earning a coveted spot on the women's gymnastics team.
Why it matters: Gymnastics is one of the most popular Olympic sports. Rivera joins greats like Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time.
Zoom in: Rivera, who has Dominican American heritage, also joins Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles on the team. Leanne Wong and Joscelyn Roberson were named traveling replacement athletes.
- Rivera is 16 years old. She's originally from New Jersey but has been living and training in Plano, Texas, at the famous WOGA facility.
- At the Olympic Team Gymnastics trials in Minneapolis last weekend, Rivera and Roberson tied for the highest overall beam score with a score of 27.975, according to USA Gymnastics.
What they're saying: At a ceremony announcing the Olympic team on Sunday, Rivera thanked God, her family, coaches and teammates for their support.
- "I made a lot of sacrifices to be here, so I'm just so incredibly grateful, forever," Rivera said.
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