Hezly Rivera’s journey to stardom began with her humble amazement: “I can’t believe I’m part of this team; I never would have thought this would happen.” Fast forward to now, and her story is far from over—it’s just getting started. At the tender age of 16, Rivera found herself competing alongside gymnastics icons like Simone Biles and Suni Lee at the Paris Olympics. In the French capital, she played a crucial role in helping the U.S. women’s squad reclaim their former glory by winning the team event in the artistic gymnastics final. This victory was more than just a gold medal; it was a triumphant return to dominance for Team USA, marking their resurgence after the 2016 Rio Olympics. Rivera’s invaluable contribution is now forever etched in the annals of Olympic history, a remarkable feat for someone so young.

But now, Rivera faces a pivotal moment as she prepares for the upcoming NCAA gymnastics season. Already an Olympic champion under the guidance of Valerie and Anna Liukin, the big question is: will Hezly Rivera make a change and join the Florida Gators? Fans are buzzing with anticipation and eager to see where her path leads next

Hezly Rivera’s day out in the lush green field of the University of Florida 

On September 1, Inside Gymnastics revealed that Hezly Rivera took an official tour of the University of Florida, sparking even more speculation about her future. The excitement grew when news broke that she had met with Tim Tebow, the legendary Gators quarterback, along with other prominent figures from the Gators’ camp. Although the day ended in disappointment for the Gators, as they suffered a tough loss to the Miami Hurricanes, Rivera’s visit was anything but dull. She spent the day mingling with the Gators’ gymnastics team and bonding with head coach Jenny Rowland and assistant coach Owen Field.

Adding fuel to the fire, Rivera’s chemistry with Leanne Wong on the sidelines didn’t go unnoticed. Fans are now wondering: Is Hezly Rivera preparing to switch allegiances and join the Gators this season?

The question has already been taking rounds on social media since her endeavor at the Paris Olympics. It took a deep root, as Hezly Rivera has had no college admission till now. She teased the fans’ interest by posting on Instagram, “Guess where I’m going for my first official college visit!” The fans came up with several answers. The name of LSU Tigers was also raised, already sharing a connection with Hezly. 

Before moving to her current abode, Plano, Hezly and her family spent sizable time in New Jersey. The five-year-old started to try out the twists and turns on the carpet at the same place. However, noticing such a love for the sport, her parents admitted her to ENA Gymnastics, the same facility shared by Olivia Dunne. In the meantime, the duo met each other in ENA. Notably, Olivia is now on her path to spending her COVID-extended year at LSU Tigers. So her presence made the fans connect the dots, elevating her chance to enter the purple nation. Yet, now it shows Hezly Rivera is going to shift training with Leanne Wong, Kayla DiCello, and Skye Blakley, parting ways with Dunne. Meanwhile, the fans have also shared their take on the chances of such a change. 

Fans feel happy after the Paris Olympian took the floor 

Now, after a two-week gap, Hezly Rivera showed herself among the gymnasts, and there are plenty of chances of her making Gators her new professional home. Meanwhile, the fans lined up on Reddit and Instagram to shoot their views on her possible inclusion in the team. Matching with Gator Nation’s official hues, Rivera flaunted a similar color in her outfits yesterday. Seeing that, a fan claimed,  “Oh, I see some special there Florida! Ok but these colors 🧡💙 fit so right for @hezrivera”. That outfit made a few fans find further signals on her joining chances with the Gator Nation. A die-hard Gator fan, meanwhile, boasted, “Omg I knew it! I’m not super well versed in NCAA but I really do think she has UF vibes.” And this was not the end. 

The comment box displayed a satisfied fan thinking Hezly Rivera’s college gymnastics entry, “This makes my Florida Gator heart so happy 💙🧡” Nonetheless, her possible inclusion in the squad will increase the balance in the presence of Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello, and Leanne Wong. The first two gymnasts are already showing signs of a comeback after spending months suffering from injury. They also welcomed Hezly yesterday in Florida.

Subsequently, a few more fans emerged to find a similar tone in her presence to guess her chance of joining. Increasing the fanfare, someone penned the concerted plea, “Yay! I would love if she went to Florida.” But someone reminded the crowd about what Leanne Wong had pulled off to welcome Hezly Rivera at the Florida Gators’ den.

Notably, on the same day, Leanne posted an Instagram story welcoming Hezly and her family to the venue. And the latter posted a snap with Wong enjoying the football match in Gator’s stadium. So Leanne Wong’s role as the guide was celebrated in the comment: “And Leanne Wong said she liked hosting Hezly and her family 😊 I guess that means she showed Hezly around part of the time or let her stay in her room.” So is Hezly Rivera starting her college season being a mate of Leanne? You can keep guessing.