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Hezly Rivera is excited ahead of Christmas 2024 as the Olympic champion plans to visit some of her family members whom she has never met before. The gymnast had a breakthrough season in 2024 and secured her maiden gold medal at the Paris Olympics with Simone Biles and the USA women's Gymnastics team.
Rivera rose to prominence at the 2023 Junior World Championships, when she helped USA women's gymnastics to a silver medal. She also won a silver medal in the floor exercise before a fifth-place finish at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials earned her a place at the Paris Olympics.
The 16-year-old was the youngest member of Team USA at the quadrennial event, and after concluding her season with a gold medal in Paris, she is excited to visit her family in the Dominican Republic for the first time. Sharing her plans in an interview with Olympics.com. Rivera said:
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“For Christmas, my family and I are going to the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana. I’ve actually never been. This is my first time going, and both my parents are from the Dominican Republic."
The Olympic champion further added she had never met her Dominican Republic family members and was looking forward to having fun there.
“I’m going to see some family that I’ve never seen before and see where my parents grew up and just see the beauty of it because it’s so beautiful and I’m so excited to just go there and have some fun," Hezly Rivera added
Her father, Henry Rivera, is from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the United States for his high school studies before settling in New Jersey. Hezly's mother Heidy Ruiz also immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
While Hezly was born in New Jersey, the family shifted to Plano, Texas in 2022 to support her gymnastics career.
Hezly Rivera sets lofty goals for next Olympic cycle
After a successful senior debut season in 2024, Hezly Rivera has set loft goals for the next Olympic cycle. The 16-year-old also aims to return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
“My goals are the 2025 Worlds, and ’26, ’27, and then the Olympics in 2028. Those are my long-term goals. But, obviously, I have little goals to worry about each and every day. I just set tiny goals, not just every day, but like every month, and just take it one step at a time and see where it takes me," Hezly Rivera said during the aforementioned interview with Olympics.com
Rivera competed on uneven bars and balance beam during the qualification round at the Paris Olympics but couldn't replicate a similar performance as of trials. While she didn't compete during the team finals, the 2023 US Junior national champion nonetheless earned the gold medal and would hope to add to the tally at the LA 2028 Games.
