Why New Jersey Gymnast Hezly Rivera Didn’t Compete in the Olympics Team USA Final

New Jersey native and gymnast Hezly Rivera is officially an Olympic gold medalist. So, why didn't she compete in the Team USA final in Paris?

Who is Summer Olympics Rookie Hezly Rivera?

16-year-old Hezly Rivera is the youngest member of Team USA's gymnastics team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and hales from Oradell in Bergen County, New Jersey.

At the end of June, Rivera was named to the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team during the Summer Olympics trials, the only rookie on the squad.

During her Olympics berth, Rivera, a rising star in the gymnastics world, performed admirably, but failed to qualify for any events in the upcoming individual apparatus rounds.

So, if Hezly Rivera was part of Team USA, why didn't she get to compete in the team final in Paris?

Why Didn't NJ's Hezly Rivera Compete in the Women's Gymnastics Olympics Team Final?

The decision to leave Rivera out of the team competition was made based on team strategy, prioritizing more experienced gymnasts like Simone Biles and Suni Lee and maximizing the USA's potential to get on the podium, according to NBC New York. Unfortunately, Rivera was deemed too inexperienced compared to her teammates, including Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, all of whom have competed in past Olympic games.

Additionally, the USA could reportedly only put forth three team members to compete in each rotation of the team final in Paris, according to E! News.

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At the end of the day, though, as an official member of Team USA, Rivera can now add gold medal-winner to her growing list of achievements. No doubt she'll be a big factor in women's gymnastics come the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.