LOUISVILLE (February 26, 2023) – With the 2023 FIG Junior World Championships one month away, Hezly Rivera (Oradell, N.J./WOGA Gymnastics) put on a dominant performance to win junior women’s all-around gold at USA Gymnastics’ Winter Cup Sunday afternoon at Freedom Hall.
The 2022 Winter Cup bronze medalist posted a score of 53.350 to top a strong field that included Jayla Hang (Bellevue, Wash./Pacific Reign Gymnastics) in second with a 52.300 and Kieryn Finnell (Pittsford, N.Y./Rochester Gymnastics Academy) in third with a 52.250.
With their 1-2 finish, Rivera and Hang earned berths to the second edition of Junior Worlds, to be held March 29-April 2 in Antalya, Turkey.
Rivera had the top performances of the day on beam (13.800) and floor (13.450), an event in which she won bronze at the 2022 OOFOS U.S. Gymnastics Championships. The reigning U.S. junior vault champion, Hang took titles on bars (13.700) and vault (13.800), where she tied with Lailah Danzy (Tulsa, Okla./Pride Gymnastics Academy).
The 2023 Winter Cup concludes tonight as junior and senior elite men take on apparatus finals at 5:30 p.m. ET. Competition will stream live on USA Gymnastics’ official YouTube Channel.