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(Olympics Mens Gymnastics report) Hamm: I thought the gold's gone for sure
ESPN ^ | 8-18-04 | Wickersham

Posted on 08/18/2004 9:54:46 PM PDT by doug from upland

Hamm: I thought the gold's gone for sure

 
By Seth Wickersham
ESPN The Magazine
 

ATHENS, Greece -- Hamm? No, Hamm was out of it. Everyone knew.

The American had just taken his chance at a gold medal and tossed it like a stone into the Mediterranean, stumbling off the vault like a man stepping on his own shoe lace, nearly falling onto the judges' table the way basketball players do when trying to save a loose ball. His hopes were hopeless.

Sure, Paul Hamm had pulled an Elway before, coming back from a separated shoulder last year to win the World Championships, but it couldn't happen this time. Not again. No way.

Hamm
Paul Hamm went from first to 12th and back to first for gold.

Was this the way a winner looks? No, Hamm more resembled a teenager waiting to get his braces on, breathing heavy and nearly shaking. He was pale and cotton mouthed and spinning. Plus, why bet on a guy who was counting himself out?

"At that point," he said later, "I thought the gold's gone for sure."

The gold? Try everything.

He started so strong, so much like the guy who was being hyped as the best U.S. male gymnast ever. He started on the floor routine, nailing a 9.725. Did the pommel horse next and twisted off a 9.700. Hopped over to the rings and pealed off a 9.587. After three events, he was in first place with 29.012 points, and was cruising toward a gold medal, a Wheaties box, and a life of first class, tables at the window and free drinks. It was that easy.

Then, he rushed down the runway towards the vault, and flew off it like he'd made trips to BALCO. Way too powerful, way too fast, he twisted and landed on the mat, falling forward, then peeled off to the right and nearly bellyflopped onto the judges' table, good for a sorry 9.137. He didn't even salute them on the way off or wave to the crowd. He took his seat on the bench and glared.

Said American gymnast Brett McClure, "I saw that, and yeah, I thought he was done."

He wasn't alone. Americans in the crowd started packing up their flags. Journalists started dreaming up leads detailing how the American men gymnastics program was getting closer to catching up with the rest of the world, but was still more Bon Jovi than Bruce Springsteen.

Hamm would forever be a good gymnast whose claim to fame was no matter how many events he'd participate in, announcers would always pronounce his name Ham, like the food, instead of Hamm, as in mom.

Hamm just sat frozen. He'd done everything on Wednesday to keep from this sort of night. He and McClure, the other men's all-around qualifier, spent the whole day together, waking up at 8, breakfast at 8:45, to the gym for light stretching at 10:30, a light snack, then a few hours of Texas Hold 'Em, which seems to be the Official Game of America's Male Olympians.

Hamm, as usual, whipped McClure hand after hand. Things were just going his way.

He cruised to the Olympic arena, his iPod plugged into his ears. A few hours later, after his sneeze on the pommel horse, he went from first place to 12th with only two events left. It was a huge choke. Somewhere, Scott Norwood looked up Hamm's phone number in Milwaukee for consolation.

But then something curious happened: Hamm stepped up to the parallel bars, jostled and spun, landed as softly as if he'd jumped off a curb, and pumped his fist in the air.

"I thought I'd gotten myself back," he said.

The judges agreed, giving him a 9.837. Suddenly he was in fourth place. Nervy.

In the tiny gymnastics world, which most Americans only care about every four years, Hamm had done what Elway did to Cleveland, what Jordan did to Utah, what Brady did to Carolina.

But surely it was going to end with the next event, the horizontal bar, Hamm's worst and one that he botched in the team finals two days earlier. He needed an absurd 9.825 score to tie for the gold.

This is like asking Shaq to hit 10 straight free throws.

This was fourth-and-the-Olympics.

No way.

But then something wonderful happened. He shot on the bar, and floated and rotated as if governed by something else than the gravity. His toughest move came up -- three blind releases in a row -- and he not only pulled it off but also pulled it off with perfect form. He sprung into the air for his dismount, folding himself like a baton, then unfolding just in time to land square and steady. He threw his arms into the air.

His score came up. A 9.837. His coach, Miles Avery, screamed, "You're the Olympic champion!"

Hamm: "No way!"

Way.

He had moved up 12 spots in two events, in his worst apparatuses, and became the first American to gold in the all-around since ...

Since ever.

American men are gold virgins no more.

Experts were trying to explain the inexplicable. In the tiny gymnastics world, which most Americans only care about every four years, Hamm had done what Elway did to Cleveland, what Jordan did to Utah, what Brady did to Carolina.

"I've never seen anything like this," said broadcaster Peter Vidmar, the only other American man to even medal in the all-around. "Ever."

Two Koreans, Dae Eun Kim and Tae Young Yang, looked like the best man who lost the engagement ring. Kim frowned as his silver was placed around his neck. Yang took off his bronze right after leaving the floor. Both blew past Korean press begging for a quote.

Hamm, meanwhile, had a grin that won't get a day off for a while. What can you expect from Hamm? He'll do the Today Show. He'll do Letterman and Leno. He'll do commercials. As one of People's 50 Most Beautiful People, he's got a good running start.

Now all he has to deal with is you-know-what. When he walked off the floor, his medal shining even more brilliantly that you can imagine, a radio guy interviewed Hamm and then turned the microphone back to himself for a wrap-up.

"That was Paul Ham, who just won the gold ..."

Sigh.

Maybe by Beijing in 2008 everyone will get the defending gold medalist's name right.

Seth Wickersham covers the Olympics for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at seth.Wickersham@espn3.com


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: hamm; medal; olympics; usausausausausausa; usteam
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1 posted on 08/18/2004 9:54:48 PM PDT by doug from upland
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To: doug from upland

I stopped watching when he fell on his butt.
I can't believe he won!


2 posted on 08/18/2004 9:56:35 PM PDT by nuconvert (Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film.)
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To: nuconvert

I started watching just before that, and already knew he'd won.

It still was amazing to watch.

Plus, he won by the narrowest margin in the men's all around ever.


3 posted on 08/18/2004 10:01:39 PM PDT by flashbunny (Kerry helped move jobs to china - http://www.flashbunny.org/commentary/kerryoutsourced.html)
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To: flashbunny

I am still watching on the West Coast, so I haven't seen him fall yet. What a remarkable story.


4 posted on 08/18/2004 10:02:27 PM PDT by doug from upland (John Kerry is a sports fan like Lorena Bobbitt is a surgeon)
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To: doug from upland

who said the gay community couldn't... never mind.


5 posted on 08/18/2004 10:04:23 PM PDT by GeronL (Viking Kitties have won the GOLD MEDAL in the 2,000 meter ZOTTING)
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To: doug from upland

It is. After he fell, he also fell from 1st to 12th. Every announcer was talking about how it would be a miracle if he even won a bronze medal. They had pretty much written him off.

Which is strange, because announcers like to try to and create as much drama as they can, and usually they'll sell what chance a person has instead of writing them off.

What Paul Hamm did is like being behind 42 to 7 in the last 10 minutes of the super bowl and pulling out a 43-42 win.

Hope he gets on a wheeties box. As a plus, if he ever gets tired of doing personal appearances, he could have his twin brother step in for him.


6 posted on 08/18/2004 10:07:17 PM PDT by flashbunny (Kerry helped move jobs to china - http://www.flashbunny.org/commentary/kerryoutsourced.html)
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To: nuconvert

Way!

It was a great american achievement, and the two who took the silver and the bronze were the Koreans (south koreans i think) and that was a big suprise too.

Watched it all, I'm really enjoying these olympics.

Congrats to Mr. Hamm and to our great women swimmers, they really rocked tonight.

Personally, I hoping this is all part of the "Return to excellence and truth" that we've all been pulling for all these years. A true devotion to that is going to be indespensible in the war against Islamofacism that is (and has been) raging.

God bless all who stand for us, on whatever battlefield, and may God grant freedom and liberty to all in this fallen world, and may we realize that it is just a pale imitation of the perfect world to come, as that old Greek Plato would be glad to explain.


7 posted on 08/18/2004 10:46:28 PM PDT by jocon307
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To: nuconvert

My wife almost went to bed when he fell. I knew the final result (thanks to a "spoiler" earlier today on FR), and I said, "You'll be sorry if you go to bed now." "What happens!?" she asked. "Wait and see..." It was unbelievable.


8 posted on 08/18/2004 11:46:30 PM PDT by My2Cents (http://www.conservativesforbush.com)
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To: doug from upland
I saw and earlier post about his win. It still hadn't played on the west coast yet. I'm so glad I watched the whole thing. But I can hardly believe my eyes. Except there's tears in them.

Unbelievable. A fantastic victory!

9 posted on 08/18/2004 11:54:43 PM PDT by GVnana
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To: All

It was a great victory.

Is this guy a 'mo? Kinda seems like it to me.


11 posted on 08/19/2004 2:25:47 AM PDT by john_virtue
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To: All

Found this nugget:

The Hamms are Patriots!
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=WI&last=Hamm&first=Morgan


12 posted on 08/19/2004 2:34:23 AM PDT by john_virtue
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To: john_virtue

By exactly WHAT criteria are we now trying to extract sexual orientation from a photograph?
Congratulations on a miraculous victory!
Let the innuendos and cheap talk slide down the sewer where it belongs


13 posted on 08/19/2004 5:27:01 AM PDT by Knute (I may not agree with what you have on your bumper sticker, but I will defend your right to stick it)
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To: doug from upland

Morgan, and especially Paul, put our little burg of Waukesha on the MAP!!

Congrats on a great come-back.

I know they don't live around here anymore (training in Denver, I believe), but I hope Waukesha has a gold medal parade for him. I'd go!


14 posted on 08/19/2004 5:30:02 AM PDT by WIladyconservative (Proud monthly donor - ARE YOU???)
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To: GeronL

Who said Paul Hamm was gay? You must be joking. I've been around BOTH of the twins - my son has competed in the same meet - actually same session - when Paul made a demo appearance in his original club (Swiss Turners). The girls swarm around the Hamms, and they date. You know nothing of which you speak.


15 posted on 08/19/2004 6:20:31 AM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)
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To: WIladyconservative
The Hamms have been training at the Ohio State facility with Blaine Wilson (Blaine grew up in OH) to be around higher-level training partners. The coach who has been hoisting the guys at the high bar is Miles Avery, an Ohio State mens gymnastics team coach.

But yes, the Hamms have put Waukesha on the map in recent days :-) - although those of us involved in the sport of gymnastics have known all about the twins' marvelous efforts, training with Stacy Maloney at the Swiss Turners' facility in West Allis, etc. for many years ;-).

16 posted on 08/19/2004 6:27:51 AM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)
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To: john_virtue; admin

I quite honestly resent this speculation at this time.


17 posted on 08/19/2004 6:29:20 AM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)
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To: WIladyconservative
A link just for you :-) from the Milwaukee newspaper who have done a GREAT job covering gymnastic, especially the Hamms' world class competition efforts, over the years.

Golden finish - Waukesha gymnast overcomes fall to win America's 1st ever all-around men's gold for U.S.

18 posted on 08/19/2004 6:31:45 AM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)
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To: john_virtue

That contribution - if accurate at all - was made when Morgan was 12 YEARS OLD. Morgan (the older) and Paul (born 3 minutes later) were born in 1982.


19 posted on 08/19/2004 6:37:24 AM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)
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To: doug from upland

http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/olympics/gymnastics/articles/2004/08/19/golden_comeback/
High and mighty
Hamm turns in a miracle finish to win all-around

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/08/18/sports0102EDT0041.DTL
With a comeback for the ages, Hamm becomes a champion

http://www.newsday.com/sports/olympics/ny-sposide0819,0,3757470.story?coll=ny-homepage-big-pix
U.S. Hamming it up?

(free subscription needed for this one:
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-040818downey,1,4169265.column?coll=cs-home-utility
Hollywood tale out of Dairyland

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=89617&Sn=SPOR&IssueID=27152
GRITTY HAMM WINS GOLD
(with medal stand picture)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/19/sports/olympics/19gymnastics.html
U.S. Gymnast Goes From Oops to a Gold Medal
(with great picture from high bar release! & picture of Paul with Mackey after hearing the great news!)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/olympics/gym/20040818-1736-cnsolyhamm.html
Hamm storms back to win all-around gold
(medal stand picture during US national anthem)

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/gymnastics/columns/story?id=1862456
Hamm: I thought the gold's gone for sure
(medal stand picture of just Paul smiling! woo hoo!)


http://www.athens2004.com/en/LatestNews/newslist?item=83c328899f27ef00VgnVCM4000002b130c0a____
Men's Individual All-Around : Paul HAMM wins the title for the USA

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,129357,00.html
U.S. Gymnast Recovers From Fall, Wins Gold

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/gymnastics/08/18/hamm.gold.ap/index.html?cnn=yes
Hamm makes history
After ugly fall, gymnast becomes first U.S. man to win all-around title
(great picture with that one too!)

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200408/19/eng20040819_153758.html
Paul Hamm fulfills his dream in Athens

http://slate.msn.com/id/2105357/
The 2004 Olympics
Are Paul and Morgan Hamm identical or fraternal twins?

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=3F5DE7E9-CDB0-47EE-A0680B741F15D6F7
Olympics: Paul Hamm of US Wins Men's Gymnastics All-Around Gold Medal
(also cool picture)

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=olymp/news/BON3436613.htm
Incredible comeback gives Paul Hamm all-around gold in gymnastics

http://english.people.com.cn/200408/19/eng20040819_153718.html
American Paul Hamm takes men's all-around gymnastic gold in Athens

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040818-041655-1751r.htm
Paul Hamm rallies to win all-around title

http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/sports/3664220/detail.html
Waukesha's Paul Hamm Wins All-Around Gold In Gymnastics

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2193446
American Paul Hamm captures best all-around in men's gymnastics


from a couple of days ago:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/oly/wire/2734918
Morgan Hamm More Than 'The Other Twin'


20 posted on 08/19/2004 6:38:28 AM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)
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