“Cutest lil angel”- Suni Lee, Jade Carey and others react to Hezly Rivera enjoying holiday season with family in Dominican Republic

Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Riley McCusker and other gymnasts recently reacted to Hezly Rivera enjoying her holidays with her family. Rivera is currently visiting the Dominican Republic following the conclusion of the Paris Olympics and Gold Over America Tour.

For the holiday season, Rivera has taken a trip to her parents’ homeland for the first time with her family. She visited Punta Cana, a town in the Dominican Republic, and shared glimpses on her Instagram, enjoying quality time with her parents and relaxing by the beach.

Rivera’s Paris Olympics teammates Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and other gymnasts reacted to her post.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Lee commented on the post, saying:

“The cutest lil angel”

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics floor exercise champion also expressed her love for the gymnast.

“So cute,” Carey wrote.

Florida Gators’ gymnast and two-time Pan American Games champion Riley McCusker chimed in, writing:

“So cute Hez!”

Nola Matthews, the 2023 Pan American Championships gold medalist, joined in, writing:

“So stunning omg”

Another gymnast, CaMarah Williams, commented on the post:

“😍😍stunning hezzz”

Screenshot of comments from Suni Lee, Jade Carey and other gymnasts. Credits - Instagram/ hezrivera

Both of Rivera's parents immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic with her father, Henry, pursuing his education at Union Hill High School in New Jersey. Later, her parents decided to move from New Jersey to Texas so Hezly could train under Nastia Liukin's father, Valeri Liukin.

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“Every morning Hezly and I would go on a walk” - Suni Lee shares how she bonded with the 16-year-old

Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, Simone Biles, Jade Carey and Suni Lee at Paris Olympics. PHOTO: Getty Images

Following qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Suni Lee took it upon herself to guide and bond with Hezly Rivera. Notably, Rivera qualified as the youngest member of the USA’s women’s gymnastics team at the quadrennial games.

In an interview with Glamour.com in October 2024, Lee opened up about how she tried to comfort Rivera inside and outside the gymnastics arena, writing:

“Every morning Hezly and I would go on a walk, we would get coffee, she would have her chocolate muffin, and then we’re making TikToks 24/7. She’s very quiet in the gym, so we would try and crack jokes. I’m like, ‘You can laugh a little in the gym. It doesn’t have to be serious all the time.”

The strong bond among team members was evident at the Paris Olympics, where the USA women’s gymnastics team collected the gold medal in the team all-around finals. Besides Rivera and Lee, the team consisted of Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey.