At 26, Jade Carey is already a veteran of the American gymnastics scene. A two-time Olympian, she has won three Olympic medals, including a gold in Tokyo and another gold and a bronze in Paris. But now, she has motivations beyond winning medals. Carey, who is making her comeback at the American Classic, wants to shift her focus to leadership, drawing on the experience and success she has gained throughout her career.

“I really want to kind of be able to be a leader for them, and be able to be that person that they can come to,” said Carey to Olympics.com. “I know how hard it is, and I know what it takes. So, kind of just be the sounding board for them and be there for them”.

These comments come at a time when a fresh batch of athletes is set to take the floor at the American Classic in Minneapolis, which begins on June 27. For Carey, it’ll be her first elite meet since Paris 2024, and she won’t have some of the familiar faces of Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, and Sunni Lee at the competition, which means Carey will be the most senior figure on the scene.

Carey will be chomping at the bit to get going, having already won six gold medals at the American Classic, including three in the 2024 edition, where she topped the standings in the all-around, vault, and floor exercise. But she also wants to be a guiding light for the younger generation.

“I think that’s something that I really want to focus on and help this new generation of girls coming up,” she continued in the same interview.

For the rising stars of American gymnastics, having someone who has shared the stage with the best in the world could prove invaluable. This is nothing new in American gymnastics, where there has long been a tradition of veteran athletes guiding the younger members of the team. At the Rio Olympics, Aly Raisman was affectionately known as the “grandma” of the squad and served as captain of a young team that included teenage stars Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, and Madison Kocian.

Biles, too, has played that role. In 2018, she invited Chiles to train with her in Texas when Chiles was struggling with burnout and considering stepping away from the sport. The move helped reignite her career and laid the foundation for a friendship that would later see them become Olympic teammates.

“It was my best friend Simone who gave me hope and a new path to my dream when I was about to give it up,” Chiles said in a 2024 speech at TheWrap Power Women Summit.

Biles, now 29, has cemented her status as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, if not the greatest. She has won 11 Olympic medals, while Chiles, 25, has two. Lee (23) has six, and Carey has three. Together, the quartet has amassed 22 Olympic medals, making them one of the most accomplished groups in the sport’s history. And that’s why Carey’s leadership at the upcoming Classic is so important.

Stars like Biles are gradually nearing the end of their careers. Carey may not be far behind, having admitted in an interview in May that this Olympic cycle could be her last.

Jade Carey Is in the Last Stage of Her Career

The LA Olympics in 2028 could potentially be Jade Carey‘s last international hurrah. The American spoke in an interview in May about this Olympic cycle possibly being her last. That is why taking part in the lower-tier American Classic is important to her, as she will have the opportunity to shake off any performance rust she may be carrying.

“I do really fully see this next three years or whatever it is, two years, as the end of my gymnastics journey,” said Carey to Olympics.com in May. “So really just going out with being proud of myself and knowing that I gave it my all.”

Carey had her first Olympic moment in Tokyo, where she won the gold on floor exercise and earned medal-winning scores on Vault and Floor Exercise in the All-Round event, but fell short in the Balance Beam. While Tokyo gave her the belief that she belonged at the highest level of competition, Paris saw her grit and determination.

Battling a bout of illness that left her completely devoid of energy, Carey scored 14.800 on Vault, which was instrumental in the USA winning the gold medal in the Team All-Round event. Carey wasn’t finished, as she also won the bronze in the individual vault event, being on the podium with the legendary duo of Biles and Rebecca Andrade.

With this being Carey’s last effort at the international level, she will hope to begin strong at the American Classic on Saturday.