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Paul Hamm Profile |
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Birth Date: September 24, 1982
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Birth Place: Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
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Birth Name: Paul Elbert Hamm
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Height: 5'6"
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Biography |
Paul Elbert Hamm (born September 24, 1982 in Washburn,
Wisconsin) is a US gymnast and Olympic gold medalist.
In 2003, he became the first American man to win the
all-round title at the world championships. He competed at
the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, alongside his twin
brother Morgan. He won the silver medal in the team event
and the high bar, and was awarded gold in the individual
all-around competition, becoming the only American man in
Olympic history to win the gold medal in that event.
Hamm held a good position after three rounds, but a
disastrous fall on the vault, in which he nearly fell into
the judges' bench, dropped him to 12th place and he looked
to be completely out of the running for a medal of any sort.
Indeed, had a judge and the bench not been able to break
Hamm's fall, he might have fallen from the podium and
sustained injury. However, numerous faults by the other
gymnasts, combined with Hamm's performance on the parallel
bars, returned him to fourth place after the fifth rotation.
His high bar routine gained him a score of 9.837, winning
him the gold medal by a margin of .012, the closest in
Olympic Gymnastics history.
Hamm was the James E. Sullivan Award winner for 2004 as the
outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. |
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Other Information |
The first American Male to win a World Championship
All-Around Title, which he won in the Athens Olympics.
Became the first American man to win the all-around at the
2003 World Gymnastics Championships.
He and Morgan are the first set of twins to compete on an
American Olympic gymnastic team.
Is the first American man to win the Olympic all-around
gymnastics competition (Athens 2004).
Younger twin brother of Morgan Hamm.
2001 Worlds: team silver
2002 Worlds: floor bronze
2003 Worlds: team silver, all-around gold, floor gold
2004 Olympics: team silver, all-around gold, high bar silver
Attended the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee
Has an older sister, Betsy
Attending Ohio State |
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