What Happened to Jade Carey at the 2024 Olympics? Updates on Her Illness Following Floor Routine Fall
At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, artistic gymnast Jade Carey, a standout performer at the 2020 Tokyo Games, faced an unexpected setback during the Women’s Gymnastics Qualifiers on July 28. Despite her previous dominance, Carey fell during her floor routine, a surprising turn for the 24-year-old athlete. She later revealed that a mystery illness was behind her performance issues.
What Happened to Jade Carey at the 2024 Olympics?
Jade Carey’s performance in the floor routine during the qualifiers drew concern from fans as she struggled with several jumps going out of bounds and a fall at the corner of the mat. In an interview with Olympics.com, Carey explained that she had been feeling unwell in the days leading up to the event. Although she did not specify her illness, she assured that nerves were not the issue.
“I just have not been feeling well the past few days and haven’t been able to eat or anything,” Carey said. “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.”
After the qualifiers, Carey took to X to thank her supporters, writing, “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.”
On Instagram, she expressed her gratitude and pride in her team despite her challenging day, saying, “Not the day I was expecting to have but I can’t thank you all enough for the love and support. I am so proud of this team and what we accomplished today. We’re not done yet.”
Reports indicated that Carey’s father and coach, Brian Carey, was also unwell and missed the team’s practice on July 25. USA Gymnastics announced on X that Brian would return to the team soon.
In a July 29 interview with Today, Jade’s mother, Danielle Greenberg, shared an update on Jade’s condition. “Trying to hydrate, get some food in, ready to go,” she said.
Jade Carey’s Remarkable Comeback in the Team Final
Although Jade Carey did not compete in the floor routine, balance beam, or bars during the team final on July 30, she made a strong comeback in the vault event. Carey scored 14.800, contributing to Team USA’s gold medal win in the team final alongside Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera.
Retired gymnast Aly Raisman praised Carey for her resilience, noting, “It’s so devastating to hear that she hasn’t been feeling well. I hope that she knows that she did an unbelievable job. Gymnastics is already hard enough when you’re feeling your peak, at your best. So the fact that she said she hasn’t eaten in a few days and has been sick and was able to perform at that level is truly remarkable.”
Commentator Laurie Hernandez also shared that Carey had been in touch with her, indicating that Jade was still feeling dizzy and had not yet been able to eat.
Where Was Jade Carey During the Celebration?
Following their gold medal win, the team celebrated with pre-planned TikToks. Jade Carey was notably absent from these videos, prompting fans to inquire about her whereabouts. Simone Biles responded to a fan’s question, explaining that Carey had gone to the bathroom and had not been seen since.
Will Jade Carey Compete in Individual Event Finals?
Although Jade Carey did not advance to the individual event finals for the floor routine, she did qualify for the vault final, where she will compete after securing third place during qualifiers.
