Hezly Rivera Was Surprisingly Absent From Team USA's Gymnastics Final

Though she performed alongside her team in the qualifying rounds, 16-year-old Hezly Rivera was notably absent from the Women's Gymnastics final. Instead, she sat in the sidelines to watch her teammates, Suni Lee, Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey bring home yet another gold medal.

Some fans were disappointed in Team USA's decision to exclude Hezly from the finals, while others were more understanding. But what was their reasoning?

Why didn't Hezly compete?

Though fans were staunchly rooting for the young gymnast, it seems that her performance in the qualifying round just wasn't strong enough to make the cut.

Hezly got the lowest score in the qualifier and failed to earn her spot in any of the individual events, from beam (12.633) to uneven bars (13.900). And though her score on the bars did assist her team in qualifying for the finals, they ultimately decided to compete without her.

Some fans were frustrated, implying that Team USA's decision didn't make sense.

"What was the point? Might as well have just brought four people and called it a day," one person wrote on X.

However, others were in agreement that, although she wasn't able to compete, she still came away a winner — especially since she received a medal along with the rest of her team.

"They are investing into their future by having her help her team qualify," one fan said. "She got a taste of competing in the Olympics and that will help her in four years."

And though she wasn't able to compete this year, her family sure looked proud as she walked away with her gold medal.