Paris Olympics 2024 updates: Hezly Rivera shocks Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee to become youngest gymnast in Team USA

A Garden State girl is suddenly in the headlines for all the right reasons after becoming the youngest gymnast to join the USA women's gymnastics team flying to Paris for the upcoming Summer Olympics this July. Hezly Rivera, aged just 16, hails from Oradell, New Jersey, and struck fortune during her Olympic Trials in Minnesota where she finished fifth overall to qualify for the Olympic Games as the youngest gymnast.

Who is Hezly Rivera?

Rivera will be competing alongside some leading Olympic veterans in her team, including Simone Biles, who has bagged four golds at the Olympics already, and Sunisa Lee, who is a 2021 All Around gold medalist, according to a NY Post report.

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Hezly was not among the probables who could be seen as qualifying for the Paris Olympics but her overall performance at the Olympic trials shocked everyone as they were awed by her performance on the beam, with a stellar 27.975 point across two balance beam performances, which put Biles and Lee under pressure at a point. She also tied for the top score with Joscelyn Roberson, yet another iconic gymnast of Team USA.

Hezly already welcomed warmly by her Team USA mates

Biles and and the others in the women's gymnastics team have already welcomed Hezly warmly into the fold, having team team lunches and gelling up over swimming pool sessions, followed by a Fourth of July celebration, according to NY Post. Hezly has stated that she feels surreal after everything fell in place, as she achieved something she had always dreamt of since the age of 8.

Biles thinking of teaching Hezly driving ahead of Paris Olympics 2024

Hezly's teammates are however not concerned about her performance in Paris. They are now contemplating about teaching her how to drive before they arrived in Paris as she being so young, does not know how to drive. Biles has already taken her under their wing and the cartwheeling girl will now be able to give her best alongside athletes, whom she has idolized for long.

FAQs:

Will Hezly Rivera participate in Paris Olympics 2024?
Hezly Rivera will indeed be participating at the Paris Olympics 2024, being one of the youngest gymnasts from Team USA to do so.

When does the opening ceremony begin at Paris Olympics 2024?
The opening ceremony will officially begin at 1.30pm ET on July 26 and will end after French President Emmanuel Macron officially flags off the main event.