While most gymnasts decide which path to take between the elite and collegiate early on, there was Olympic medalist Jade Carey to prove everyone wrong.

At the 2024 Paris Games, a 24-year-old Carey became one of the first gymnasts to win Olympic gold while competing in the NCAA at Oregon State University. Juggling both ends was hard, but to Carey, it was something more.

“It just made me love gymnastics and realize I had more to give,” she told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview in late 2024. “I think (NCAA) really made me fall back in love with gymnastics… (It was) really hard at the same time. Going to college brought me out of my shell more…”

Daughter of OSU assistant coach Brian Carey and USA Youth Fitness Center owner Danielle Mitchell-Greenberg, she was destined for gymnastics. And maybe that’s why she was confident about competing in elite and collegiate gymnastics simultaneously.

And the skill sets backed up that confidence. In the 2024 NCAA season, Carey won two all-around and floor exercise silvers, along with a balance beam bronze. And this capped a career already studded with 3 Olympic and 7 World Championship medals.

Then came the 2-year respite from elite competitions. But now, Carey is ready to return.

What’s Next for Jade Carey

Set for 26-27 June at Twin City Twisters East in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the 2026 American Classics will be Carey’s first elite appearance since the 2024 Paris Games. This will be her first of two chances to get into the US Championship set for August.

The gymnast last competed in the American Classics in 2024. She finished first in all-around, vault, floor exercise, and 5^th in uneven bars, 2^nd on the balance beam. But her performance at the US Classics ended with just one vault gold, and a vault bronze followed in the US national championship.

So, it’ll be intriguing to watch Carey's return to the elite after the two-year break. Do you think it’ll be better than 2024? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy