The Gymnastics World Championships are all set to take place from 19 to 25 October 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. While Team USA is going to miss the big names like Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Suni Lee, and Simone Biles in this one, they have some young guns to take charge. Hezly Rivera is one of them, but there is a big update from her side. The 2025 Senior World Championships Selection Camp for U.S. women’s artistic gymnastics is slated to take place from September 29 to October 2, 2025, in Crossville, Tennessee. However, Rivera will not be there.

“Hi everyone! I wanted to share personally that I recently rolled my ankle. After talking it through with my doctor and coaches, I’ve decided the best thing right now is to sit out of the Worlds Selection Camp. I’m definitely bummed about the timing, but I’m excited to cheer on my teammates and Team USA from home. My focus is on recovery and coming back stronger in 2026,” read the Instagram story of Rivera.

While she does not say it out loud, her statement citing a comeback in 2026 hints at the possibility that she is sitting out of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which will be held in October. Her story also said, “Thank you so much to my family, USAG, my coaches, doctors, and all of you for the love and support.” Leanne Wong, Joscelyn Roberson, Jayla Hang, Claire Pease, etc., are expected to show up at the World Championships Selection Camp.

At the 2025 U.S. Championships, Wong shone with clean routines on every apparatus, scoring 222.400 in the all-around, while Roberson impressed on floor with a high-difficulty routine, totaling 109.600. The two of them are expected to make it onto the World team. Rivera has not revealed when the injury occurred, but had it been 10 days before, she still might have made the World’s team.

Rule 2 of section 4.4. of USA Gymnastics Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Athlete Selection Procedures 2025 World Championship Team says, “If an athlete is injured, ill, or there is an extenuating circumstance that prevents the athlete from completing the selection process, petitions into the World Team Selection Event will be considered by the Athlete Selection Committee and administered by the Vice President of Women’s Program,” given the gymnast previously has been on an Olympic or World Championships team, or competed in major 2024–2025 domestic or international events such as the Winter Cup, American Classic, U.S. Classic, U.S. Championships, or a USA Gymnastics-assigned international competition.

Rivera ticks all the boxes. Though the deadline for this was September 22, 2025. For now, after the World Team Selection Event, the Athlete Selection Committee will choose the remaining three members of the 2025 World Championships Team and may also select up to two alternate athletes who will not travel with the team. Now that the Olympian is out of the Gymnastics World Championships; it has been a season of ups and downs for her.

A rollercoaster season for Hezly Rivera

After the Paris Olympics last year, Rivera began her 2025 season at the Winter Cup in February. She performed only on the balance beam, finishing 9th on the apparatus with a score of 12.950. In the Pan American Championships, her performance improved, securing an all-around bronze with a 52.667, and topping the table on beam with a 13.900 to advance to finals. But then came the U.S. Classic, and it was a nightmare.

It began with a fall on the uneven bars. Hezly Rivera had a slip on a low Tkachev and a mistimed dismount, causing her to fall forward onto the mat and score 11.95. This was only her first visible mistake of the night. Later on the balance beam, nerves got the best of her, causing the Olympic gold medalist to fall completely off the apparatus, scoring 12.30. But we fall only to learn to pick ourselves up again. In the Xfinity U.S. Championships in August, she shone brightly enough to put her US Classic mistake into the dark.

On Day 1, she took the lead in the all-around with a total of 55.600, scoring 14.350 on beam, 14.000 on floor, 13.800 on vault, and 13.450 on bars. The momentum carried to Day 2, earning 56.400 for a combined two-day total of 112.000, which secured her the all-around championship. She took gold on beam (28.350) and floor (28.200), and shared the uneven bars title with Skye Blakely (27.600). The vault title was claimed by Leanne Wong. The Olympian was one of those who could have brought a medal to the US team in the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, but destiny had other plans.