Suni Lee Was Forced To Quit NCAA Gymnastics but Jade Carey Used It To Enhance Her Elite Career

At the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Sunisa “Suni” Lee beat the world’s top gymnasts to win the gold medal in the all-around event. She was the first American Hmong athlete to participate and win gold for the US Olympic team. Then she had an impressive year at Auburn University before announcing her premature exit from collegiate gymnastics, citing kidney issues. Nonetheless, she declared last year— “I have my sights set on Paris in 2024, and I know what I have to do to get there.”

With Lee away from the gymnastics mats, Oregon State’s Jade Carey proved to be a different challenge. Carey is back and better this Olympic year, winning hearts with her gymnastics performances in U.S. Gymnastics competitions. She has gone from mastering elite tumbles to stepping it up at collegiate gymnastics stepping up her game.

Suni Lee makes way for Jade Carey’s rise to prominence

Suni Lee won three medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and then changed her focus from elite international gymnastics competing in Auburn. However, on April 3, 2023, Lee declared that her kidney condition was finally compelling her to end her NCAA career. At the same time, Jade Carey juggled her elite and collegiate commitments, winning accolades in both stages. She quickly became fans’ favorite this year after earning podium place at the American Classic and the Core Hydration Classic.

Carey received a shootout from InsideGym on Instagram as they posted a picture with her quote accompanied by the caption, “Jade Carey has had a stellar, quick transition from NCAA season to Elite with a top 4 finish at the recent Core Hydration Classic.” This Olympic season, the USA Gymnastics competitions hold a special significance.

At the 2024 American Classic, Carey won all-around gold, scoring 55.000, a vault gold with a score of 14.200, and placed third on the floor with 13.750. Sunisa Lee, who has been competing in two events since last year, won the gold medal on the balance beam with a score of 14.300. At the 2024 Core Hydration Classic, Carey scored 14.300 to place third in the vault, while Lee earned a silver medal on the balance beam with a score of 14.500.

Looks like Jade Carey is avenging her Tokyo fate. The Arizona-born came in second to Simone Biles in the vault final in Tokyo. Carey had to enter the all-around competition after Biles pulled out of her events because of twisties, which put even more pressure on Carey’s vault routine.

Things went downhill for Carey as she tripped during her run-up to her vault, canceling her planned vault, and she fell on the balance beam, ending a shot at the all-around podium. Carey came back strong, winning the all-around title in the Pac-12 Championships for the second straight year following her team’s gold victory in the 2023 Swiss Cup. On the other hand, Suni decided to make a statement on the mats with a “surprise” for her gymnastics fans.

Olympic reigning champion sets sight on named move

Sunisa Lee came to Auburn solely with an eye on the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) competition. Then went on to perform a move never seen in college gymnastics. She executed the Nabieva on the uneven bars in 2022 and could make it officially her move on the international stage this year.

Her accomplishments at Auburn thus far include winning the NCAA beam championship, finishing second in the all-around competition, and earning four All-America spots at the national meet. Auburn’s website dubbed her time as the “most decorated year in Auburn program history.”

Suni Lee declared last year, “I will not stop pursuing my dreams for a bid to Paris in 2024. In fact, this experience has sharpened my vision for the future.” Lee participated in only three apparatuses at the 2024 Core Hydration Classic. Since the Tokyo Olympics, Lee has encountered numerous difficulties over the years. She appears confident as she warms up to add a new skill to her resume this year, despite having to travel a long way to get her second ticket to the Olympics.