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PAUL HAMM
Paul made history by winning the United States first-ever men’s World All-Around title in 2003. He also shared floor exercise gold, and team silver, helping the United States to its highest medal total (7) and most gold medals (5) since 1979. For his efforts, Paul was nominated for the AAU Sullivan Award and the USOC SportsMan of the Year Award. Paul won the 2002 Senior Pacific All-Around Championships and helped the 2001 World Championships Team to an unprecedented silver medal. He also finished seventh in the World Championships all-around, the best men’s all-around finish for the United States. He is the son of Sandy and Cecily, and has a twin brother, Morgan, who was also on the 2000 Olympic Team and is a member of the U.S. Senior National Team. The brothers made history as they became the first twins ever to compete in the same Olympic Games gymnastics competition. Older sister Betsy (23) recently finished her collegiate gymnastics career at Iowa State University. Their father was an All American diver. Paul is currently taking classes at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and is interested in pursuing a career in physical therapy. He enjoys playing tennis in his spare time. Hamm says his role model is Vitaly Sherbo.
Athens 2004
No American male has ever won an Olympic all-around medal in gymnastics at a non-boycotted Games. That is, until the Athens Summer Games, where Paul Hamm captured three medals, including the all-around gold, and headlines around the world. Making Olympic history is nothing new for Hamm. In 2000, Paul and Morgan Hamm became the first set of twins to ever qualify for the U.S. gymnastics team. In these Olympic Games, the twins helped the U.S. in bringing home the silver in the Men’s Team Final. Paul also won the silver in the Men’s High Bar, before making a historic comeback to earn the gold in the Men’s all-around. His incredible run was not, however, without controversy. With spectacular performances on the parallel bars and the high bar, Hamm pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Olympic gymnastics history, vaulting from fourth to first in the final rotation, and just edging past South Korea’s Kim Dae Eun in the closest finish ever in the event. Elation turned to confusion shortly thereafter, when the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) ruled a scoring error was responsible for Hamm’s victory. FIG officials have since asked Hamm to give up his gold medal as a show of sportsmanship, but the U.S. Olympic Committee told them to take responsibility for their own mistakes. Despite the controversy threatening to taint his gold, no amount of speculation has thus far diminished the excitement generated for U.S. gymnastics or Paul Hamm’s title as Olympic Champion.
