Paul Hamm gets OK, is heading to Beijing

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NEW WAVERLY, Texas — Paul Hamm, the defending Olympic all-around gold medalist, was certified today as having made suitable progress from a hand injury and will remain part of the six-member U.S. men’s gymnastics team.

Hamm, 25, of Waukesha, Wis., went through a series of tests and routines in front of a group of judges today at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Hamm did full routines on still rings, high bar, pommel horse and vault and partial routines on parallel bars and floor exercise.

‘I was pretty nervous,’ Hamm said. ‘I felt like a real competition. I feel like I’m 90, 95%. I still have some pain but the doctor tells me there’s very little chance the bone can break again.’

Asked whether China should be worried about him and the U.S. team, Hamm said, ‘They should be worried. China’s a great team and definitely the team to beat but we look really strong right now. Also Yang Wei [China’s all-around favorite] should be a little worried too. He’s probably counting on me being out.’

Hamm broke a bone in his right hand on May 22, the first night of the U.S. national championship competition in Houston that was the first part of the Olympic qualifying procedure.

The injury came during his parallel bars routine, the final of his six apparatus performances on that night, and even though Hamm fell after suffering the break, he finished the routine and led the competition by almost four points.

After missing the second night of the nationals, Hamm had surgery to insert nine pins to help the bone heal more quickly. He missed the two rounds of the Olympic trials but his petition to be put on the team was accepted with the caveat that he had to prove he was moving toward physical readiness.

‘The selection committee is very satisfied and confirms Paul Hamm’s spot on the Olympic team,’ Dennis McIntyre, USA men’s program senior director, said. ‘We had an intersquad meet today and used four judges, all four were judges at our Olympic trials.’

Besides Paul Hamm, his twin brother Morgan, Joseph Hagerty, Justin Spring, Jonathan Horton and Kevin Tan were named to the team last month. Rav Bhavjar, David Durante and Alexander Artemev are the alternates.

The women’s team will be named later today here at Bela and Martha Karolyi’s ranch.

Hamm’s website shows some recent video of him in action.

-- Diane Pucin