PARIS — Jade Carey’s not done just yet.
After winning two medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Carey announced Wednesday that she is returning to collegiate gymnastics and will compete for Oregon State during the 2025 season. It will be her fourth and final year of eligibility.
‘OSU has been more than a university. It’s been my home, my family and my source of strength,’ she said in a speech on campus. ‘I look forward to continuing to compete, pushing my limits and striving for excellence with the best team by my side.’
Carey, 24, initially committed to Oregon State in 2017 but deferred her enrollment until after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she won a gold medal on floor exercise. She went on to become a two-time Pac 12 gymnast of the year in her first two years on campus and kept on competing even earlier this year, while simultaneously preparing for the U.S. Olympic trials and the Paris Games.
The Phoenix, Arizona, native was ultimately was one of three former college gymnasts selected to compete for Team USA in Paris, alongside Jordan Chiles (who competed collegiately at UCLA) and Suni Lee (who competed at Auburn).
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Carey said she came down with an illness after arriving in Paris, but she nevertheless managed to put up scores on vault that helped the Americans both coast into the team final and cruise to an Olympic gold medal. She then came back a few days later and won a bronze medal in the vault final, finishing behind only Simone Biles and Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade.
‘This medal means everything to me,’ Carey said afterwards. ‘It was one of my biggest motivators to get back here and be in the vault final. To be able to prove myself, and prove to myself that I can do two vaults in a final, and to walk away with a medal is really special for me.’
Carey said Wednesday that winning two medals in Paris was like her wildest dreams coming true. She paraded through Oregon State’s campus in Corvalis, Oregon, in the back of a pickup truck, as fans and classmates cheered.
‘I’m incredibly grateful for the love and support that you all have showed me,’ Carey said. ‘I’ve been able to accomplish more than I’ve ever dreamed of in my past three years of being a Beaver.’
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.
