The Olympic gold medalist powerhouse from Arizona has been conspicuously absent from the mats lately. Known for her explosive routines and flawless execution, Jade Carey last dazzled in April at the 2025 NCAA Championships, finishing fourth all-around and tying for third on balance beam, all while maintaining a perfect 100% hit rate throughout the season, not a single fall or wobble.

But since then, she’s been missing from every major competition, casting serious doubt on her participation at the upcoming World Championships. And with the 2028 LA Olympics looming, her road back to the spotlight looks increasingly uncertain.

When was the last time we witnessed her competing? It was back on April 17, 2025, at the NCAA Championships when she finished off her Oregon State senior year. She stunned everyone with her performance with a career best all-around score of 39.6250, finishing fourth, highlighted by beautiful 9.9125 bars and 9.950 beam exercises. With her strong performance, the community thought she might have had plans for the upcoming World Championship, as well.

Then… silence. No elite competitions, no skill upgrades teased, and no clear path toward Worlds or a post-Olympic comeback. She has missed every elite competition this year and will also miss the World Championship, as she is taking the entire year off.

Carey appears to be taking a step back from competitions, but what about her LA 2028 dreams? Inside Magazine caught up with the Olympic champ recently. And when they asked about her next Olympic dreams, they got a rather surprising answer.

“I honestly like have no idea where I’m at yet. The break has been nice, and to just kind of collect all my thoughts—it is really cool that the Olympics would be in LA, like at home, so that’s really special. I think it would be a really cool driving factor, but still just figuring out, at the end of the day, if my head and my heart will be in it, because it’s not gonna work unless it is. So yeah, just taking it one day at a time and figuring out what I wanna do,” shared Jade Carey.

The 25-year-old athlete is perhaps simply focusing on other things. And her candid openness about mental blocks and those paralyzing moments when fear and doubt freeze you in place goes beyond gymnastics; it’s a reflection of life itself.

So, what’s next for Carey?

Jade Carey might return to gymnastics next year

“I’m not doing elite this year, so I just have them to focus on and that’s it. I’m really excited to jump in with them and be a leader and help get them (OSU Beavers) to where we want to go,” shared Jade Carey last year. Taking a break from her elite career, she seems to be prepping herself for something more. And it might be the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

A few days ago, a fan revealed, “They just announced that nationals next year are in PHOENIX… In AUGUST. What is going on?” The 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships are scheduled to take place in Phoenix, Arizona, from August 6 to August 9, 2026. The announcement was made during the 2025 broadcast. In the comment section, it was Wendy who commented, “What’s going on?”

Well, when the championship comes to your doorstep, you are bound to compete in it. Jade Carey has made it clear she’s sitting out elite gymnastics this year — but when the championship lands in Phoenix next year, don’t be surprised if she makes a grand return to the sport. We are still waiting for the official confirmation, though.

But do you think she will make a comeback next year?