“Words can’t even begin to describe how I am feeling right now,” she wrote on Instagram. Dreams do come true???? I am proud of myself for bouncing back and giving it my all. Thank you so much for the love and support." Get to know the newly-minted gold medalist who made Team USA, America and her family so proud.
Did Jade Carey get a medal during the floor event finals?
Carey got an Olympic gold medal for her women’s floor exercise at the 2020 Olympics. She told Hoda Kotb on TODAY that winning her gold medal was “everything,” adding, “This is all I have ever dreamed of, all I ever worked for. I’m really glad it paid off tonight.”
How to watch the 2020 Olympics gymnastics floor final
You can watch the women’s gymnastics floor final on Monday, August 2, at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. You can also stream the event via fuboTV, NBCOlympics.com, Peacock and Sling.
How old is Jade Carey?
Jade Carey is 21 years old. Her birthday is May 27, 2000.
Where is Jade Carey from?
Carey is from Phoenix, Arizona.
Who is Jade Carey’s dad?
Carey’s father is Brian Carey, a gymnastics coach, but the two know how to separate family from business. Jade told AZCentral, “At home, he’s just my Dad and at the gym, he’s just my coach.” Brian is a former gymnast himself, so talent is in the blood. “My parents owned a gym when I was born so I was always in the gym playing,” Jade told NBC Olympics. “My parents have been very influential. They were both gymnasts when they were kids and are both coaches now.” Brian concurred with his famous daughter about their ability to compartmentalize, telling FloGymnastics, “It’s great, we definitely leave gymnastics at the gym, so we walk out the door, and we don’t speak it until we walk back into the door the next time at the gym.”
How did Jade Carey qualify for the Olympics?
The rules for qualifying for the Olympics Team USA gymnastics team are convoluted and complicated, according to Inside Gymnastics. Carey qualified with four World Cup competitions starting in 2018, aiming for what’s called an “individual spot.” Carey said she chose to go the individual route over the team route because she felt it was the best option for showcasing her floor talents while also giving her more time to prepare for events for which she felt she needed more training, including the All-Around. Carey had until July 5, 2021, to decide whether she’d compete for an individual spot or for a spot on Team USA at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She chose the former, announcing on June 15, “I have every intention to accept the individual spot that I worked very hard to earn by competing in the Apparatus World Cup Series spanning from 2018-2020 when officially offered to me. My focus right now is preparing to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and being able to contribute to Team USA in any way possible.” She received support from Team USA teammate MyKayla Skinnerand Team USA alum Laurie Hernandez, among others, in her comments. “My Dad and I decided to pursue the individual World Cup route in 2018,” she previously explained. “I wasn’t totally ready in the All-Around yet and it made sense for me to do the series and just continue to train All-Around. I’m happy I still trained all four events because, with the individual spot, I can still compete All-Around.”
What happened to Jade Carey on the Olympics vault event final?
Carey visibly struggled during her vaults, coming in 8th place. She told reporters after her floor win, “Coming back from a day like yesterday, I’m really proud of myself for being able to put that behind me and finish with probably the best floor routine I’ve ever done in my life. Yesterday was very tough for me. I tripped, I guess, in my hurdle, or right before. I don’t even know. It’s kind of a blur now. It was really hard, but I’m glad I’m safe and healthy. Doing that second vault, it was a challenge, but I didn’t want to give up. For tonight, I just had to let that go and give it my all.”
Jade Carey got advice from Simone Biles after her vault
After Carey’s tough day on the vault, she said Biles gave the advice that propelled her forward to nab a gold medal on the floor. “She said: ‘It happened, and you can’t do anything about it,’” Carey recalled. “She was like, ‘Let’s go out and kill floor,’ and that’s what I did.”
Jade Carey is close with Simone Biles and other gymnasts
Carey counts several gymnasts as her close friends. She has said she particularly looks up to Biles and Aly Raisman, and one of her best friends is fellow gymnast Grace McCallum.
What is “The Carey?”
Like Biles, Carey has a move named after her: In 2016, a vault move called a “tucked Kasamatsu full” was renamed “The Carey.” You can see her perform it here: Carey, during practice, has also landed a move called the triple-twisting double layout, one of the most difficult moves ever in women’s gymnastics. Biles has done a similar move with her legs tucked, but it’s even trickier with straight legs. Biles herself congratulated Carey on the move.
What’s next for Jade Carey?
Carey deferred her enrollment to Oregon State University, where she plans to continue competing post-Olympics. “I’m sad I won’t be able to be up in Oregon this year, but I’ve been in touch with the coaches a lot, and they’ve been great helping me set a new plan,” she told Inside Gymnastics. I’m going to start some classes so that I will have some classes done before I get there." Next, check out our list of the 14 best Olympics movies of all time!
