Plano's Hezly Rivera shines as youngest member of gold-winning U.S. women's gymnastics team
PLANO – Sixteen-year-old Hezly Rivera, the youngest member of the team and the youngest athlete on Team USA, played a pivotal role as the U.S. women's gymnastics team clinched the gold medal Tuesday in the Olympic team finals.
Rivera, who grew up and trained in Plano at the renowned World Olympic Gymnastics Academy, showcased her exceptional talent on the world stage.
Rivera is one of several Olympians who got their start at the same gym and training center. WOGA was founded 30 years ago in February 1994 by co-founders Yevgeny Marchenko and Valeri Liukin. Before gymnasts could defy gravity, the two founders had to defy the odds by opening WOGA in North Texas with just a few hundred dollars and a dream to be the best.
"On day one, Feb. 1, 1994, we had $300 in our account," Marchenko said. "Our dream was to start our own gymnastics school. That dream absolutely came true 30 years ago."
Marchenko, a world-champion acrobatic gymnast, and Liukin, an Olympic champion, knew what it took to win. Shortly after opening their program, they began producing Olympians. Among their notable athletes are Carly Patterson, the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games champion, and Nastia Liukin, the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games champion. The World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) is also home to 2016 Olympic champion Madison Kocian and is the first and only U.S. training program to produce back-to-back Olympic all-around champions.
For the 2024 Olympic Games, WOGA was happy to add another one of its athletes, Rivera, to Team USA.
"When they called Hezly's name, we were jumping up and down," Marchenko told CBS News Texas. "She is so hard-working. She is such an awesome person and she's very positive and so dedicated."
Rivera's hours of training at WOGA have inspired the next generation of gymnasts, such as elite gymnast Cadyn Nyland.
"I can say 'Hey, I know her!'" Nyland said. "She said happy birthday to me. I see her every day! That's what makes WOGA unique — you can see the best of the best in real life. You can see them doing all these hard skills, all these impressive skills. It makes you want to be better."
WOGA gymnast Sage Stiggers also trained with Rivera and has her sights set on the Olympic stage.
"I just really want to be able to train like her, and if she goes to the 2028 Olympics, I want to be able to be by her side," Stiggers said with excitement.
Over three decades, WOGA gymnasts have won 36 world and Olympic medals. Marchenko attributes some of the program's success to his diverse coaching staff, who not only push athletes to hone their skills but also encourage them to find balance in their lives.
"Our elite team practices 35 to 36 hours a week — it's a full-time job," Marchenko said. "But we're always telling the girls that their health is number one. Gymnastics always comes after that."
Marchenko said, after this week, he's excited to add Rivera's name to WOGA's walls.
Plano native Asher Hong is also a former WOGA gymnast and earned a spot on the USA men's Olympic gymnastics team. On Monday, Hong played a pivotal part in helping Team USA clinch the bronze medal in team finals, which is the first medal for the men in 16 years.
