Hezly Rivera, a member of the 2024 gold medal-winning U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team, avoided any major mistakes Friday and ended the first night of the women’s competition in first place at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans.
Rivera, Joscelyn Roberson — an alternate on the 2024 Olympic team — and Leanne Wong finished Friday with a sizable lead over the rest of the field. Rivera’s 55.600 tops all competitors, followed by Roberson at 55.400 and Wong at 55.100. Dulcy Caylor is fourth at 53.800.
Rivera stands in first on the balance beam at 14.350, tied for second on the floor (14.000) and fifth on the uneven bars (13.450). She registered a 13.800 on her first pass at the vault.
The women’s competition will conclude on Sunday when event and all-around champions will be determined. This meet will also play a role this fall when the four spots on the U.S. team will be set for the World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, in October.
“I’m feeling very confident and just calm,” said Rivera, who finished a stunning tied for 12th at the U.S. Classic in Illinois last month after falls on beam and bars ruined her chances.
“My mindset is kind of like, I achieved my dreams, I achieved my goals, but I still have more (goals), so I kind of like to put that (the Olympics) in the back of my head for now,” she said in July. “Every time in the gym, I don’t think that I went to the Olympics. I’m just kind of training like I’ve almost never been, in a way.”
Roberson posted the best scores in two events — 14.150 on floor and 13.650 on bars — while tying for fifth on the beam (13.800).
One of three competitors to make two passes on vault, Wong is leading thus far in that event with a 13.675.
U.S. Classic all-around champion Claire Pease sits 15th in New Orleans at 51.600. She did turn in the second-best score on the beam at 13.900.
–Field Level Media
