As a former athlete who once dreamt of competing at the Olympics, I can truly empathize with the young gymnasts Hezly Rivera, Joscelyn Roberson, and Leanne Wong as they embark on their Olympic journeys. Their stories are a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the unyielding pursuit of one’s dreams.
Hezly Rivera is down for the count.
At the women’s gymnastics qualifier for the Paris Olympics on July 28, the 16-year-old had a rocky start. As a result, she won’t participate in the team final with Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Jordan Chiles.
At the qualifier for Team USA, Hezly had the least impressive score and didn’t advance to the finals in any gymnastics event for individuals. As the youngest US representative this year, she took part in both the beam and uneven bars competitions. She earned a score of 12.633 on the beam and 13.900 on the uneven bars (ranking her 26th and 13th in those events respectively).
When it came to the beam event for the gymnastics competition, my team, Team USA, made a strategic decision by reducing the score of that particular teen gymnast. This move helped decrease our error margin and ultimately allowed us to qualify for the finals. If we go on to win the finals on July 30, the young athlete, Hezly, will still be rewarded with a golden medal.
As the team final approaches in all-around gymnastics, Team USA leads the way with a total qualifying score of 172.296, leaving a decent gap between them and second place Italy (166.86) and third place China (166.628).
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following Team USA’s gymnastics journey closely, and let me tell you, things have gotten interesting! Hezly sitting out of the finals is just one piece of the puzzle. Despite dealing with a minor calf injury during qualifying, Simone Biles is pushing through and will compete in all four events: bar, beam, floor, and vault, on July 30. Just like Simone, Jordan Chiles will also participate in all four events. Suni Lee, however, will focus on her signature events, beam and bar, but she’s also earned a spot in the floor competition, replacing Jade Carey who will only compete in the vault event. The twists and turns in this team are keeping us on the edge of our seats!
Despite Jade’s impressive gold medal win for the floor routine at Tokyo 2020, I find myself stepping into the limelight for our upcoming competition. This turn of events might come as a surprise to some, but it seems that Jade, my esteemed teammate, wasn’t at her best during the July 28 qualifier. In fact, she scored lower than usual, which she attributed to an illness she had been battling.
Following her competition, she shared with Olympics.com, “I’ve just felt off for the past few days and haven’t had an appetite at all.”
Later, Jade reflected on her qualifying performance on social media.
1. “For the past few days, I’ve been under the weather, but I gave my best today.” She shared this on July 28th, previously known as Twitter. “I want to express my gratitude for the encouragement you’ve shown me. I’m truly thankful.”
Aly Raisman, who has won three gold medals in the Olympics as part of previous teams in 2012 and 2016, offered encouragement to another Olympic athlete.
Aly’s response to Jade’s post was: “You did great today, and I am incredibly proud of you! It’s unfortunate that our society often puts pressure on athletes, making you feel the need to justify yourself. Remember, you’re human, and it’s okay to make mistakes. Keep shining in the days ahead, and I hope you find comfort soon. You are an inspiration to many, and always remember there are people out there who aspire to be like you.”
Later on, addressing the esteemed retired gymnast who’s currently rooting for Team USA in Paris, I expressed my gratitude. I also wanted to share that you’re simply outstanding!
Keep reading for more sweet moments from Team USA.
Simone Biles, the 27-year-old gymnast from Texas, has earned the title of Greatest of All Time (GOAT) with an impressive collection of awards. She holds a record-breaking total of 14 Olympic and World Championship medals, including four golds, one silver, and nine bronze medals.
Sunisa “Suni” Lee, who was born in Minnesota and began training in gymnastics at the age of 6, reached new heights during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At just 21 years old, she became the first Asian American woman to win the gold medal in the all-around competition. She also took home silver with her teammates and a bronze medal in the uneven bars. Following the Olympics, Lee joined Auburn University’s gymnastics team. With Paris 2024 in her sights, she announced that her final collegiate season would be her last in November 2022. However, her tenure with the squad was cut short when she revealed in April 2023 that she was dealing with a kidney issue. Lee shared with TopMob News in June 2024 that she was doing well health-wise after her performance at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. She qualified for the Olympic team and is proud of her resilience, saying, “I think I would give myself a medal for not giving up.” Despite facing numerous challenges, Lee remained determined to achieve her goals and avoid any regrets.
At the age of six, Jordan Chiles, who shares a name with renowned basketball legend Michael Jordan, began her gymnastics journey and progressively excelled in competitions, amassing numerous accolades. However, despite her achievements, Chiles, now 23, felt unwelcome due to racial prejudice.
Jade Carey is grateful for her parents, who owned a gym where she grew up and introduced her to gymnastics. She began competing at an elite level in 2017 and joined the Olympics team soon after. However, during her Olympic debut in 2020, she experienced disappointing results due to issues with her footwork on the vault. Despite this setback, Carey rallied and won gold in the floor exercise event. She remains determined to achieve more success at the 2024 Olympics. After initially thinking she would retire after the Olympics, Carey found renewed motivation from her experience and decided to continue competing for Oregon State University.
16-year-old Hezly Rivera, a newcomer to the Olympics, was brimming with excitement as she prepared for her Olympic debut. Not only was this her first time competing at the Games, but she also became the youngest member of the entire U.S. team participating in the 2024 Games, achieving this milestone less than two months after turning 16.
18-year-old Joscelyn Roberson from Texas is one of two backup gymnasts for the 2024 U.S. women’s Olympic team, and she couldn’t be more thrilled about it. After qualifying in July, she exclaimed on Instagram, “THIS! IS! EVERYTHING!” She added, “I am going to Paris!!!! Dreams really do come true. See you guys there!”
I, Leanne Wong from Kansas, had the opportunity to represent our women’s gymnastics team as a traveling replacement athlete for the 2024 Olympics. Initially, I was an alternate for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Unfortunately, my fellow alternate Kara Eaker tested positive for COVID-19, causing both of us to quarantine. After going through that experience and being isolated during the last Olympics, I took time to reflect on my future in gymnastics. This introspection led me back to elite gymnastics, competing at the 2021 World Championships where I earned a silver and a bronze medal. My success continued as I won gold with my team in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. In addition to this, I am proud to compete for the University of Florida Gators, being crowned the NCAA uneven bars champion earlier this year.
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2024-07-30 18:18