Update: On Friday afternoon when day one start lists were published, Jade Carey had scratched floor, taking her out of the all-around competition. But as competition began on Friday night, NBC Sports learned that Carey is planning to compete on the floor after all.
Still unclear: will she debut her laid-out triple-double on floor?
Jade Carey may have already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t planning to put on a show at this weekend’s U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials in St. Louis (full broadcast schedule is here).
Carey is currently coming back from an ankle injury that she sustained at February’s Winter Cup, but the 21-year-old confirmed she is hoping to debut her laid-out triple-double on floor at Olympic Trials.
“I want to compete the triple-double, at least [on Friday],” she said earlier this week. “I’m just really excited that I’ve been able to work this and finally get it.”
If Carey performs the laid-out triple-double - considered the hardest floor skill in women’s gymnastics - she would become the first woman to do so in competition.
Note: If you’re confused about how Carey qualified for the Tokyo Olympics before U.S. Olympic Trials, read this.
RELATED: Simone Biles is already the greatest of all time, but she she isn’t done yet
What exactly is a triple-double?
If you’ve watched Simone Biles compete in recent years, you’ve already seen one version of the triple-double.
At 2019 U.S. Championships, Biles became the first woman to perform a triple-double (two flips with three twists) on floor:
You already know we had to get the slo-mo for y'all...
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 12, 2019
Look at the HEIGHT on @Simone_Biles' historic pass 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cDS8pyir7S
When Biles competed it at the world championships a few weeks later, it was dubbed “The Biles II.” It became the first skill in the women’s code of points to receive a “J” value (meaning it received a full point). Previously, skills only went from A (0.1 points) through I (0.9 points).
The difference between Biles’ triple double and Carey’s triple double is the position in the air. Biles does hers in a tucked position (knees pulled up), while Carey performs it in a laid-out (straight) position, which is considered harder.
Given the increased difficulty, Carey’s laid-out triple-double could become the first skill to receive a “K” value (1.1 points) in the women’s code of points.
Carey’s history training the triple-double
Carey first showed off a triple-double in a training video she posted nearly two years ago, just days after Biles competed the skill at 2019 U.S. Championships. In this video, Carey is doing the skill in the tucked position (like Biles):
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1aMRbEHqqM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
During podium training at U.S. Championships earlier this month, however, Carey practiced the skill in the laid-out position:
And here it is!!!@jadeacarey TRIPLE DLO. @Simone_Biles WALKED BY AND SAID CONGRATS AND THATS CRAZY! pic.twitter.com/9pEXwz1aXc
— tim daggett (@timdaggettnbc) June 2, 2021
Earlier this week, Carey said she isn’t trying to one-up Biles with her upgraded skill. “I’m just trying to get as high of a start value as I can,” she explained.
If Carey competes the skill at the Olympics, it will be named after her.
NBC Olympics researcher Sarah Hughes contributed to this report.
Follow Alex Azzi on Twitter @AlexAzziNBC