Hezly Rivera, LSU’s next superstar — Catch the GOATs on America’s Got Talent

2024 Olympian Hezly Rivera committed to LSU this week. She’s a five-star recruit for the class of 2026, and while I’m sure she was pursued by many a college, she only visited three: LSU, Oklahoma, and Florida.

Not too long ago, I’m not sure LSU would have been on the radar of someone with Hezly’s star power. Certainly, the school’s amazing facilities have been a draw for a while, but it’s really been since the advent of NIL that the school has begun pulling in the top recruits. Its surprise NCAA title in April gave it an extra boost. 

I personally was sure Rivera, with her beautiful technique and the seriousness with which she appears to approach the sport, was bound for OU. Florida wouldn’t have surprised me either, but I suspected their habit of getting very, very close to NCAA titles without winning them was not going to draw Rivera. 

However, OU tends to discourage athletes from competing in both NCAA and elite simultaneously, and Rivera has said she intends to vie for the 2028 Olympics in LA. Even with a year or two off, we know she’ll be back on the elite scene. 

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The combination of proving they can win when Oklahoma’s chips are down and the possibility of getting financially set for post-college life has given LSU new luster. For a long time, they, too, were faltering at the postseason level, burning out with injuries and overusing some top athletes. But they fixed whatever was ailing them, and it was obvious they were gunning for the NCAA title during the 2024 season. 

And now they have Rivera, who can only raise the stakes higher for this program. Adding an Olympic gold medalist to their already booming roster gives LSU a certain amount of cred that, even with Philippine Olympian Aleah Finnegan and national champion Konnor McClain, they hadn’t quite garnered before. 

Rivera seems likely to take the reins from Livvy Dunne, who will retire just as Rivera comes in as a freshman, as a top NIL moneymaker as well. I think college gymnastics will bring out more of Rivera’s personality, and she’ll be a star in and out of the gym, just as Dunne — Rivera’s former training partner at ENA Paramus before Rivera went to WOGA — went from minor elite with gorgeous bars to massive celebrity and champion of female athletes getting their due. 

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Other gym news

College Gym News brings us a data dive into the highest-impact freshmen and transfers on NCAA rosters for the 2025 season, the athletes returning from injuries who may make a big splash for their teams, and a look at Jewish NCAA athletes who must balance preseason training with their major holidays, including Yom Kippur which requires them to fast.

The Gymternet has the results for the Northern European Championships and the Chinese individual championships.

To the relief of gym fans everywhere, Ellie Black has no intention of retiring. 

Leanne Wong is on a bus at the University of Florida. 

She also started her own foundation. NBD. 

Jade Carey is taking a break and won’t compete elite in 2025. Girl, nap. 

Zoe Miller had surgery to repair her left shoulder labrum and will be out for the season. We’re all bitter right along with her. 

Social media post of the week

The Gold Over America Tour performed on America’s Got Talent this week.