HEARTBREAKING NEWS: Simone Biles Defeated by 16-Year-Old Hezly Rivera on Beam
This Garden State girl is aiming for the gold.
Hezly Rivera, a teenager from Oradell, New Jersey, made headlines by unexpectedly securing a spot on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team last month after finishing fifth all-around at the Olympic Trials in Minnesota.
Rivera recently turned 16, making her the youngest member of a team filled with Olympic veterans in their 20s — including four-time gold medalist Simone Biles, 27, and 2021 All-Around gold medalist Sunisa Lee, 21.
Although Hezly was not a favorite, she seized her opportunity when fellow young hopefuls Skye Blakely, 19, and Kayla DiCello, 20, suffered injuries. Her remarkable performance included earning 27.975 points across two balance beam routines — besting both Biles and Lee on the apparatus and tying for the top score with Joscelyn Roberson.
“It feels so surreal,” Hezly told NBC’s “TODAY” show of the moment she’s dreamed about since age 8. “It’s just all my hard work has been paying off. I’m so excited.”
Biles and the other team members, including Jordan Chiles, 23, and Jade Carey, 24, have warmly welcomed Hezly and taken her under their wing. There have already been team lunches, pool hangouts, and a Fourth of July celebration.
“She’s so young. She can’t even drive! Should we teach her how to drive before we get to Paris?” Biles joked affectionately about Hezly in an interview with Hoda Kotb on “Today.”
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