“Really opened my eyes” - Hezly Rivera reveals what inspired her commitment to LSU

Hezly Rivera has shared the reasons behind her commitment to the LSU Tigers gymnastics program for her collegiate career. The 16-year-old is coming off a strong 2024, during which she not only secured a spot on the USA gymnastics squad for the Paris Olympics, but also won gold in the women’s team all-around event.

In an interview with Inside Gymnastics magazine, the 2024 Winter Cup balance beam gold medalist revealed that during her official visit to the university, she observed the coaches' genuine care for the gymnasts and the strong bonds between teammates. These were the key factors that influenced her decision to commit to LSU. She said:

“I committed there because it felt like a home to me, and I saw the way that the coaches treat their gymnasts and I just saw it was very family-oriented, and that’s what I personally really liked. I love how all the teammates and friends just communicate with each other and connect with each other, and how the coaches just connect with their athletes and don’t just think of them as athletes, but as human beings and students as well.”

She further mentioned:

“So, that really opened my eyes, and it was very cool to see, and I saw that I wanted to commit there. So it just felt very special to me and the place that I wanted to be in.”

Notably, on September 26, 2024, Hezly Rivera announced her verbal commitment to LSU, sharing the news with the public via her Instagram account.

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Hezly Rivera on whom she would seek advice from on how to balance elite and collegiate gymnastics

Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, Simone Biles, Jade Carey and Sunisa Lee at Paris Olympics (Photo: Getty Images)

Hezly Rivera, currently enrolled in the virtual high school program Connections Academy, revealed the athletes she would seek advice from on balancing elite and collegiate gymnastics. Following her commitment to LSU, she shared in a December 2024 interview with Olympics.com that she would turn to her 2024 Paris Olympics teammates and multiple-time Olympic medalists for guidance. She said:

“I might ask Jade [Carey] and Jordan [Chiles] about it, though, because they've been through the same things.”

Despite signing with Oregon State in 2017, Jade Carey represented the program in the 2022 season after deferring her enrollment to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021.

Meanwhile, Jordan Chiles committed to the UCLA Bruins but made her debut for the program in 2022 after the Tokyo Olympics. She is currently in her junior year with the Bruins, having sat out the 2024 NCAA gymnastics season to prepare for the Paris Olympics.