US gymnast Jade Carey flipped and tumbled her way to Olympic glory on Monday, when she claimed gold in the floor exercise final – an event that many had expected her teammate Simone Biles to win, before she pulled out of the competition.
The 21-year-old, from Arizona, put up a sensational routine in the final, pulling off a series of difficult and risky moves, which helped her to blow past the competition and earn her first-ever Olympic medal.
Carey’s victory on the floor was made all the more meaningful because it came just 24 hours after she missed out on a medal in the vault final, following a shock error that saw her plummet into last place, having gone into the competition as one of the top contenders for a medal.
The newly-crowned floor exercise champion had an agonizing wait to find out if she had claimed a medal, having gone second in the competition – leaving six other athletes with the chance to overtake her impressive score of 14.366.
Champion: US gymnast Jade Carey has won gold in the floor exercise final, following her teammate Simone Biles’ decision to drop out over issues with her mental health
