PHOENIX — Hezly Rivera cemented her place as the leading U.S. female gymnast — for now — with a historic comeback to repeat as U.S. all-around champion.
Rivera, an 18-year-old 2024 Olympian, jumped from fourth place after the first night of competition to win after the second and final day Sunday. She is the second woman to repeat as U.S. all-around champion in the last 13 years after Simone Biles, who won a record nine titles.
Rivera totaled 111.95 points over both days, edging Dallas-area training partner Claire Pease by 1.15 points. Rivera trailed by six tenths after day one, when she fell off the uneven bars.
“I wasn’t looking at the scoreboard, I was just focused on myself and my gymnastics and what I had to do,” Rivera said on the NBC Sports broadcast. “It was actually, like, stress free. I took all the pressure I could off myself because it’s not fun when you’re stressed or nervous.”
The last comeback from fourth or lower to win nationals was when Courtney Kupets went from fourth to win in 2003. Eighteen of the last 20 editions, a first-day leader won nationals.
Pease and Skye Blakely shared the lead going into Sunday. Blakely then dropped back with a fall on floor exercise, her opening routine, and also fell twice off the balance beam, her last routine.
Next up is a World Championships selection competition from Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Crossville, Tennessee, after which the five-woman team will be named for October’s worlds.
Results from nationals factor into who makes the team for worlds, which will be the first global championship with a team competition since the Paris Olympics.
Rivera, the youngest U.S. Olympian across all sports in 2024 at age 16, missed the chance to make her world debut in 2025 due to a sprained ankle. The 2025 Worlds included individual events only.
Jade Carey, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, won vault in her first nationals since 2024. Carey may be in direct competition for a world team spot with Reese Esponda, who like Carey is strong on vault and floor, winning the U.S. title on the latter.
Pease, who improved from 10th at the 2025 Nationals, and Charleigh Bullock, who was third in the all-around in her senior nationals debut, are in contention to make each’s first world team.
The U.S. women’s gymnastics picture could change significantly in 2027 with the planned comebacks of Tokyo Olympic all-around gold medalist Suni Lee and two-time world all-around medalist Shilese Jones.
Plus, Olympic gold medalists Biles and Jordan Chiles could return closer to the 2028 LA Games for another Olympic bid. Neither has announced future plans yet.
