NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 10: Hezly Rivera warms up during the senior women finals at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Smoothie King Center on August 10, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Alicia Malnati/Getty Images)
Getty Images
2024 Olympic team gold medalist Hezly Rivera has announced that her bid to make her first World Championship team has been cut short.
In an Instagram story posted early Friday evening, Rivera announced she had “recently rolled her ankle” in training. After assessing the injury with her doctor and coaches, Rivera shared that she had decided to withdraw from the upcoming World Selection Event in Crossville, Tennessee.
The event, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 30, and run through October 2, will determine Team USA’s delegation for the upcoming World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Four women will be selected to Team USA, and Rivera – the current U.S. National Champion – was heavily favored to make the team.
A month prior, Rivera looked in her best form to date at the U.S. National Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Olympic team gold medalist seemed to hit her stride after struggling to start the season, and ultimately posted the highest all-around score from a U.S. gymnast this year.
Rivera edged Olympic alternates Leanne Wong and Joscelyn Roberson in the all-around competition, and picked up gold medals on every event but the vault.
Both Wong and Roberson are currently slated to compete at the World Selection Event and are favored to make the team. Without Rivera’s abilities in the all-around, underdogs like Jayla Hang and Ashlee Sullivan could also be in firm contention.
Pattern Of Untimely Injuries
With Jakarta approaching, Rivera looked to be a top challenger not just for the U.S. World team but for multiple medals at the World Championships.
For the gymnastics community, Rivera’s announcement is eerily familiar to one made by former U.S. elite Konnor McClain in 2022.
Like Rivera, McClain trained under Valeri and Anna Liukin at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Texas during her 2022 elite season. With the Liukins’ help, she soared to her first U.S. National title in 2022.
With the World Championships in Liverpool, England, fast approaching, many regarded McClain as a top contender for gold in the all-around and on balance beam.
However, in early October 2022, McClain announced that a back injury would keep her out of the World Team Selection Event.
While Team USA went on to deliver golden results at the 2022 World Championships, they did so without their current national champion. In 2025, the U.S. National team will face the same task.
Disclaimer: This news has been automatically collected from the source link above. Our website does not create, edit, or publish the content. All information, statements, and opinions expressed belong solely to the original publisher. We are not responsible or liable for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any news, nor for any statements, views, or claims made in the content. All rights remain with the respective source.