After missing the 2025 World Championships because of an ankle injury, Hezly Rivera entered 2026 hoping to finally make her mark on the world stage. The American gymnast had another successful season, winning her second consecutive U.S. all-around title and earning a place on the team for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. However, her hopes of competing were cut short when ankle pain forced her to withdraw just days before the event. Now, the Olympic team champion is speaking out about the disappointment and sharing her plans for the road ahead.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
On October 28, Inside Gymnastics revealed Rivera’s message following her last-minute withdrawal from the World Championships. “I’m disappointed that i worked all year for this and unfortunately wasn’t able to compete,” she wrote. Despite the frustration of missing another major competition, Rivera remains hopeful about the future. As she says, “I know better things are coming. Now time to rest, then get back to work.”
Rivera’s withdrawal was confirmed on October 17, just before the U.S. women’s team began its campaign in Rotterdam. The 18-year-old had been experiencing pain in her left ankle during podium training on October 15, raising concerns about whether she would be fit enough to compete. She modified her training session, skipping vault and limiting parts of her work on other events as she tried to manage the discomfort. Although she initially remained hopeful, the injury ultimately prevented her from taking part in the competition.
With Rivera out of the lineup, the American women headed into the World Championships without a gymnast with previous Olympic experience competing for them. It marked a notable change for Team USA, which had won seven consecutive women’s world team titles since 2011
Rivera had faced another interruption earlier in the season when she withdrew from the Pan American Championships in June after aggravating a sore hamstring during vault. She had competed only on that apparatus before USA Gymnastics withdrew her from the remainder of the meet to help her recover. Despite that setback, she returned to win the U.S. all-around title in August and earned her place on the World Championships team. However, another injury forced her to put her hopes of making her World Championships debut on hold.
Although Rivera could not compete, she remained in Rotterdam to support her teammates during qualifying. She encouraged the gymnasts and helped them prepare for their routines, staying by their side despite missing her own chance to compete. And her support proved fruitful as the American women delivered a strong performance.
Team USA won Silver despite Hezly Rivera’s absence
At the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships on October 18, Team USA delivered a strong performance in the qualifying round despite Hezly Rivera’s last-minute withdrawal. The American women scored 164.529 points to top their subdivision and advance to the team final.
On October 21, the U.S. women returned to the competition floor for the team final, with Dulcy Caylor stepping in for Rivera alongside Skye Blakely, Claire Pease, Charleigh Bullock and Reese Esponda. The five gymnasts delivered a determined performance across all four apparatus, keeping the Americans in the race for gold until the final scores were tallied. Team USA finished with 165.531 points to claim silver, just 0.233 points behind China, which won the world title with 165.764. Japan secured bronze with 164.063 points.
Blakely led the American effort, scoring 14.300 on vault and 14.400 on uneven bars. Pease contributed across all four apparatus, recording 14.200 on vault, 14.366 on bars, 13.600 on beam and 13.933 on floor. Caylor, who replaced Rivera, added 12.333 on beam and 13.600 on floor, while Bullock and Esponda also contributed to the team’s total.
The silver medal also secured the United States a team quota place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Although the Americans fell just short of the world title, their podium finish was a significant result for a team that competed without any gymnasts with previous Olympic experience.