While Simone Biles and co. went on their redemption tour in Paris, Hezly Rivera felt left out. People noticed that she was not included in the women’s gymnastics team final. It was surprising, as it was the first time since 2008, that Team USA had a women’s gymnastics member not compete in the team final.

Chellsie Memmel, who was in charge of guiding Simone Biles and co. in Paris, mentioned that the decision to not include Hezly Rivera in the finals was a tough one. Shining light on the matter, Gymnastics Now briefed Memmel’s sentiments in an X post that read, “Chellsie Memmel said it was an incredibly difficult decision to not put Hezly Rivera on any events tonight. Memmel knows it’s going to sting for a while, but she told Rivera, “You’re just as important a part of this team as everybody else.” Memmel said Rivera was ready to go if the team needed her.”

What was the reason behind sidelining her? Well, the 16-year-old wasn’t able to make it to the final roster for the gymnastics final. So Team USA depended on three of its five gymnasts in each event and Rivera did not participate in them. 

During the qualifying rounds on July 28, the teenager competed on the uneven bars and balance beam but finished 20th or worse in both (She scored 13.900 on the uneven bars and 12.633 on the beam). On the other hand, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, and Suni Lee finished 14th or better, giving them a significant edge over Rivera. However, the young gymnast was on standby to act as a replacement in case of any unforeseen circumstances or injuries.

Hezly Rivera wasn’t entirely dejected, though. She understood the situation. “This was just an amazing experience, you know, and just being with the team and supporting them meant the world to me … It was so surreal. I was just everywhere, my mind was everywhere. But I’m so happy to be here and this team has worked so hard, so I’m so proud of each and every one of us,” she said after Team USA captured the gold. She sees her teammates as her mentors.

Things ended on a pretty high note for her, as she is a part of the gold medal-winning US Olympics team’s “redemption tour.” Not just this. People are proud of her.

Hezly Rivera’s remarkable Olympic debut sparks hometown pride!

Despite being out of the roster, Hezly Rivera’s friends and family were thrilled by the fact that she made her Olympic debut this year in Paris. Hailing from Oradell, Rivera practiced at ENA Gymnastics in Paramus. Her former coach, Craig Zappa, said, “Her town is just thrilled. You know, the love and support that has been shown to her from the community is just, it’s fantastic.”

Talking about her dedication, he added, “If you told her to do 10 of it, she made sure she did 10 of that. And she was just, from the get go, a very self driven gymnast.”

Rivera was the only teenager on her squad and this could give her a great edge in the 2028 LA Olympics. In her first year competing at the senior level, Rivera earned a spot on the Olympic team, joining an elite group of just five other Americans who have accomplished this in the past 40 years.

“It’s a phenomenal accomplishment,” Oradell mayor James Koth said. “It makes you reflect on things. Have I shot for my highest achievement? If this girl can achieve this, what can I do or what can others do? So it’s a little surreal but we’re very, very happy for her and very excited for her. She has an extremely bright future ahead of her.”