Hezly Rivera secured her second straight all-around title at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix on August 9, 2026, executing a historic comeback from fourth place after the opening day to finish with a winning two-day score of 111.950.
A Historic Climb from Fourth Place
Entering the final day of competition at the Mortgage Matchup Center, the defending champion found herself outside the top three following a fall on the uneven bars during the first night. No woman had successfully come back from fourth place entering the final day of competition to win the U.S. Gymnastics Championships all-around title in the past 20 years under the current scoring system. The last gymnast to pull off a similar deficit comeback at nationals was Courtney Kupets in 2003.
Rivera steadily erased the gap across Sunday’s four rotations. She began the afternoon with a gritty uneven bars set, fighting through a minor stall before delivering a small step on her dismount and responding with a shrug to her coach, Valeri Liukin. That steady start opened the door for a powerful surge.
By the third rotation, Rivera overtook first-day co-leader Claire Pease for the lead, fueled by a near-perfect floor routine that earned a 14.300. She finished her second day with a stellar 56.950 score—nearly two full points higher than her opening-day total—clinching the crown at 111.950 points.
Rivera’s final tally put her more than a full point clear of the rest of the field, making her the first American woman not named Simone Biles to claim back-to-back national all-around titles since Jordyn Wieber accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2012.
Podium Finishers and Individual Apparatus Champions
While Rivera took the gold, a fierce battle unfolded for the remaining podium spots among a talented generation of American competitors. Claire Pease, who trains alongside Rivera at WOGA Gymnastics in Dallas, earned the silver medal with a two-day total of 110.800. Pease led the standings midway through Sunday before a pair of errors on the floor exercise—including stepping out of bounds—cost her the top spot. Despite the slip, Pease captured the individual uneven bars title with a score of 28.550.
Charleigh Bullock of Capital Gymnastics claimed the bronze medal with a 110.550, rounding out an all-around podium that showcased the sport’s rising youth. Reese Esponda finished fourth all-around at 108.900 and secured the top individual score of any event with a 28.900 on floor exercise. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey placed fifth with a 108.750, utilizing her trademark power to win the vault gold with a 28.500.
In addition to her all-around triumph, Rivera added an individual national title on the balance beam with a 28.700, alongside a silver medal on floor exercise.
Stepping Into a Leadership Role
Two summers ago, Rivera arrived at the Paris Games as the youngest American Olympian across all sports at age 16, serving primarily as a qualifying competitor while veteran stars captured the spotlight. Now 18, and managing her recovery from a hamstring injury sustained at the Pan Am Games in June, she has embraced the responsibility of guiding the next wave of athletes.
Anna Liukin, who coaches Rivera alongside her husband Valeri, described the young champion as motherly
in her support of younger teammates. Rivera noted that offering encouragement comes naturally after relying on veterans like Suni Lee and Jade Carey during her own Olympic debut.
The Road to the Rotterdam World Championships
Following the conclusion of the Phoenix competition, USA Gymnastics announced the new 13-member Senior National Team Presented by Xfinity, featuring returnees and rising standouts alike. As the top two finishers in the all-around, Rivera and Pease earned automatic invitations to the World Selection Event.
That selection camp will determine the final roster for the 2026 World Championships, which run from October 17 to 25 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The upcoming global meet marks the first major international team championship since the Paris Games, giving Rivera and her peers an immediate stage to test their routines with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics steadily approaching on the horizon.
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