Guide Note

U.S gymnast Paul Hamm won the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Hamm was set to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but on July 28, 2008, he announced he was withdrawing from competition. Hamm, who broke his right hand at the U.S. championships in May 2008, said he'd suffered "physical setbacks" and would be unable to defend his 2004 men's all-around title.¹

Fast Facts

1. Name: Paul Elbert Hamm
2. Born: September 24, 1982
3. Hometown: Waukesha, Wisconsin
4. Height: 5'6"
5. Weight: 140 lbs
6. Twin brother, Morgan Hamm, also an Olympic gymnast²
7. Competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics³
8. Won the gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece³
9. Became the first American man to win the Olympic all-around in 2004⁴
10. Took several years off from competing to finish college⁵
11. Graduated from Ohio State University in 2007⁶
12. Named to the 2008 U.S. Men's Gymnastics team in July 2008⁷
13. July 28, 2008: Hamm announced he would not compete in the 2008 games because of a broken hand¹

"I have put my heart and soul into my comeback and done everything I could to get ready in time to compete in Beijing. At this point in time, the success of the team and fairness to the team, and the alternates, is most important. While I am very disappointed, I feel I can wait no longer to make this decision."⁸