The August Briefing | Edition Two
In this issue:
- Hezly Rivera repeats as U.S. all-around champion
- Rivera and Reese Esponda add U.S. apparatus titles
- Junior U.S. Championships reveal the next wave
- Brazilian Championships put Andrade and Saraiva back in focus
- Manila Esposito chases a third straight European all-around crown
- Germany, Romania and the Netherlands bring fresh form to Zagreb
Rivera Repeats as U.S. All-Around Champion
Hezly Rivera won her second consecutive U.S. women's all-around title at the 2026 U.S. Championships in Phoenix, finishing with a two-day 111.950. Rivera also produced the meet-high 9.400 execution score tracked by GIGA and won the national balance beam title with a 28.700 across two days. The result keeps the reigning U.S. champion at the center of the American picture as the program moves from domestic championships toward team selection for the October World Championships in Rotterdam.
Rivera and Esponda Add U.S. Apparatus Titles
The U.S. Championships closed with more separation among the country's leading event specialists. Hezly Rivera won balance beam, while Reese Esponda captured the national floor title after scoring 14.450 on both days. GIGA Event Radar tracked Claire Pease and Rivera sharing the Day 2 meet-high 6.2 difficulty mark, with Jade Carey recording the top 9.200 execution score. Those event strengths add another layer to the U.S. selection picture entering the World Championships phase of the season.
Junior U.S. Championships Reveal the Next Wave
The junior women's all-around final in Phoenix provided another national benchmark for the next U.S. generation. GIGA Event Radar recorded Paisley Ritger with the meet-high 5.7 difficulty score and Annabel Melnyk with the top 9.150 execution score. With the junior field competing on the same national stage as the senior championship, the results add another data point for tracking athletes moving through the U.S. elite pipeline toward future international assignments.
Brazilian Championships Put Andrade and Saraiva Back in Focus
Brazil's senior national championships brought Olympic medalists Rebeca Andrade, Flavia Saraiva and Lorrane Oliveira into the same domestic field in Brasilia. Andrade posted a meet-high 9.700 execution score in event qualification, while Saraiva produced the top 5.7 difficulty mark in the event final. Oliveira recorded the top 9.150 execution score in the all-around final. The championships offered a timely checkpoint for Brazil's senior program as the international calendar turns toward the World Championships in Rotterdam.
Esposito Chases Third Straight European All-Around Crown
The European Championships open in Zagreb with the senior women's all-around title decided during qualification on August 13. Defending champion Manila Esposito arrives having won the last two European all-around crowns and can become only the third woman to win three consecutively, joining Nadia Comaneci and Svetlana Khorkina. Reigning World all-around champion Angelina Melnikova is also entered in a field that brings many of Europe's established names and rising contenders together before the fall World Championships. Senior apparatus finals follow August 15, with the team final on August 16.
Germany, Romania and the Netherlands Bring Fresh Form to Zagreb
Recent national and selection meets give GIGA Event Radar a useful form guide entering Zagreb. Helen Kevric delivered a 6.4 meet-high difficulty score at the German Championships event final, where Karina Schönmaier posted the top 9.175 execution score. Sabrina Maneca-Voinea reached a 6.2 difficulty mark at Romania's second European team selection, while Sanna Veerman recorded a 6.0 top D and Vera van Pol a 9.050 top E at the Dutch selection meet. European Gymnastics also identifies Kevric, Schönmaier, Maneca-Voinea and Naomi Visser among the athletes to watch in Zagreb.
Last updated: August 12, 2026