PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 03: Jade Carey of Team United States celebrates after finishing her routine during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Vault Final on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 03, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Mark your calendars, Olympic gymnastics fans. Jade Carey’s return to the elite gymnastics stage is confirmed. The three-time Olympic medalist will take her first competitive step toward LA 2028 at the American Classic on June 27.
Carey announced her return to elite gymnastics training in April, but – until Monday – the exact date of her return remained uncertain. Now, all eyes turned to the last weekend of June.
Carey’s name appeared on the official event roster for the American Classic on Monday, laying out a timeline for the Olympian’s highly anticipated return.
Though American Classic is typically untelevised, the competition serves as a key qualifier for August’s U.S. National Championships. Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from June 25–28, the event will feature Carey and other senior elite contenders on June 27.
After winning gold with the team and bronze on the vault in Paris, Carey returned to compete for the Oregon State Beavers women’s gymnastics team, where she finished her career as a 25-time NCAA All-American.
For the 2026 collegiate season, Carey served as a student assistant coach for her former team while remaining active in the gym. After months of speculation from fans, Carey made the announcement: the Olympic champion was back.
Jade Carey’s Path to LA 2028
The timing preceded the U.S. elite competitive schedule ramping up over the summer, beginning with June’s American Classic, then the U.S. Classic in July, and finally the U.S. National Championships in August.
With her planned return at June’s American Classic, Carey’s first task is to qualify for the U.S. Championships in Phoenix, Arizona – her hometown.
To qualify for Phoenix, Carey will need to score 52.500 or higher across the four disciplines: vault, bars, beam and floor. Though the 26-year-old has not competed in elite gymnastics since winning two medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the score should be a simple task. Carey will also have two opportunities to achieve this benchmark between the American Classic and U.S. Classic.
In an interview with Olympics.com, Carey shared her intention to ease back into her gymnastics skills. Fans should expect a “pretty easy floor routine” at the American Classic, she said in May, adding that she also plans to ease into her vault difficulty.
Should Carey qualify for the U.S. Championships, she will be in contention for a spot on the U.S. National team and for a coveted spot on the 2026 World Championship team headed to Rotterdam, Netherlands, in October.
Carey has reached immense success on the world championship stage, winning seven medals – three gold – across three appearances. She helped Team USA to the world title in 2022, defeating challengers Great Britain, Canada, and Brazil.
In 2026, the circumstances could look very different.
After World Gymnastics’ decision to lift all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, Eastern Europe’s gymnastics powerhouse will return to the World team final for the first time since 2019. In the last 16 years, only two teams have won a World or Olympic title: the United States (9) and the Russian Federation (2).
The Italian women’s national team is also on the rise, winning silver in Paris and bronze at the 2023 World Championships behind Team USA.
After Team USA’s historically poor showing at the 2025 World Championships, Carey’s renowned strengths on vault and floor could make the difference between silver and gold. But first – let’s start with the American Classic.
Leave a comment