USA Gymnastics Names Team for October World Championships
Hezly Rivera won her second straight U.S. national gymnastics title with a two-day total of 111.950 at the national championships in Phoenix, finishing more than a point ahead of runner-up Claire Pease. Recovery from a Pan Am Games hamstring injury did not stop the 18-year-old Olympian from securing the victory, positioning her to lead the U.S. women’s program toward the upcoming World Championships selection camp in Crossville, Tennessee.
The transition from a quiet newcomer at the Paris Games to the focal point of the American squad brings distinct physical and competitive hurdles.
Defending the National Title Through Physical Adversity
Rivera’s path to the top of the podium in Phoenix required overcoming a significant early deficit. According to reporting from CBS News, a fall on the uneven bars during the first day of competition dropped the Texan down the leaderboard into fourth place. Rather than folding under the pressure, she executed a gritty bars routine on Sunday and followed it with a polished balance beam performance.
That resilience cements her status as the first American woman not named Simone Biles to defend a national title since Jordyn Wieber achieved the feat across 2011 and 2012. Her coach, Anna Liukin, described Rivera’s evolving locker-room presence as “motherly,” noting how the teenager now takes responsibility for guiding younger athletes through high-pressure environments. Replicating the mentorship she received from veterans like Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey, Rivera actively hands out positive reinforcement to the next wave of prospects.
Preparing for the World Championships Selection Camp
The calendar now shifts rapidly toward the October World Championships. USA Gymnastics will name its competing squad following a selection camp scheduled at FlipFest in Crossville, Tennessee. Missing out on last year’s world team due to a heartbreaking ankle roll during camp leaves Rivera eager to secure her international assignment.
As Rivera prepares for the selection camp at FlipFest, her ability to shoulder the leadership mantle will face its toughest international test yet. Whether she can translate her domestic dominance onto the global apparatus remains the central question for the U.S. program this fall.
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