Donning pure white on the grand stage, five women finalists were announced as the USA Women’s Gymnastics Team for the Paris Olympics. Simone Biles topped the leaderboard with a score of 117.225, followed by Suni Lee (111.675), Jordan Chiles (111.425), and Jade Carey (111.350). However, it was 16-year-old prodigy Hezly Rivera who made a striking debut.

For the top four, qualifying for Tokyo in 2021 was a familiar experience, but for Rivera, it was a surreal moment, being new to such national recognition. Her ascent is a testament to her sheer talent and hard work, earning her the support of gymnastics veteran Laurie Hernandez.

Hernandez is confident about Rivera’s potential

In an interview with TODAY, 2x Olympic medalist Laurie Hernandez discussed the gymnastics team heading to Paris. When asked about the team’s strengths, Hernandez highlighted “their experience,” noting the excitement of having an “almost repeat team from Tokyo” and the camaraderie among the gymnasts.

Moreover, Hernandez touches on how the “new Hezly Rivera being a part of this team allows for some fresh eyes and fresh experiences to be out there on the floor.” At the same time, Hernandez is confident that the rest of the gymnasts would ensure Rivera’s okay and feels good out there, because “she deserves to be on that team, just as much as anybody there.” While she agrees that it is a commendable feat for every single one of them, she further goes on to answer a particular question, as to what she feels Rivera will bring to this team.

Hernandez, who is NBC Sports’ Gymnastics Analyst, confidently stated, “she’s [Hezly] going to bring in a lot of consistency and clean gymnastics.” She further said that “she’ll score very well.” Indeed, Rivera has previously risen to the occasion in many international-level meets. According to USA Gymnastics, she clinched the Team Bronze at the 2024 Jesolo Trophy this season. Additionally, she earned a Team Silver at the 2023 Junior World Championships and a Team Gold at the 2022 DBT Cup.

Hernandez also pointed out some striking parallels between her own career and Rivera’s. “And being 16 years old, being from New Jersey, feels like a familiar sign,” she playfully commented. But what did she mean? Let’s have a look.

The conspicuous commonalities between Hezly Rivera and Laurie Hernandez

Hezly Rivera and Laurie Hernandez share several commonalities, starting with their New Jersey roots and careers as professional gymnasts. Hernandez made the final five for the Rio Olympics just a month after her 16th birthday, and now Rivera is set to make her Olympic debut at the same age.

Their career trajectories have been notably similar. While Hernandez trained extensively with her USA teammate Gabby Douglas, Rivera currently trains at her gymnastics center with professional guidance.

In terms of experience, Hernandez is a veteran, having returned from Rio with two Olympic medals: a silver in the balance beam and a gold in the team all-around. Although Rivera has yet to achieve this level of success, she has shown significant potential. What do you think of Rivera’s promise as a young prodigy?