Jade Carey rose to stardom at the Tokyo Games, where she carved out her own path to Olympic glory as an individual athlete representing Team USA.
Carey was brought to Tokyo for her individual medal potential on vault and floor exercise. However, in the vault event final, Carey tripped on her run during her first of two vaults - a fluke mistake that ended her medal chances. Within 24 hours, she was expected back on the competition floor for the floor finals.
Carey vowed to follow up "the worst day of her life" with the best day of her life, nailing her floor routine to secure the third consecutive gold medal for the United States in the event and a place in the history books.
Since Tokyo, Carey has continued her success on the world stage, but has also had great success in the NCAA ranks as a member of the gymnastics team at Oregon State University.
Get to know a little more about the Olympic gold medalist as gets ready for the Paris Olympic Games.
Athlete Bio
How tall is Jade Carey?
Jade Carey is 5-foot-2.
How old is Jade Carey?
Jade Carey was born May 27, 2000 and will be 24 years old once Paris rolls around.
When did Jade Carey start competing in gymnastics?
Jade Carey started gymnastics in 2001. Since her parents owned a gym and she was always playing around on the equipment, enrolling in gymnastics classes was a given. Carey began competing at the elite level in 2017 when she was 17 years old.
Where did Jade Carey go to college?
Jade Carey is a student-athlete at Oregon State University.
Why did Jade Carey choose Oregon State?
Jade Carey committed to Oregon State University when she was just 14 years old. Carey said she chose Oregon State for the family-like environment that she noticed as soon as she stepped foot on campus. Between committing at such a young age and deferring her enrollment to train for the Tokyo Olympics, it took seven years for Carey to actually arrive in Corvallis, but since donning the orange and black, she hasn't looked back.f
Is Jade Carey leaving Oregon State?
While many gymnasts who balance both elite and NCAA gymnastics decided to take a break from school as they gear up for the Games, Carey decided to stay at Oregon State University. Carey wrapped up her junior season with a second place all-around finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships and is staying on campus to train for Paris.
What do Jade Carey’s parents do?
Jade Carey is the daughter of Danielle Greenberg and Brian Carey. Brian is also Jade's coach.
Once Jade headed to college following the Tokyo Olympics, Brian would visit her often to help her prepare for her upcoming elite competitions. He was eventually hired as an assistant coach at Oregon State University in July 2023.
What are some fun facts about Jade Carey?
- Very few women have attempted a triple-double but Jade Carey is one of them. At the 2019 U.S. Championships, Simone Biles became the first woman to compete a tucked triple-double (two flips with three twists in a tucked position) on floor. However, Carey showed a laid-out version of the skill - which is even more difficult than Biles' tucked version - a few years later during podium training before the 2021 U.S. Championships. Carey never competed the skill, but still impressed the world by training it.
- Jade Carey has a skill named after her (a tucked Kasamatsu full on vault) in the level 10 Code of Points. (Level 10 is the level below elite.)
- Jade Carey is known for having an unconventional journey. Some gymnasts start competing at the elite level as young as age 12. Carey, however, didn't become an elite gymnast until she was 17. In 2017, her first year at the senior elite level, Carey went from virtually unknown to winning two silver medals at the world championships.
Career highlights
How many Olympics has Jade Carey been to?
The Tokyo Olympics in 2021 was Jade Carey's first appearance at an Olympic Games.
How many medals did Jade Carey win at the Tokyo Olympics?
Jade Carey saved her best performance for last, winning a gold medal - her one and only Olympic medal - in the floor exercise.
What are Jade Carey’s top Olympic events?
Jade Carey competes in all four events but brings in the highest scores on vault and floor exercise.
How many perfect 10s does Jade Carey have?
Jade Carey has achieved what gymnastics enthusiasts call a 'Gym Slam' - a perfect 10 on all four events. So far in her NCAA career, Carey has scored two 10s on vault, two 10s on uneven bars, one 10 on the balance beam and six 10s in the floor exercise. Carey is just the 13th gymnast in NCAA history to score a 10 in every event.
What awards has Jade Carey won at Oregon State?
Jade Carey was named the Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. In 2022, she was also named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Carey was also a finalist for the Honda Award for three consecutive years (2022, 2023 and 2024).
What medals did Jade Carey win at the Pan American Championships in Lima?
At the 2018 Pan American Championships, Jade Carey won a gold medal with the American team, as well as individual gold medals on vault and floor exercise.
What medals did Jade Carey win at the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool?
At the 2022 World Championships, Jade Carey won three medals: a gold with the American team, a gold on vault, and a bronze medal in the floor exercise.
Road to Paris
What medals did Jade Carey win at the 2024 NCAA Gymnastics Championships?
At the 2024 NCAA Championships, Jade Carey finished second in the all-around and in floor exercise, as well as third on the balance beam.
How did Jade Carey do at the 2024 American Classic?
Shortly after the 2024 NCAA season ended, Jade Carey won the all-around title at the American Classic. Carey only had three days to prepare for the competition after returning home from the NCAA Championships, but you wouldn't have known that from her performance. In addition to posting the highest all-around score (55.000), Carey had the top score on vault (14.200) and floor (13.750).
How did Jade Carey do at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic?
Jade Carey had a good performance at the Core Hydration Classic, placing 4th all-around, fifth on floor exercise and first on vault.
How did Jade Carey do at the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Championships?
Jade Carey fell on balance beam on the second day of competition which placed her 7th all-around. However, she finished 3rd on vault and 4th on floor, which are known to be her strongest events.
How did Jade Carey do at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials?
Jade Carey finished fourth all-around at Trials to clinch a spot on her second consecutive Olympic team.
Where is Jade Carey training for Paris 2024?
Leading up to Paris, Jade Carey is training at Oregon State University with her father Brian.