How ironic or iconic?! You can decide. The Paris Olympics featured Simone Biles, the oldest American gymnast in 72 years. On the other hand, there was Hezly Rivera in the same squad, who started her gymnastics journey just 12 years ago—the same year Simone Biles won her first World Artistic Gymnastics Championship title. This fact might stun every gymnastics follower out there, but to make it onto the Olympic team, Hezly Rivera had to accomplish something truly remarkable.

She had to move to Plano, which is a 3-hour and 23-minute flight away from her native place in New Jersey. But what’s the connection between Plano and Hezly’s selection for the Paris Olympics?

Who are Hezly Rivera’s coaches?

Hezly Rivera’s coaches are Anna Liukin and Valeri Liukin. They are the parents of five-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin. Valeri Liukin is a Kazakh-American gymnast, co-founder, and owner of WOGA. While Anna Kotchneva was a rhythmic gymnastics world champion in 1987. Valeri’s coaching achievements and honors include coaching the U.S. National Team from 1998 to 2011 and winning International Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004.

Not only that, Valeri was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2005 and won USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year in 2006. Hezly Rivera’s coach led the U.S. team to the 2007 Pan-American Games, winning the U.S. Olympic Team in 2008. If all of this wasn’t enough, he even won International Gymnastics Coach of the Year in 2009. He also has a horizontal bar talent named after him and was the first gymnast to do a triple backflip on the floor.

Hezly Rivera’s coach proved those factors in the 1988 Olympic Games by winning two gold and two silver medals. Valeri further showcased his endurance in subsequent world championships, earning two golds and a bronze medal. Transitioning from his athletic career, his deep connection with gymnastics motivated him to pursue coaching roles.

Thus, the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) came into existence, and the rest, as they say, is history. Hezly Rivera’s family certainly acknowledges this, having moved from New Jersey to Plano to enroll Hezly in that facility. Under the training of Valeri, Hezly Rivera was able to clinch gold on beam and bronze in the all-around in 2024 Paris, and many more titles

Their coaching facility in Plano, WOGA, played a crucial role in preparing Hezly for the trials, where she competed against the likes of Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey despite being considered an underdog. Throughout his gymnastics career, Valeri Liukin has emphasized two key factors: overcoming challenges and achieving significant victories.

Who are Valeri Liukin’s children?

Valeri Liukin has only one child with wife Anna Liukin—a former American artistic gymnast. With gymnastics in her blood, Anastasia Valeryevna Liukin was born in Moscow on October 30, 1989. Nastia rose to prominence in the sport on her own, capturing five golds for the United States in Beijing in 2008. Nastia Liukin shares a good bond with her parents and is a proud daughter post the victory of Rivera on social media. 

Where is Valeri Liukin from?

Valeri Liukin is from Kazakhstan, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time of his birth. He was born on December 17, 1966, in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. He later competed as a gymnast for the Soviet Union before moving to the United States, where he became a prominent gymnastics coach.

In 1992, after the division of the Soviet Union, Liukin took his family to the United States. This is where his wife, Anna Kotchneva, a former rhythmic gymnastics world champion, and their daughter, Nastia Liukin, joined him. They initially resided in New Orleans, Louisiana, before they had to move to Plano, Texas. Later in 1994, with his partner, Yevgeny Marchenko, Liukin co-founded the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) at that place.