PHOENIX — Hezly Rivera, as the youngest U.S. Olympian in 2024 on a team full of stars, didn’t get much of the spotlight in Paris.Now, halfway to the 2028 LA Games, she is the leading American female gymnast — for the moment at least.Rivera repeated as U.S. all-around champion with a historic comeback, jumping from fourth place after the first night of the two-day competition.
All-around and individual apparatus results from the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix.
She is the second woman to repeat as U.S. all-around champion in the last 13 years after Simone Biles, who won a record nine titles.
Rivera totaled 111.95 points over both days, winning by 1.15 points over Dallas-area training partner Claire Pease. Rivera trailed by six tenths after day one, when she fell off the uneven bars.“I wasn’t looking at the scoreboard; I was just focused on myself and my gymnastics and what I had to do,” Rivera said on the NBC Sports broadcast. “It was actually, like, stress free. I took all the pressure I could off myself because it’s not fun when you’re stressed or nervous.”
Hezly Rivera focused on herself and gymnastics in order to stay as loose as possible, letting her hard work show in order to repeat as U.S. all-around champion. She also speaks to the healthy rivalry with Claire Pease.
The last comeback from fourth or lower to win nationals was when Courtney Kupets went from fourth to win in 2003. Eighteen of the last 20 editions, a first-day leader won nationals.Pease and Skye Blakely shared the lead going into Sunday. Blakely then dropped back with a fall on floor exercise, her opening routine, and also fell twice off the balance beam, her last routine.Next up is a World Championships selection competition from Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Crossville, Tennessee, after which the five-woman team will be named for October’s worlds.Results from nationals factor into who makes the team for worlds, which will be the first global championship with a team competition since the Paris Games.
Hezly Rivera bids to become the second woman to repeat as U.S. all-around champion in the last 13 years after Simone Biles.
Rivera, the youngest U.S. Olympian across all sports in 2024 at age 16, competed strictly in qualifying at the Paris Games. Her more experienced teammates — Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles — filled all of the spots in the Olympic team final.“I am comfortable with it,” Rivera said when asked about becoming a leader in this Olympic cycle. “Even though I am a vet — it’s kind of weird to say that I am a vet — I don’t think it when I’m competing.”Rivera was the only 2024 Olympian in the field when she won the 2025 U.S. title. She then missed the chance to make her world championships debut last fall due to a sprained ankle. The 2025 Worlds included individual events only.Rivera said she has “unfinished business” with the Olympics — eyeing another team medal, an all-around medal and a few individual apparatus medals.“Even right after the Olympics, I was like, ‘Well, a little break, and then I’m going to keep going,’” she said last week.To that end, Rivera drew a canvas of the LA28 logo and placed it against her Texas bedroom wall, just below a framed picture commemorating her 2025 U.S. all-around title.“She is a lot more mature and a lot more complete gymnast right now,” coach Anna Liukin said.Carey won vault in her first nationals since 2024. She may be in direct competition for a world team spot with Reese Esponda, who like Carey is strong on vault and floor, winning the U.S. title on the latter.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey came home fifth overall in the all-around competition at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, claiming the national vault title in the process.
“It’s important (to make the world team), but also for me being my first year back, we’re just really trying to build smartly and safely and get me to a place where I’m going to be healthy for the next two or three years,” said Carey, who competed in her hometown this weekend.Pease, who improved from 10th at the 2025 Nationals, and Charleigh Bullock, who was third in the all-around in her senior nationals debut, are in contention to make each’s first world team.The U.S. women’s gymnastics picture could change significantly in 2027 with the planned comebacks of Lee and two-time world all-around medalist Shilese Jones.Plus, Biles and Chiles could return at some point for another Olympic bid. Neither has announced future plans yet.
Shilese Jones won world championships all-around medals in 2022 and 2023, but missed a chance at the 2024 Olympics due to injuries.