Before Jade Carey began her last routine at these Games, she could have already secured an Olympic medal. But the carpet of the vault runway got in her way.

Carey had qualified for two apparatus finals, vault and floor, and entered each as a medal contender. Those hopes on vault disappeared quickly when she sprinted toward the table and tripped as she hurdled for the round-off onto the springboard. Carey had to bail out of the skill, and in an instant, her opportunity to land on the podium evaporated.

She still had another chance to medal a day later, so her father and coach, Brian, told her: “You might feel like yesterday was one of the worst days of your life, but today can be one of the best days of your life.” Read More