Hezly Rivera from Bergen (New Jersey) makes it to the USA Olympic team in Paris: Video
Hezly Rivera of Bergen County made the U.S. team on Sunday night and will compete alongside Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee and others at the Paris Olympics
Are you disappointed that the 2024 Paris Olympics are over? No need to freak out.
Simone Biles, fresh off a four-time Olympic medal winner, will lead many of her U.S. teammates on the Gold Over America Tour (a clever acronym for GOAT), which will include a stop at the Prudential Center in Newark in October.
Biles, the literal GOAT (this time the nickname stands for Greatest of All Time) of gymnastics, will twirl around the gym alongside 16-year-old Hezly Rivera, originally from Oradell and the youngest athlete to compete in the Olympics this year. Biles and Hezly will join teammates Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, who helped secure the women’s team’s gold medal this summer.
The show offers fans the opportunity to see the gymnasts in a “celebratory, non-competitive environment,” said Li Li Leung, CEO and president of USA Gymnastics, in a press release.
The show, a mix of “stunning athleticism” and energetic choreography, exudes messages of hope, strength, resilience and determination, the press release says.
Biles has been promoting the tour on social media for several weeks and said in the press release that she “can’t wait to show fans what we have in store this year.”
This is the second time the tour has toured under the same name; the first took place a few weeks after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The tour grossed $19.3 million and sold 182,000 tickets in 32 cities, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
Who will be on the Gold Over America Tour at the Prudential Center?
Four of the five members of the U.S. women’s Olympic team “Golden Girls” – with the exception of the outstanding Suni Lee – will not be the only stars on stage.
They will also be joined by US male gymnasts Brody Malone, Frederick Richard, Paul Juda and Asher Hong, who helped the team win a bronze medal, its first Olympic medal in 16 years.
Other gymnasts are also expected, including the following gymnasts:
- Joscelyn Roberson, who served as a reserve player for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris
- Peng-Peng Lee, who qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London but was unable to compete due to injury;
- UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi, whose floor routine went viral in 2019
- French gymnast Mélanie Johanna de Jesus dos Santos, who competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics;
- Ellie Black, three-time Olympian (2012, 2016, 2020), represents Canada
The following male gymnasts are expected to perform:
- Shane Wikus, who served as an alternate for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and was part of the men’s team at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo
- Yul Moldauer, who served as a substitute for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and was part of the men’s team at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo
- Dutch gymnast Casimir Schmidt, who represented the Netherlands at the 2021 and 2024 Summer Olympics.
Stephen Nedoroscik, also known as the pommel horse guy or the Clark Kent of the Olympics, was conspicuously missing from the Tour’s team page on Thursday, despite being listed days earlier and even on Thursday morning. Several media outlets reported he was part of the Tour, but his name has since disappeared.
What can I expect and how long does the Gold Over America Tour show last?
The show will feature various choreographed routines, including parallel bars, floor and balance beam, and is being described as a “pop concert-style spectacle.” A teaser video of the show was released on Monday.
The show lasts about 110 minutes and includes one intermission.
How can I buy tickets for the Gold Over America tour? Can I meet my favorite gymnasts?
The tour will stop at 30 arenas across the country, including the Prudential Center on October 1 and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on October 5.
Tickets for the show at the Prudential Center start at $55. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.
There are three VIP packages that include everything from customized tour items, VIP priority check-in and entrance area to stalls seating. Two package options are available at the Prudential Center.
Upgrade options are also available for an additional fee. Some include a question-and-answer session with the gymnasts, a chance to attend the finale of the show, and a group photo with Biles and other gymnasts.
Packages and upgrade options may vary from city to city.
Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.
