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PARIS: Jade Carey had to wait three years for her chance at Olympic vault redemption after being forced to finish last in the Paris Olympics vault final on Saturday, but she didn’t miss it when it came and ended up winning a bronze medal.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Carey was the top qualifier, but due to poor timing, she was forced to abandon her vault plan and ultimately finished last.
“I definitely felt the pressure starting to build,” she told reporters of the wait at the Bercy Stadium.
“I was like, really? I’m the last one? I’ve been expecting this for a long time?
“But I really just tried to stay within myself and focus on doing what I was supposed to do.”
This time, Kelly timed her run-up perfectly to land the programmed vault, earning a score of 14.733, before returning for a safer but equally solid second attempt.
Kelly had to wait again as the judges studied her performance. She knew she needed to average more than 14.216 on both vaults to get a bronze medal, so she chose to lower the difficulty on her second attempt to ensure a smooth finish. She earned 14.200 for an average of 14.466.
“I know I’ve done everything I could,” she said.
In the end, she was surpassed by just two of the best vaulters in the world, with Carey’s compatriot Simone Biles taking gold and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade taking silver.
The Paris Olympics did not start well for the 24-year-old. The Tokyo floor exercise champion fell backwards at the end of a tumbling move and nearly rolled off the mat, failing to advance to the final.
After the qualifying round, Carey revealed that he was unwell and had not eaten for several days.
She performed well and helped the US team win the team gold medal in Paris. Three years ago, Biles suddenly withdrew from the competition due to mental disorders during the competition, and the US team finished second in the women’s team competition.
“It’s been so fun to be able to come together and be back here and see how well everybody is doing because we all wanted to be redeemed in some way and I think we’ve gotten it,” she said.
Biles and Carey are the first two American women to win medals in the vault at the same Olympics, and she credited her team-mates for her win.
“She’s been a huge inspiration to me and to so many people,” she said.
“It’s been incredible and inspiring to see her pave the way for the sport, and I’m so lucky to have played alongside her.”
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