It’s no secret that gymnastics, especially on the Olympic level, is incredibly difficult. That said, Jade Carey is most definitely a master of her craft. On Monday, August 2, the Phoenix, Arizona, native took home the gold in Floor Exercise at the Tokyo Olympics for Team USA. In addition to Jade’s unparalleled skills, her leotards have definitely captivated audiences all around the world.
While there’s no denying that Jade’s gymnastics uniforms are stylish and eye-catching, they were hardly designed to be a fashion statement. “These strong women come onto the mat like it’s their battlefield,” senior designer and director of custom at GK Elite, Jeanne Diaz, told Time magazine. “They are ready to go, ready to fight for these gold medals and I wanted the apparel to highlight the strength of these athletes.”
“Modern Warrior” was the theme of the leotards, Jeanne explained, but she also made sure to include elements of patriotism. One red, white and blue leotard in particular included over 7,600 Swarovski crystals. “Under the arena lights these, leotards are going to really light up,” Jeanne detailed. “To the point where it will look like there’s a battery pack hidden somewhere.”
Although Jade sure did sparkle under the arena lights, it was her pure athleticism and drive that got her to the gold. “This is all I have ever dreamed of; all I ever worked for,” the 21-year-old told Hoda Kotb on Today following her big win. “I’m really glad it paid off tonight.”
Jade’s victory comes just one day after she placed eighth in the vault competition. “Last night was definitely hard for me, but I just had to remember that I wasn’t done yet and we still had floor, so I needed to put it behind me and give everything I could into floor,” she told Hoda, noting that all of her teammates rallied behind her.
“That means everything to me to have them here supporting me. They were honestly the best teammates ever — especially last night,” Jade gushed. “So, I was just really lucky to have them up there supporting me.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of Jade Carey’s leotards.