Rivera kept her cool in the hours that followed, rising to the pinnacle of her sport — she called herself an “underdog” at the qualifying rounds — and left as an Olympian.
Rivera joins four former Olympians on the U.S. women's gymnastics team heading to Paris later this month. Simone Biles, Sunisa Li, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles have a combined 55 world and Olympic medals. Rivera looked wide-eyed as she reflected on her Olympic teammates' accomplishments and admitted, “I can't believe I'm a part of this team.”
But Rivera's outstanding performance earned him a spot, and selection committee member Quinn said deciding on the five was “a pretty straightforward and easy decision.”
Rivera was thrust into contention after a qualifying period was thrown into disarray by injuries to three top athletes. Cirice Jones, Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello were all forced to withdraw from the qualifying round, giving opportunities to several less experienced athletes like Rivera.
Biles placed first in the qualifying round, earning her the only automatic spot. The selection committee chose the remaining four gymnasts. Due to a series of injuries, the four Tokyo Olympic qualifiers were all but guaranteed to go to Paris, and the one remaining spot needed to be filled. Quinn said the committee analyzed the strengths of the four gymnasts and decided the team would benefit from an additional gymnast who was strong on balance beam and barring. Rivera was the ideal choice.
Across both nights of the two-day National Championships and Olympic Trials, Rivera earned at least 13.700 points on all four bars and balance beam routines. She came into Sunday's competition knowing that these were the most important events for her Olympic hopes, and she performed to her potential under pressure. Rivera opened the competition with a masterful performance on a difficult bars routine, earning a score of 14.300, a mark surpassed only by Li. On the balance beam, while Biles, Li and Chiles all fell, Rivera was precise and consistent, earning the highest score of the night on that event with a score of 14.275.
Rivera's solid performance at the national tournament four weeks ago boosted her resume, and no other trial participants could match what Rivera brings to the team.
“She's very mature for a 16-year-old,” Quinn said, “and always so calm and collected.”
At Olympic qualifying, the U.S. team needs four skaters to perform on each apparatus, with Biles, Lee and Chiles likely competing in the all-around, with Carey and Rivera, who excel on vault and floor exercise, complementing each other to fill the remaining spots.
The roster includes the top five athletes from the Olympic Trials, but more importantly, they are combined in a way that maximizes the team's score. Jocelyn Roberson and Tianna Sumanasekera were also on the list after their strong balance beam performances at the Trials, but their beam scores were low. Both are solid on floor exercise, but so are the four athletes who will compete in Tokyo. Lianne Wong scored over 13.900 twice on balance beam at the Trials, but her beam scores were not as strong.
Rivera was the only option with both strengths and weaknesses. It didn't matter that she'd never competed at a world championship and only turned old enough to compete at the senior level this year. Though Rivera has performed at international competitions plenty of times, including last year's Junior World Championships, the pressure of the Olympic stage will be her toughest test yet.
Giving Rivera the opportunity to compete in Paris “is an investment in our future,” Quinn said, adding that Rivera could be a candidate to compete in 2028.
Rivera won the all-around title at junior nationals in 2023, but many American gymnasts continue their elite careers well into their 20s, making this Olympic appearance seemed unlikely, especially given the expected depth of the field. At the U.S. Classic in mid-May, Rivera's performance was marred by a mistake and she finished 24th in the all-around. She bounced back at nationals, but still went into the trials thinking it would be difficult to make the team.
“She's always been a player I've kept an eye on because she has potential,” Quinn said, “and she's been trying to find her way. The transition from junior to senior is very difficult. … But the way the cards played out this week, it just gave her a great opportunity.”
Rivera, who turned 16 in early June, initially viewed the trials as a “stepping stone” with the 2028 Games being her best chance to make the Olympic team. She thought she had a “slight chance” of making the Paris squad, but was shocked when her name was announced.
“Because she can't even drive,” Biles said. “Should we teach her to drive before we get to Paris? Seriously! She's so young. So cute. So smart. Beautiful. We're really proud that she was chosen for this team and we're really looking forward to showing her the ropes. At least she doesn't have to do it alone; she has four veterans with her who have done it before.”
