In Jade Carey’s words, “It happened, and you can’t do anything about it. She was like, ‘Go out and kill floor,’ and that’s what I did,”. This was with regard to Simone Biles, the indubitable queen herself who always comes in clutch for her teammates.With 1 Olympic and 7 world medals pinned on her lapels, Carey may very well be a flag-bearer for Team USA this time around, of course, we aren’t discounting Biles at all. Recently, alongside teammates Suni Lee and Simone Biles, Carey went down memory lane and was quite sombre when it came to something that could have possibly established her legacy. 

Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, Carey reflected on her Tokyo experience, pinpointing moments she wishes had unfolded differently while expressing her determination to become one of the best at this nascent age. During the Tokyo Olympics 2021, Carey’s journey exemplified both individual determination and the collective strength fostered by Biles’ enduring influence on her teammates. What was this close call for Jade Carey? Curious? Well, look no further as we have you covered.

Jade Carey may be a winner now, but her near miss move was a happy accident 

In an interview with Elle on JULY 17, 2024, Olympian Jade Carey shared one regret from her career. It was not being able to get a particular move named after her. She said, “I have to say the triple-double layout on the floor, because I was so close to actually competing that in the [Tokyo] Olympics—that would’ve gotten named after me, if I had landed it successfully.” It definitely disheartened her not to be able to do it since it would be the hardest move in both the men’s and women’s routines if she had nailed it. The plan was to wait until the floor final to do it. She left it up to chance, and it then turned out to be serendipity for her.

But then, having had a disappointing previous day, her dad noticed her trepidation and asked, “What do you want more? Do you want your name in the code of points, or do you want a medal around your neck?” To which Carey replied, “I think I want a medal around my neck.” So ultimately she did not perform the move and went on to win gold in the floor exercise.

Carey explained how, “a skill that hard is something I didn’t really want to take a chance on.” Notably, Jade Carey is known to perform powerful vault exercises and tumbling passes on the floor. She has consistently scored the highest in these events. Her pragmatism really shone through here as she decided to forego this difficult move for the sake of a medal, a right choice indeed. Moves like this require ample preparation, as one false misstep can cause havoc on the grand stage.

However, Carey has other moves named after her. The first one is a tucked Kasamatsu full on vault, which is named in the level 10 Code of Points. The second one is a tumbling pass on the floor exercise which is listed as “The Carey” in the Junior Olympic Code of Points. It’s clear that Carey shares Simone Biles’ passion for trademarking moves. Simone has around 5 moves named after her. Firstly, is the Biles I which is a double layout half out, and the Biles II which is a triple double on the floor. 

Next, her vault routines showcase the Biles, featuring a Yurchenko half-on with two twists, alongside a daring double pike. On the balance beam, her double-double move is equally remarkable. Both teammates still possess the ability to introduce new signature moves, keeping the world eagerly anticipating their performances in Paris.

Jade Carey’s impressive repertoire: A legacy of achievement and innovation

Jade Carey is once again part of the women’s gymnastics team representing the USA. This makes sense since she has had an impressive run so far. In Tokyo, she won the women’s floor exercise, only 24 hours after narrowly avoiding a serious injury in the vault finals with a score of 14.366. Even then, Carey recovered and in her second vault finished with a score of 12.900, coming 8th. Her attempt ensured everyone wins at least one medal in Tokyo. She was praised by her father and coach Brian Carey for being able to bounce back. “I told her, ‘You know, right now, you feel like yesterday was the worst day in your life, but today can be your best day. So just don’t give up. Keep going. And she killed it.”

At the Olympic trials this year, she delivered some stunning performances over the two days. On the first day, she earned a score of 13.575 on the uneven bars which was her first event and secured 13.575 on the balance beam. Then in the third rotation, on the floor exercise she scored 14.075, captivating the audience. She scored 14.600 on her Cheng vault and successfully executed an Amanar in her second vault. She had 55.825 at the end of the first day. On the second day she scored 14.675 on the vaults and 13.075 on the uneven beam as well as 13.624 on the balance beam. She ended the night with a 14.150 on the floor.

She expressed to NBC TODAY’s Hoda Kotb that heading to Paris after finishing fourth on the leaderboard meant everything to her. Jade Carey mentioned the importance of redemption and expressed excitement about enjoying her gymnastics journey and having fun with her teammates. Will she emerge victorious and make Americans back home swell their chests with pride? Let us know in the comments below.