Arizona will have a U.S. gymnastics Olympian in Tokyo no matter what happens this week at the U.S. trials.

The question is whether Jade Carey will have company from her home state, or even her own gym, after the U.S. men’s and women’s teams are selected, Thursday-Sunday in St. Louis.

Carey of Arizona Sunrays clinched an individual Olympic berth — new for these Games — in February 2020. “I have every intention to accept the individual spot that I worked hard to earn,” Carey posted on social media after the recent U.S. Championships, where she was sixth all-around.

That means the 21-year-old will not be on the four-member U.S. women’s team coming out of the trials, where an event specialist also will be selected.

Carey’s specialties are vaulting and floor exercise, although she is eligible to compete on all four events at the Olympics, July 23-Aug. 8.

Simone Biles, 2016 Olympic and five-time World all-around champion, is a virtual lock for Tokyo. Sunisa Lee, second all-around behind Biles at nationals, is a leading candidate including to win a medal on uneven bars.

Beyond those two, the field seemingly is more wide open than in past years because of the lack of international competition due to the pandemic. 

MyKayla Skinner of Desert Lights, a 2016 Olympic and 2019 World alternate, returned to elite international gymnastics after three years as a collegian at Utah. Her hopes of finally making an Olympic team were slowed in 2020 by injury, COVID and pneumonia, but she remains optimistic of another trials peak like she achieved five years ago. 

“My feelings are kind of all over the place,” 24-year-old Skinner said on Wednesday. “I’m so excited to be here. This is my second Olympic Trials, most people can’t even say they make it to one. It’s such an honor to even be here especially after everything we’ve been through.

“After championships, it was nice to have at least two weeks to come home and train. I was able to come down a little bit and get my mindset ready for trials. I’m doing really good. It’s been such a journey, and I’m excited to go out there one last time.”

Skinner was ninth all-around at U.S. Championships and second on vaulting behind Biles. She would welcome any of the five berths at stake Friday and Sunday, just not to again be an alternate.

Some of the younger trials qualifiers were “winning level 5 state, I was a senior at championships,” said Skinner, who was named co-Sportswoman of the Year along with Laurie Hernandez at nationals.

“For me, it’s been cool to do gymnastics this long even going through all the trials I’ve been through. Being married has been the best thing ever to have your support system with you 24/7. Having my family and Jonas (Harmer) support me has helped me stay strong through all of this and make it to where I am today.”

Riley McCusker of Arizona Sunrays competed only on bar at nationals due to an ankle injury suffered May 22 at the U.S. Classic. Her petition into the trials was approved so she joins 17 others in the running for the Olympics.

There are 20 men qualified for the trials including Brandon Briones of Gilbert and Allan Bower of Chandler, who were fourth and fifth all-around at U.S. Championships.

Both are trying to make their first Olympics although Bower, who competed in college at Oklahoma, was an alternate at 2018 and 2019 Worlds and has won multiple national medals on pommel horse.

Briones, who competes for Stanford, was something of a surprise at nationals, where he trailed only his Cardinal teammate Brody Malone, Yul Molander and two-time Olympian Sam Mikulak on all-around.  

Alex Naddour of Queen Creek was a 2016 U.S. Olympian, after being a 2012 alternate, and won a pommel horse bronze medal in Rio. He is now retired from the sport.

U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials

When: Thursday-Sunday.

Where: The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Missouri

TV: NBC/NBC Sports Network/Olympic Channel. 

Information: www.stlouis2021.com

More: Building Team Arizona for Tokyo Olympics: Local connections in Summer Games

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