“I know I’m physically capable of everything; it’s just a mental game now,” shared Hezly Rivera after a disappointing showing at this year’s U.S. Classic. Though she tied for 12th all-around, her spirit took a hit. But Rivera flipped the script at the Xfinity Championships, determined not to repeat her mistakes. The 17-year-old dominated the competition, clinching the women’s all-around title with a stellar score of 112. But while her performance was impressive, it still falls short of the legendary Simone Biles’ record, a dominance that remains unmatched.
Simone Biles is currently on a break, taking life slow and making sure she has time for her family. But even without her presence at the Xfinity Championships, her dominance remains clear. Although Hezly Rivera won the women’s title, her score was nowhere near Biles’s combined score of 119.750 from the 2024 championship.
The seven-time Olympic gold medalist made history last year when she clinched her ninth national title with an impressive total score of 119.750, leaving Skye Blakely trailing by 5.900 points in second place, while Kayla DiCello secured the third spot. Her teammates Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles rounded out the top five.
Talking to the media, she stated, “I couldn’t be more proud of how I’m doing this time of year and just gaining that confidence over and over, getting myself back in front of a crowd and just doing what I do in practice.” Now, even though Rivera’s 2025 performance was amazing, she couldn’t get past Simone Biles or even Skye Blakely, who came second with a score of 113.85.
July 27, 2021, Tokyo, Kanto, Japan: Simone Biles of the United States, center, waits to compete in the Women s All Around Team Final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 in Tokyo. Tokyo Japan – ZUMAj89_ 20210727_zaf_j89_111 Copyright: xPaulxKitagakixJr.x
Biles has been consistently scoring around 118-119 in the US Gymnastics Championships over the past few years. So, the gap between Rivera and Simone Biles is still quite large. But the 17-year-old has been trying to narrow that dominance. Interestingly, she beat Biles and others at the Olympic Trials last year.
The 17-year-old tied for the highest balance beam score with 27.975 points over two routines, surpassing Biles and Suni Lee on that apparatus. On the overall score, she was placed fifth, but her beam performance certainly shocked everyone. And with that, shall we have a quick recap of Rivera’s performance at the 2025 US Gymnastics Championships?
Hezly Rivera’s US Gymnastics Championships performance in detail
Hezly Rivera certainly cemented herself as the future of US gymnastics with her splendid win at the Xfinity Championships. With an all-around score of 112.000 at the end of day two, she edged past Leanne Wong, who secured the second position at 111.200. On Day 1, she led on the balance beam with 14.350 and scored 14.000 on the floor, 13.800 on the vault, and 13.450 on uneven bars. Her strong, consistent performances gave her an early lead over top competitors like Leanne Wong.
Rivera maintained her lead on the second day as well. There were moments when Wong came really close to her, but it was not enough. Wong was the fourth competitor in the rotation, with Rivera closing out the night as the final performer on the apparatus.
Leanne Wong, too, delivered a solid routine, starting strong with a double-twisting double back, earning a score of 13.600.
The 17-year-old needed to score higher than 13.401 to claim victory, and her performance was jaw-dropping excellence. Finishing with a two-and-a-half twist dismount, Rivera’s dynamic performance earned her a commanding 14.200, propelling her to the top of the leaderboard.
As the scoreboard showed a total of 112.000, Rivera knew that she had made history, further cementing her status as the next big thing in the world of gymnastics.
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