Carey’s score of 14.366 gave the U.S.
Considered one of the favorites after coming in second during vault qualifying, Carey was thundering down the blue runway Sunday when she tripped.
“I told her, ‘You know, right now, you feel like yesterday was the worst day in your life, but today can be your best day.
Carey doesn’t leap off the floor as much as she explodes.
While it’s not quite ready to be unveiled when it counts, Carey also didn’t need it.
The sport’s governing body made a provision for the 2020 Games that allowed athletes to lock up an individual nominative spot if they racked up enough points at World Cup events.
Olympic Trials, even though they knew it meant she was giving up a shot at making the four-woman team that ended up winning silver during the team competition last week.
Vanessa Ferrari of Italy earned silver, the 30-year-old’s first Olympic medal after near misses in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and London in 2012.
Angelina Melnikova of the team representing the Russian Olympic Committee and Mai Murakami of Japan were awarded the bronze after finishing with identical scores.
Five years removed from a horrific broken left leg suffered in Rio de Janeiro, Samir Ait Said of France came in fourth, sticking his dismount on the leg once so mangled it appeared his career was in jeopardy.