Hazley Rivera has exactly what the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team needs for Paris

Rivera maintained her calm demeanor over the next several hours and ascended to the pinnacle of her game. She entered the trials as a self-described “underdog”. She’s leaving as an Olympian.

Rivera joins four former Olympians on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team heading to Paris this month. Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles have won a combined 55 medals at the World Championships and Olympics. When a wide-eyed Rivera thought about the accomplishments of her Olympic teammates, she admitted, “I can’t believe I’m even part of this team.”

But Rivera made his mark with such a strong performance that selection committee member Quinn said determining the five-man squad was “a very easy decision.”

Rivera rose to controversy as these trials were marred by injuries to three top athletes. Shilize Jones, Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello were each forced to withdraw from the trials, giving the opportunity to several less experienced athletes like Rivera.

Biles finished first at the trials and earned the only automatic berth; The selection committee chose the other four athletes. As the field dwindles due to injuries, four Tokyo Olympians are almost certainly bound for Paris, leaving one spot to fill. Sacramon Quinn said the committee analyzed the strengths of those four gymnasts and determined that the team would benefit from an additional athlete who was strong on bars and beam. Rivera was the ideal choice.

At the two-day national championships and both nights of the Olympic trials, Rivera scored at least 13.700 on all four bars and beam routines. She entered Sunday’s competition knowing that those events were the most important to her Olympic hopes, and then she demonstrated her ability under pressure. Rivera opened the meet with a stellar performance by completing a difficult routine on bars, scoring a score of 14.300, a score that only Lee could top. On beam, she was precise and steady – while gymnasts like Biles, Lee and Chiles all fell – and she scored 14.275, the best score of the evening on that apparatus.

Rivera’s solid performance at the nationals four weeks ago boosted his resume. None of the other tryout participants could match what Rivera would bring to the team.

“She’s so mature for a 16-year-old girl,” Sacramon Quinn said. “And she’s always very cool, calm and collected.”

In the qualifying rounds at the Olympics, the U.S. team will need four gymnasts to perform on each apparatus. Biles, Lee and Chiles will likely compete in the all-around, while Carey, who excels on vault and floor, and Rivera will complement each other to fill the remaining spots.

This roster includes the top five finishers from the Olympic Trials, but more importantly, the pieces fit together in a way that maximizes the team’s score. Joslyn Roberson and Tiana Sumanasekera were also in the mix after strong performances on beam at the trials, but their scoring ability on bars is low. They are both strong on floor, but the four Tokyo Olympians are also strong. Lynn Wong scored at least 13.900 on bars twice at trials, but her beam score was not as high.

Rivera was the only option who had the right combination of strengths. It doesn’t matter that she had never competed at a World Championships or that she only became age-eligible to compete at the senior level this year. Rivera has performed several times internationally, including at last year’s Junior World Championships, but the pressure of the Olympic stage will be her most challenging test yet.

Giving Rivera the opportunity to compete in Paris “is also an investment in our future,” Sacramone Quinn said, adding that she could be a contender for the 2028 Games.

Even if Rivera won the junior national all-around title in 2023, that Olympic berth seemed unlikely, especially given the expected depth of the field as many American gymnasts continue their elite careers into their 20s. Is. At the US Classic in mid-May, Rivera finished 24th in the all-around after a poor performance due to mistakes. She made a comeback at the national level but still entered trials to earn a spot on the team.

“She was always someone you kept an eye on because she had potential,” Quinn said. “And she was finding her way. It is very difficult to change from junior to senior. …But the way the cards fell this week, it really gave him a big opportunity.’

Rivera, who turned 16 in early June, initially saw these trials as a “steppingstone” to her best chance of making the Olympic team for the 2028 Games. She thought she had a “slight chance” of getting a place on the Paris team, but when her name was announced, she was shocked.

“I mean, she can’t even drive,” Biles said. “Should we teach him to drive before he goes to Paris? God! She is very young. He is so cute. she is very smart. he is beautiful. We’re really proud of him for building this team, and we’re really excited to show him his roles. At least he won’t have to do this work alone. They have four experienced players who have been there before.”