The U.S. Classic is a pulse-check for U.S. elite gymnasts, particularly in a post-Olympic year. This year’s Classic offers a chance to see the next crop of American gymnasts for the Los Angeles quadrennium; athletes making their competitive elite comebacks, and future stars to watch in the college gymnastics realm. With over half of the field still needing to achieve the prerequisite 52.00 all-around score to qualify for Nationals, including some prominent names like Reese Esponda and Lexi Zeiss, this meet is their last opportunity.
The headline of the competition is Leanne Wong’s return to elite gymnastics. While we saw Wong lead the Gators throughout her final collegiate season, her last appearance in elite competition was at the Swiss Cup last fall, which ended on a flat note for Wong after a rough bar routine. Wong won the all-around World silver medal in 2021 and was a member of the gold-medal winning teams in 2022 and 2023. Her comeback this weekend, and how much of her difficulty she’s been able to regain, could indicate how serious she might be for a position on this year’s Worlds team, where only four spots are up for grabs.
Joscelyn Roberson is another standout making her return to elite competition. After serving as an alternate on the 2024 Olympic team and completing a successful first season with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Roberson comes to Classics as a veteran. With this year’s World Championships emphasizing individual event specialists, Roberson’s strengths on vault, beam, and floor make her a top contender for a spot on the Worlds team. Her Cheng and double-twisting Yurchenko combination, high-difficulty tumbling on floor, and risky acrobatic combinations on beam set her apart. If she competes at Classic with her 2024 level of difficulty, Roberson could find herself in the conversation for event finals and medals.
Hezly Rivera is the only returning member of the Paris Olympic team competing at this meet. Rivera recently competed at the Pan American Championships, finishing third in the all-around behind fellow American Jayla Hang and Canada’s Lia Monica Fontaine. Rivera showed routines that were on par with her 2024 Olympic caliber, but showed moments of inconsistency that she’ll want to fix heading into the summer.
After notching an alternate spot on the 2024 Olympic Team, Tiana Sumanasekera is projected to be a top contender for a spot on this year’s Worlds team because of her strengths on beam and floor. However, the last time we saw Sumanasekera compete was at the Pan American Championships, where she was limited to beam due to a sprained ligament. Many will be wondering whether Sumanasekera will be ready to return to the all-around, or if she will decide to continue playing it safe and prioritize recovery ahead of the U.S. Championships in August and aim to peak for Worlds later in the fall.
Jayla Hang has been making quite a name for herself in 2025. After winning the all-around title at the Pan American Championships with a 55.666, she currently holds the highest all-around score from an American gymnast this year, and the sixth highest in the World. Hang has posted clips of potential upgrades on Instagram, and if any of them make it into competition, she could emerge as one of the all-around frontrunners.
Another gymnast turning heads this year is Ashlee Sullivan. Her all-around win at Winter Cup was a breakout moment for her, and her momentum has only picked up when she put up a 13.750 on floor to help the United States secure the team gold at the DTB Pokal Mixed Cup. Just a week later, she earned the all-around bronze medal at Jesolo, finishing behind Claire Pease and Manila Esposito. Sullivan’s upward trajectory in 2025 has been impressive, and if she can keep the momentum going, she could find herself as a Worlds contender.
Other familiar returners to the mix are Dulcy Caylor and Simone Rose, whose participation at last year’s Olympic Trials earned them automatic spots to this year’s U.S. Championships. Both have shown impressive progress in 2025 and could be on the bubble for a World Championship spot.
Nola Matthews also had a strong year on the international stage, winning gold on bars and floor at the Varna World Cup in May. Her commitment to artistry on floor captivates audiences and is reflected in her scores, allowing her to win the floor title at Winter Cup earlier this year.
Another comeback to keep your eye on is Reese Esponda’s. Known for her explosive tumbling, Esponda hasn’t competed much in 2025 and has yet to achieve a Nationals’ qualifying score, which will be a goal to achieve here.
Headlining the new batch of 2025 seniors is Claire Pease. Pease is coming off a very successful junior career highlighted by her winning the junior national title in 2024. While her transition to the senior ranks started off rocky at Winter Cup, she has shown great progress, winning beam at the Antalya World Cup. As a classic WOGA gymnast, Pease’s strengths are on bars and beam, but she also debuted big upgrades on floor and has a steady Yurchenko double-full on vault.
Gabrielle Hardie was a member of the U.S. team that took gold at the Pan American Championships last month. Besides a team gold, Hardie also walked away with gold on bars and bronze on floor. While her difficulty isn’t quite enough to be competitive with the top seniors, she shows a lot of potential for growth in the coming years.
Competition begins on Friday, July 18th, with the Hopes Championships at 2:00 pm CT streaming on FlipNow. The junior women follow at 7:00 pm CT, with live coverage on USA Gymnastics’ YouTube channel. The senior women compete on Saturday, July 19th in two sessions: the first session starts at 2:00 pm CT and will be streamed on USA Gymnastics’ YouTube channel, the second session begins at 7:00 pm CT and will be broadcast live on CNBC and Peacock.
