Jade Carey’s pre-competition ritual involves chowing down on a steak meal before every big event. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case before her opening day at the Paris Olympics! Jade Carey, who dazzled America with floor exercise gold in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, missed her mark for her signature event at the Paris Olympics. Instead, she clinched a spot in the vault finals, falling short of qualifying for the Apparatus and All-Around finals. Did she eat her steak? Nope, she’s been feeling under the weather!

After her performance at the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Subdivision 2 qualifier, Jade spilled the beans to Olympics.com: “I just have not been feeling well the past few days and haven’t been able to eat or anything.” At 24, Jade was the only member of Team USA to brave the press and clear the air. No steak and no energy?

She wanted her fans to know it wasn’t just nerves messing with her mojo. “I had, like, no energy today and didn’t really have a sense of what was going on in my head. So, I just kind of wanted people to know that so, they know that there’s actually something wrong.” She even took to X, sharing, “I haven’t been feeling the best the past few days but I gave it everything I had today. thank you for all the support I have received. I’m so grateful.” But wait, there’s more!

Jade’s not the only one feeling the Paris blues and wet weather—her strong support system, including her dad, seems to have caught a bug too. Coach Brian Carey missed Team USA’s podium training at the Bercy Arena on July 25. USA Gymnastics shared on X, “Coach Brian Carey is not feeling well today and will miss Women’s Podium Training. He will return to the team soon.”

Yes, Brian Carey isn’t just Jade’s dad—he’s also her coach. Winning gold in Tokyo was extra special because she got to share the moment with him by her side. Jade has always emphasized how much having her dad around means to her, saying it’s all they’ve ever dreamed of. She mentioned how he has supported her 100 percent the whole time. Going into Paris, she shared, “I couldn’t do it without my family.” Fans are eager to see Brian Carey back on the floor, supporting his champion daughter. So, how did Jade Carey fare on the opening day of the Paris Olympics?

Jade Carey stumbles on Day 2 of the Paris Olympics but bounces back in style!

Team USA women—Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, and Jade Carey—came geared up and ready for action at the Paris Olympics Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Qualification, Subdivision 2. The team topped the final standings, securing a total score of 172.296. Italy followed in second place with a total score of 166.861, and the People’s Republic of China rounded out the top three with a total score of 166.628.

In Rotation 2, Jade Carey took to her signature floor exercise. She started with a Chuso, which had a small hop, and followed with a double layout, going out with both feet. Her routine included a switch, switch 1/1, Popa, and a full-in with a chest down and a bounce out. She did a tour jete 1/2 and her front-to-back tuck only to roll out of bounds, which came as a little bit of a shock. Despite the stumble, she earned a 10.633.

In Rotation 3, Carey bounced back on the vault. For Vault 1, she performed a Cheng with one bounce back. For Vault 2, she flashed for an Amanar but did a clean DTY instead, with just a hop back. For Vault 1, Jade had a difficulty score of 5.600, an execution score of 9.166, and a penalty of -0.1, leading to a total score of 14.666. For Vault 2, she earned a difficulty score of 5.000 and an execution score of 9.200, resulting in a total score of 14.200.

Her average score on the vault was 14.433. Despite struggling on her final tumbling pass, Carey was second in the vaulting standings. She successfully executed a Cheng vault and a double-twisting Yurchenko, earning a 14.433 average. And now she looks to advance to the apparatus final. What do you think about Jade Carey’s tough luck and her fierce fightback on the opening day for USA Gymnastics women at the Paris Olympics? Share your thoughts in the comments below!