Livvy Dunne talks to Simone Biles and 2028 LA Summer Games
Meghan Hall catches up to former LSU gymnast Livivy Dan and talks with friend Simone Villez about his chances of competing in the summer 2028 game
Seriously sports
- Hezly Rivera won her first title at the US Gymnastics Championships.
- Sky Blakely revived her at the national championships.
- “The Pommel Horse Man” Stephen Nedrothic did not compete in the World Championships.
Hezly Rivera is shining the spotlight for everyone.
A year after an unexpected inclusion in the Parisiolmpic team, Rivera provided a notice that he would be a gymnast to watch in the lead-up of the Los Angeles game. The 17-year-old won her first title at the US Gymnastics Championships on Sunday night and established herself as an all-around favorite at the World Championships this fall.
“It means the world to me,” Rivera said. “I worked so hard for this. It wasn’t easy to come back after the Olympics.”
The World Championships will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 19th to 25th. The women’s team will be announced later, and National Champion Usherhon will be announced. Parisiolimpian Brody Malone; Brandon Dunn; Patrick Hoops; Kameron Nelson and Donnell Whittenburg formed the men’s team.
Then, on 16th, Rivera was a long shot to build a Paris team. However, injuries to world medalists Silese Jones and Sky Blakeley at Olympic trials gave Rivera the opportunity, and she grabbed it.
Rivera was the youngest member of all of Team USA. She only had two events in qualifying and did not compete in the team finals, but she will forever be the Olympic champion alongside Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chile and Jade Carrey.
Now, her Olympic teammates take a break, and Rivera shows she can hold herself.
Her score of 56.4 points was the highest in the world this year (I didn’t stock the Russian Cup score).
Rivera was also tied with Blakely with her uneven bar top score, first in her balance beam and floor exercises.
Now, this doesn’t mean Rivera is Los Angeles rock. Of the women who took the podium at the last two national championships after the Olympic games, only Jordan Chile continued to form the next Olympic team. (Chile was a silver medalist in 2017 and a bronze medalist in 2022.
However, Rivera is carrying herself like an Olympic champion. If she is still healthy, this title will be many and many.
Other takeaways from the US gymnastics championships include:
Skye Blakely is back
Skye Blakely still looks good.
The two-time World Championship medalist was considered the Paris rock before tearing Achilles apart during training at the Olympic trial. This comes after torn elbow ligaments at the 2021 Olympic trial.
But 20-year-old Blakeley is not deterred by saying she is planning to pass through Los Angeles.
She returned to the national championship and tied up with Rivera for her signature event, Uneven Bars. Blakely was Rivera’s second in the balance beam, but day 2 at 14.4 was the best score in the overall competition event.
Jocilyn Roberson’s floor routine
Jocilyn Roberson hasn’t messed with her floor routine.
Paris Altanato, who trained with Simone Biles before heading to Arkansas last year, has a Monster 6.5 starting value on the floor. This is the best for Americans at any event right now, and the toughest Floar Routine currently taking place in the world.
(Last year, Biles had a starting value of 6.8 on the floor, but she’s in another world.)
Roberson had some issues with some of her landings, so she smashed her ankle on Sunday night when she was missing a pass. But give her another few months to train the routine, and she should compete for a medal at the World Championships.
Male title
Asher Hong is the US champion, but Brody Malone remains a beat American.
Malone, a three-time US champion, only had four events with the Nationals due to a knee injury. However, his 16.251 at Hiber on the second day was the highest score in the entire tournament, and his contested routine for him to compete for medals at the World Championships.
Malone also scored his two-day highest score in the parallel bar, second in Stillling and third in Pommel horses.
Hong easily won his second title, finishing at more than seven points over his fellow Parisiolmpiian Frederick Richard. This is the biggest victory margin in the US championship.
Neither Richard nor Stephen Nedrothic formed a world team. Nedoroscik loved himself throughout the country as “Pommel Horse Guy” and trained for three months, falling into his routine on the second day.
Paul Judas retires
Paul Judah came on top.
Judas announced his retirement in an in-meet interview with NBC on Saturday night. He was the only member of the US men’s team to win a bronze medal that did not compete in the national championships.
“At this moment I realized there was nothing I wanted to achieve in this sport,” Judas said. “… Sometimes you need to know when to leave, and I’m happy to do that today.”
Judas, who will form the Paris team, was a surprise, but he made the most of his Olympic moments. He was the top American in all-around, helping to win the Bronze victory, the first Olympic medal since 2008, to the American men.
After taking part in Simone Biles’ goat tour, Judas returned to Michigan for the final season. He helped the Wolverines win the NCAA title, finishing second on all sides to Frederick Richard and suggesting after the tournament to longtime girlfriend Reina Gugginho.
“This has been a lifelong journey,” Judas said Saturday. “I have no regrets. I’m full of joy and ready to move on to my life. So I’m grateful for the ride and the emotions and the highs and lows. It was the best, best, best years of my life.”
Follow Nancy Armour on social media @nrammour.
