Drusch, Carey, Molomo, Ohashi Make Senior Women’s Statement; American Classic >>> U.S. Classic Loading

In January, Inside Gymnastics traveled to Oregon State for 24 hours for an in-depth conversation with Jade about her career to date, her coaching role at Oregon State, and what she’s learned from her journey so far with hints about a comeback throughout our time together.

Scroll for the full cover story!

Also capturing headlines was Katelyn Ohashi.

13 years after her final Elite competition and seven years following her final NCAA routine, Ohashi announced a return to the sport, sending fans all over the world over the top with excitement. “After a few years of contemplating whether I wanted to continue chasing a dream I had as a little kid, I have decided to go for it. I’m taking it one day at a time; one skill, one event, one dream. I don’t have any regrets in my career and I want to be able to continue saying that no matter what happens,” Ohashi posted on Instagram. “So here goes nothing! Thankful for @pacificreign for taking a chance on me!”

Ohashi is a four-time Junior U.S. National Team member, the 2011 Junior National Champion, and two-time NCAA Champion with UCLA. She last competed in Elite gymnastics at the American Cup in 2013 where she defeated Simone Biles in the All-Around.

At the American Classic, Ohashi competed on beam and floor, showing shades of the magic we all fell in love with. She placed third on beam with a 13.150, tying for the third-highest score of the competition on the event. We cannot wait to see where this comeback takes her!

See more on Ohashi here!

Next up for the women will be the 2026 U.S. Classic, where the field will secure their spots for the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Championships set for August 6-9  in Phoenix.

How To Watch the U.S. Classic

All times are Eastern and subject to change

Friday, July 17
7 p.m. – Hopes Championships

Saturday, July 18
2 p.m. – Junior Women
7 p.m. – Senior Women

For more information, Click Here!

The following story originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of Inside Gymnastics magazine.

Photos by Courtney Manitius, Ricardo Bufolin, Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics; Video by Aimee Sinacola/Allez! Sports

Built for the Journey, Enjoying the PRESENT

Just inside the entrance of Gill Coliseum is a larger-than-life banner of Jade Carey donning bright orange and black decked out in sequins. She smiles when she looks at it, and laughs when she tells us she also used to be on Reser Stadium right next door, but since her time as a student athlete is now complete, they had to take it down.

Her smile and laugh are emblematic of Jade’s new era. Because for all of her success as a two-time Olympic Champion for Team USA and as the most decorated gymnast ever to step on the gymnastics floor at Oregon State University, one thing has remained a constant for Jade throughout her career: she’s stayed true to her own goals, and most importantly, to herself. Cool, calm, and collected as an athlete, she’s also a joy to just spend time with on or off the floor.

Afterall, what ultimately makes Jade so special isn’t her athletic prowess, but her character. She’s an extraordinary human who just happens to have accomplished extraordinary things. In an iconic journey, Jade’s career is framed by her resilience, her love for the sport, and her devotion to those who have supported her unique path to stardom.

While touring campus on a beautiful Saturday morning in Corvallis in search of the most meaningful spots to capture the perfect photo—she chose outside of historical Weatherford Hall as one of her favorites—we asked Jade what her favorite moment was during her time as a student athlete. As we strolled past Student Legacy Park and the intramural fields where a rousing ultimate frisbee game was just getting started, her answer, and the telling smile that preceded it, told you everything you need to know about who Jade is. “I would say the growth of the fans who come to watch gymnastics here now.”

It was Oregon State and its inviting atmosphere that restored Jade’s joy for gymnastics. And it’s Oregon State that she still loves calling home. Giving back to the team and the family that has given her so much, she said, and being able to carry on that joy for her teammates as a coach and share it with her fans as well, is something she cherishes daily. “The support from everyone really goes a long way, and it means a lot,” she said. “As gymnasts, we have obviously sacrificed a lot. To accomplish our dreams and get where we are, the support from everyone outside really does make a difference. It’s just really special to have such an audience that is supportive and wants to see me do well.”

With so much accomplished and so much ahead, when we asked what headline she’d use to describe her career and life lately, she told us she wanted to think about it just a bit. The next day, she had it ready. “Built for the journey, enjoying the present,” she said. “Because it’s who I am now in this stage of my life and career.”

Her Own Way

With Jade, the list of accolades really could go on forever. She’s a three-time Olympic medalist, seven-time World medalist, two-time Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year, and the 2024 NCAA All-Around runner-up. Wrapping up her NCAA career last spring, her confidence, her humility, and her ability to get the job done became her trademarks. Although she’s allowed herself a few moments here and there to look back on her career and recognize just how significant her accomplishments really are, she admits it’s still not quite in her nature.

“Now that my college career is over and those memories come up, I do look back at even when I was level 10 and the next year I was at World Championships—in the moment I didn’t realize how crazy that was and how fast that all happened. I could be better at being proud of myself for how far I’ve come. It’s crazy to think back at how it all started and where I am now. It’s definitely not what I would have thought at 16 years-old, but it’s all been really fun!”

Jade’s journey through the sport was never a traditional one. All by design.

Coming onto the Elite scene in 2017, seemingly out of nowhere, almost no one could’ve predicted all that she would achieve. Not only did she launch her Elite career by being named to the World Championships team, she also won two World silver medals, one on vault and one on floor. Three months into her senior international career, she was suddenly capturing her own headlines and on the fast track to the Games. The following year, she began her quest to qualify to Tokyo as an individual athlete, where she would ultimately become the Olympic floor champion. But it wasn’t easy.

Jade’s dad, Brian Carey, has coached her throughout her career, and their plan has always been to do things their own way together, no matter what pressure others put on them to take a different path. From early days training at home with Arizona Sunrays to Oregon State, where Brian became an assistant coach in 2023, Brian has guided and helped propel Jade to be her very best exactly when she needed to be on the world’s largest stages.

He’s been my coach for a really long time, and we’re really good at separating dad and coach, which is how we’ve been able to make it work and be so successful,” she said. “He does a lot of work and research behind the scenes, and knows me best of probably anyone. He’ll do everything possible to get me there. I really appreciate all the extra work that he puts in, more than just coaching me in the gym. It’s really special to be able to share all these memories and experiences with him.”

Achieving that balance paid off tremendously in the run for both Olympic Games. From 2018 to 2020, Jade took matters into her own hands to make her first Olympic dream come true through a new qualification route—unique to the Tokyo quad—offered by the International Gymnastics Federation. By racking up enough points in the Apparatus World Cup Series, Jade earned an individual nominative spot in April of 2020 for Team USA at the Tokyo Games. The question that remained was whether she’d accept that spot and forego an opportunity to compete with the team for a team medal.

Despite pressure from those outside her circle, including the media, to make a decision early on whether she’d pursue one of the four spots for Team USA or focus solely on the individual route, Jade continued to train with a team spot in mind. Ultimately, she announced she’d accept the nominative position before competing in the Olympic Trials in June of 2021. As always, her focus was on the big picture, staying calm and in control of her own destiny, and ensuring that she contributed to Team USA in the best way.

“I have every intention to accept the individual spot that I worked very hard to earn by competing in the Apparatus World Cup Series spanning from 2018- 2020 when officially offered to me,” she posted on Instagram before Trials. “My focus right now is preparing to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and being able to contribute to Team USA in any way possible.”

In Tokyo, her story turned from tears of sadness to tears of joy within 24 hours. As a strong contender for medals on vault and floor, an uncharacteristic stumble on the runway in vault finals quickly dashed any hopes of landing on the podium. Ready for redemption the next day, she performed the most difficult routine in floor finals and won gold. It was the perfect way to cap off the roller-coaster ride that had been her first Olympic experience.

NCAA >>> Paris

Transitioning into a student-athlete in late 2021 following the Games, Jade made an immediate impact on the NCAA, finishing her freshman year with three perfect 10.0s and winning the Pac-12 All-Around title. More than that, she played a considerable role in increasing the visibility and excitement for NCAA gymnastics, something she’s proud of to this day. She was part of what many consider the most decorated freshman class of all time, alongside other Olympians and National Team members. The class helped build the hype for NCAA gymnastics, which continues to shatter attendance and viewership records in 2026.

In 2024, Jade made what some considered a bold decision: to continue competing at Oregon State the entire season while training for her second Olympic Games. Once again, she proved it was the right decision for her when she was named to the Olympic Team, her floor routine to “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes becoming her signature piece en route to making her second Olympic dream come true. Before the Games, the women of Team USA—Jade, Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera—deemed their 2024 effort their ‘Redemption Tour.’

For Jade, what should have been a smooth ride to the podium this time was once again put to the ultimate test almost immediately. Battling a stomach bug during Qualifications, she bounced back to help Team USA win gold and later won the bronze medal on vault, something she said was one of her biggest goals after balking during the Tokyo vault final. Comparing the two Games, she noted just how much she learned about herself and her resilience.

“In Tokyo, it was just all so new and so crazy. But, I also didn’t know better. I thought, we’re still at the Olympics, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. I feel like I shocked everyone with how prepared I was. I definitely peaked at the right time and had one of my best All-Around performances ever. That’s definitely something that I like to look back on. Remembering what happened on vault, and coming back and winning floor, I learned a lot about myself and how to just let things go, and to really put it in perspective—I had one more opportunity to get what I really wanted.

“I’ve been able to carry that through a lot of things in my life, in and outside of the gym. I definitely learned resilience from the first one, and even in Paris, too. I unfortunately got sick, and you just never think that’s going to happen. I learned about trusting myself, because I couldn’t put in all the numbers that I wanted to feel good, and physically, I just was so weak. But I put all the numbers in before we got there. I just had to trust myself and know that I was going to be fine.”

With her personal 2024 redemption tour complete, Jade posted, “always trust the process and believe in the power of your dreams.” She’s living proof that forging her own path and staying dedicated to her own journey was worth every tough moment.

Following the Athleta Presents Gold Over America Tour, Jade returned to Corvallis to finish what she started in the place she loves most. As a trailblazer competing in the NCAA and international competitions throughout her entire NCAA career, in her final NCAA season, she maintained a perfect hit rate for Oregon State, bringing her career total to 205 for 205, along with a perfect 4.0 GPA. In April of 2025, she won the AAI Award, recognizing the most outstanding senior female gymnast in the country.

Nothing Quite Like Meet Day

As a student assistant coach, Jade is now ushering in a new era. She loves the role and looks forward to being present for her teammates every single day in any way she can. OSU’s 2026 hype video, set to Journey’s “Separate Ways,” amps up the emotion and energy in Gill as the team begins to build on the momentum she created as a student athlete. The season has been a tough one for the Beavers so far due to injuries, but they continue to rally as they realize their belief in themselves can carry them through all of the challenges. Seeing the team through their successes, as well as the tough times, is where Jade sees herself shining most as a coach.

“It’s been really fun to be on the other side and help them flourish into their own. I’ve been able to help them a lot mentally, because I’ve been through all of it and have also done it by their side. Hyping them up, and calming them down when they need it, that’s been one of my biggest things,” she said.

Jade’s ability to relate to the student athletes she’s coaching can certainly be attributed to the time she spent competing alongside them for four seasons. Walking out on the floor during competition as a coach felt strange at first, she said, but has quickly grown into even more of a bonding experience with the team than she expected. Guiding their efforts comes out of respect and what they’ve all already experienced together as teammates first.

“We have a mutual respect for each other, and they know that I’ve been through a lot and I’m always here to help them,” she said. “They still know that I’m always there for them in and outside of the gym. It’s a really cool and unique bond that we all still share.”

Oregon State Head Coach Tanya Chaplin continues to be a guiding force in Jade’s career as she adjusts to her new role. Focusing primarily on coaching beam and floor, she’s embracing the opportunity to give back to the program she loves so much. “College atmosphere is so fun, and it brought me the joy back to doing gymnastics again. I love just being able to bring that and carry that on for others. I work a lot with Tanya, and some days she’ll say, ‘Okay, you pick what they do today.” It’s been really cool to be able to learn from her, someone who’s been a coach here for almost 30 years, someone I look up to, and someone who’s helped me so much.”

Coaching on her home floor has been a natural fit, she said, and something she immediately knew she wanted to pursue when the chalk settled on her eligibility. “I’m in a place where I’ve been able to give back to them. I love to be in the gym, and I love to help push the girls and help them see their full potential, even when I was doing it by their side.”

The Big Question

With her NCAA career now in the record books, it’s no secret she’s been in the gym playing with skills and yes, training in the afternoons. She’s never ruling out a comeback, and with the 2026 U.S. Championships set for Phoenix, an entire gymternet of fans is waiting and wondering if Jade’s hometown will be where her next competitive journey officially begins.

But what’s next for Jade remains close to her heart. She’s keeping her plans for her future mostly quiet for now, and has everyone hitting refresh every time she dons her grips.

“I’m definitely staying in the gym, staying in shape, playing around. That’s one of the most important things, especially after going two cycles, is just enjoying it again,” she said. “Elite is still something that I think about and I’m dabbling in, and I just, I don’t know for sure a timeline at all, yet. It’s still in the back of my mind, and not something I just want to give up on. If my mind and my body are right, then we’ll see where it goes.”

You might also be surprised to learn she’s busier than ever. It all just looks a little different. Catching up on every season of Stranger Things has been a must during her downtime, as has just taking all the time she wants to take a breath and enjoy life without the immediate pressure of an Olympic Games to balance. “My day-to-day is almost busier because I’m in the gym, coaching with the girls in the morning, and then I’ll stay and I’ll train, and right after that I’ll go home and do school, and then I’m just tired!” she laughed. “But, I don’t do it as many days in a row now, and it’s not so much pressure. It’s been nice to just be able to sit and relax outside when the sun’s actually out.”

Reflecting back, and smiling a little more as we chatted about a possible run for LA, she maybe allowed herself to dream about a third Olympics just a little. “I’m not putting pressure on ‘28 but more of, let’s get through one year at a time and reevaluate where I’m at each year,” she said. “I’m in a place in my career where I’m happy with what I’ve done.

“Could things have gone better at both Olympics, or even throughout those two cycles? Yes. But I’ve also accomplished a lot of my dreams, and I’ve been able to go to the Olympics twice. Taking that pressure off, if I’m having fun and feeling good physically and mentally, then we’ll see where I’m at and evaluate each year.”

Jade Carey’s career, her legacy, and her impact is longstanding. It’s a beautiful time for her to write her next chapter. As always, she’ll reveal what’s next in her own time and in her own way. Exactly the way it should be.