Phoenix Arizona native Jade Carey overcomes illness at Paris Olympics She is now 2nd place in vault
Despite fighting an illness, Phoenix native Jade Carey was able to finish second in the vault competition at the Paris Olympics.
By Tyler Bednar
28 July 2024, 10:04 AM
Despite being ill the Phoenix’s Jade Carey had a strong performance in the early competitions and is third in vault at the Summer Olympics in Paris. (Photo from Aytac Unal/Anadolu through Getty Images)
PARIS Paris Jade Carey, a Mountain Ridge High School graduate and former player in the Arizona Sunrays, is back for this year’s Summer Olympics. This is her second visit to compete in the Summer Games after she competed with Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which she was awarded the gold medal for floor exercises.
“I think it’s truly satisfying and unique,” Carey said. “I did not think I’d even make it there twice, so getting there two times is a lot more to me.
Carey 24 has made it through the initial few days of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I am just not feeling well for the last few days and I’ve been unable to eat or drink,” Carey told Olympics.com.
Carey lost her balance on her final floor exercise tumbling however she bounced back and racked up an 14.433 average across her two attempts in the second session of qualifying.
Carey’s efforts in vaulting will probably make her eligible for the final of the competition. The top eight performers in each event will advance to the finals that will be held beginning on Saturday. She’s in second place in the vaulting rankings.
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team continues to be dominant and is the top team in the world by a score of 172.296 points. Carey and the rest of the team will be looking to win their third gold medal since 2012’s Tuesday.
Carey is part of the same group from the previous Olympics and includes the 2020 All-around Champion Sunisa Lee and seven-time Olympic medalist and all-around champ Simone Biles.
It was during the 2016, Rio Olympics when Carey realized that she could be an Olympian.
“I think it was until I saw the 2016 Olympics in the summer of 2016, when I was on the couch with my dad, watching it, and recognizing that I could be able to do certain gymnastics I was watching,” Carey said. “That sort of convinced me that it was something I could accomplish.”
Carey’s father, Brian, has been an integral part of her college and professional life. He is her dad at home as well as her gym coach. He was a gymnast and advisor to the coach of Oregon State University – where Carey plays in the collegiate level.
“We’re very good in keeping things separated,” Carey said. “We don’t talk much about gymnastics if we’re in the gymnasium. I see him as an instructor at the gym, and also as a father at home, and so finding the right balance early and sustaining that balance is certainly what’s been the most helpful for us.”
It was a unique experience. 2020 Summer Olympics were unique. In March of 2020 the world was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within days, everyone staying in their homes to stop the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19 had a major impact on the Olympics like other sporting events throughout the globe. In the very first instance in Olympics history the games were moved back. The games were held in 2021 during summertime however, there were no fans in attendance during the games.
The transition in the years between 2020 Olympics in the 2020 Olympics and 2024 Games is something Carey is excited to see.
“I’m extremely excited to be surrounded by an audience and fans,” Carey said. “It’s going to be very exciting to be in an entire arena cheering us on as well as being capable of experiencing an Olympic Village.”
Carey was awash with a variety of emotions in a 24 hour period during the Tokyo Olympics.
In the finals of vault she had a difficult time with the vault landings, and ended the competition in eighth position.
She bounced back next day.
She scored the four tumbling attempts in the floor workout and scored an gold medal and a 14.366 score. Her father is the very first one she hugged when she completed her exercise. After she had officially won victory, she embraced him once more while her teammates cheered from the crowd.
“I can’t even describe it,” Brian Carey said. “She went from an euphoria the day before to a point of such high the next moment that was an incredible rush of emotions. It was really really awesome.”
After returning back to America United States as a gold medalist her popularity continued to grow. praise. Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego proclaimed Aug. 17 Jade Carey Day.
“The City of Phoenix takes its name from the bird who rose from the ashes and the expectation was that the people of this city would rise above their circumstances to thrive and flourish. Jade You have accomplished exactly that, and brought this community pride,” Gallego said in 2021.
Following her triumph at the 2022 Olympics, Carey has competed in the Oregon State gymnastics team. The highly-anticipated athlete made her debut on the 15th of January. 15of 2022 and quickly took over the collegiate competition.
She was awarded Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year honors in her first two seasons at collegiate level.
Carey is the Oregon State’s coach and this has allowed her to achieve better results in high-intensity sports.
“I believe that college has provided me with a lot of the consistency, form and the pressure that comes with it,” Carey said. “I was the anchor of every single event throughout college and I was always in the pressure of some kind that was thrown my way however, I believe this was good and truly helped me prepare for the stressful situations.”
Carey gained her second Olympics journey in the early part of July when she placed 4th in the overall race and finishing the first in vault, and then second in floor exercise. Biles, Lee, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera will be on the team, whereas Leanne Wu and Joscelyn Robertson are the travel replacements.
In all of it her dad and coach will be alongside them in Paris.
“My dad is extremely important for me, and being capable of sharing these amazing memories with him is an enormous amount,” Carey said. “We’ve definitely gone through everything together, both the good and bad and it hasn’t changed our relationship nor how we approach certain situations. Therefore, simply having him with me and to help me achieve the most prestigious stage on earth is truly something special.”