LSU added some Olympic star power to its future roster, as 2024 gold medalist Hezly Rivera announced her verbal commitment to the Tigers via Instagram on Thursday.
At just 16 years old, Rivera was the youngest member of a U.S. Olympic gymnastics team that finished atop the podium at the Paris Games. After returning from France, Rivera, who will graduate high school in 2026, took official visits to Florida, Oklahoma and LSU. The SEC powerhouses are among an exclusive club of eight programs that have won an NCAA title in women’s gymnastics, with LSU claiming its first national championship in April.
In addition to her Olympic gold, Rivera won the 2023 junior all-around national title and was a part of the team that took silver at the junior world championships last year. Though she hasn’t yet shared her plans for the 2025 and 2026 elite gymnastics seasons, she’ll likely continue representing the U.S. at international competitions before making the move to Baton Rouge. The 2028 Olympics are also a possibility, as Rivera was initially pacing herself to peak for those Games before earning an unexpected ticket to Paris.
At the 2024 Olympics, Rivera didn’t make the three-person lineup on any events in the team final, but she did compete on the uneven bars and balance beam…
