What Happened to USA Olympic Gymnast Jade Carey, 24, Who Could Not Eat before Competition?

Superstar gymnast Jade Carey, 24, has been going through a rough time at the Paris Olympics. The Team USA gymnast recently shared candid statements concerning her health and how it’s affected her during the gymnastics competitions. A widely shared video of one of her performances has been circulating, prompting concern for her.

This year’s Olympic Games look very different for the 24-year-old from when she scored a gold medal in the floor exercise competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games three years ago.

Speaking exclusively to Olympics.com after the opening day of the women’s competition on July 28, Carey explained, “I just have not been feeling well the past few days and haven’t been able to eat or anything.”

Carey, who reportedly had been the only team member from the US to speak to the press, continued, “I had, like, no energy today and didn’t really have a sense of what was going on in my head.”

She ended her statement by clarifying that her intention in sharing this information is so that the public is aware that there is something wrong — health-wise — as opposed to her simply being nervous about competing.

A video shared on TikTok of Carey’s performance during the event provides more context to the situation. The footage displays Carey executing somersaults in the air, forward flips, and back flips on the competition floor.

However, just as she lands on her feet after her final flip, she loses her balance and tumbles onto the floor. To lessen the blow of the fall, Carey used her hands as back springs to stop her body from rolling over itself off the mat.

Upon seeing that video, many took to online platforms to express their worry for Carey, especially where her physical appearance is concerned. “As a fellow Extremely Pale Girl and mom of Pale Children Who Get Sick, I thought she looked extra wan today from the jump. Poor kid,” wrote an observer.

Someone else echoed, “I thought she looked really pale and out of it.” A reference to the fact that Carey divulged she has been feeling unwell for a couple of days now, another person expressed, “Days!? Shouldn’t USAG have subbed in Josc in this case?”

“[Watching] it live was so scary [I] literally was silent,” noted someone on TikTok. Adding to the conversation, another chimed in with, “[She] was sick and it looks like you can tell and the lack of eating anything she looks like the routine was disorienting her.”

Taking to Instagram after the Women’s Qualification event on July 28, Carey shared a post addressing her performance.

“all heart  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,” she penned in her caption alongside a carousel of images of her and her team members at the event.

Ending her message with a tone of determination, Carey stated, “we’re not done yet.” As the end of her caption indicated, the USA women’s gymnastics team competes in the Women’s Team Final today, which includes the floor, balance beam, uneven bars, and vault events.

According to the official Instagram account for USA Gymnastics, Carey will compete in the lineup for the vault event. She will be joined by fellow team members Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles. Biles, Chiles, and Sunisa Lee will also lead the charge for uneven bars, balance beam, and floor events.

Reacting to the news that Carey will not be competing in other events like floor, balance beam, and uneven bars, an Instagrammer asserted, “I’m shocked Carey won’t compete on floor.” Echoing the sentiment, another insisted, “Put Carey back on the floor RIGHT NOW.”

While many may be disappointed to learn that the young Olympian will only compete in the vault event, they may be happy to know that Carey is on the mend. Her doting mom, Danielle Greenberg, shared an update with “Today” on July 29 concerning how her daughter felt.

“She’s doing much better today. Trying to hydrate, get some food in, ready to go,” disclosed Greenberg of her daughter’s health. We wish Carey a speedy recovery and nothing but the best as she competes and represents her country today.