Paul Hamm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Hamm
Hamm in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Paul Elbert Hamm
Country represented	United States
Born	(1982-09-24) September 24, 1982 (age 42) Washburn, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height	165 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	2000–2005, 2007–2009
Gym	Team Chevron Team Texaco Swiss Turners
Head coach(es)	Miles Avery Arnold Kvetenadze
Assistant coach(es)	Doug Stibel
Medal record Men's artistic gymnastics Representing  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 2 0 World Championships 2 2 1 Pacific Rim Championships 12 2 4 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens All-around Silver 2004 Athens Team Silver 2004 Athens Horizontal bar World Championships Gold 2003 Anaheim All-around Gold 2003 Anaheim Floor Silver 2001 Ghent Team Silver 2003 Anaheim Team Bronze 2002 Debrecen Floor Pacific Rim Championships Gold 2002 Vancouver Team Gold 2002 Vancouver All-around Gold 2002 Vancouver Vault Gold 2002 Vancouver Horizontal bar Gold 2004 Honolulu Team Gold 2004 Honolulu All-around Gold 2004 Honolulu Vault Gold 2004 Honolulu Horizontal bar Gold 2008 San Jose Team Gold 2008 San Jose All-around Gold 2008 San Jose Pommel horse Gold 2008 San Jose Parallel bars Silver 2004 Honolulu Floor Silver 2008 San Jose Floor Bronze 2002 Vancouver Floor Bronze 2004 Honolulu Pommel horse Bronze 2004 Honolulu Parallel bars Bronze 2008 San Jose Horizontal bar

Paul Elbert Hamm, born on September 24, 1982, is a famous American gymnast. He was a key member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team. Paul is best known for winning the all-around gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He also earned two silver medals at those Olympics.

Paul Hamm is a World all-around champion from 2003. He is considered the most successful American male gymnast ever. He is one of only two American gymnasts, along with Simone Biles, to win both Olympic and World all-around titles. He is the only American male gymnast to achieve this amazing feat.

Early Life and Family

Paul Hamm was born in Washburn, Wisconsin. His parents are Sandy and Cecily Hamm. He has a twin brother named Morgan Hamm, who is also a talented gymnast and an Olympic medalist. His older sister, Elizabeth, was also a gymnast on the USA Gymnastics Senior National Team. Paul grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and went to Waukesha South High School.

Gymnastics Career Highlights

Paul Hamm was a three-time U.S. National all-around champion. He won these titles in a row from 2002 to 2004. In 2003, he made history by becoming the first American man to win the all-around title at a World Championships.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Paul competed with his twin brother Morgan. The U.S. team finished 5th, and Paul placed 14th in the individual all-around.

2004 Summer Olympics in Athens

Paul Hamm competed again at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens with his brother Morgan. He helped the team win a silver medal. He then went on to win the gold medal in the individual all-around competition. He also won a silver medal on the horizontal bar.

During the all-around final, Paul had a big fall on the vault. He nearly fell into the judges' area. However, other gymnasts also made mistakes. Paul's strong performances on the parallel bars and horizontal bar helped him climb back up. His amazing horizontal bar routine earned him a score of 9.837. He won the gold medal by a tiny margin of 0.012 points. This was the closest finish in Olympic gymnastics history.

His scores on the six events were:

• Floor: 9.725 (1st place)
• Pommel Horse: 9.700 (4th place)
• Rings: 9.587 (8th place)
• Vault: 9.137 (12th place)
• Parallel Bars: 9.837 (1st place)
• Horizontal bar: 9.837 (1st place)
• Overall Score: 57.823 (1st place)

Olympic Gold Medal Discussion

After the 2004 Olympics, there was some discussion about Paul Hamm's all-around gold medal. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) found a scoring error for the South Korean bronze medalist, Yang Tae Young. Yang was given a lower start value on the parallel bars than he should have received. This small error of 0.100 points meant that if corrected, Yang's score would have been higher.

However, the rules stated that scoring issues must be raised immediately during the competition. Changing scores after the medals were given out was against the rules. Also, Paul Hamm had performed his final routine knowing what score he needed to win. If the scores had been different earlier, he might have changed his routine.

The FIG decided not to change the results. They sent a letter to Paul Hamm, suggesting he might return his medal. However, the USOC strongly disagreed with this request. They said it was unfair to pressure Paul.

Yang Tae Young then appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This court is like a sports legal system. After a long hearing, the CAS panel decided on October 21, 2004, that the Olympic results would stay the same. Paul Hamm kept his gold medal. This decision was final.

Paul Hamm later said he understood Yang Tae Young's disappointment. He hoped Yang also understood what he had gone through.

Sullivan Award Winner

In 2004, Paul Hamm received the James E. Sullivan Award. This award is given to the best amateur athlete in the United States. He was only the second gymnast to win this honor, after Kurt Thomas.

Attempts to Return to the Olympics

After the 2004 Olympics, Paul and Morgan Hamm took a break to focus on college at Ohio State University. In 2007, they announced they would return to gymnastics. Paul won the American Cup in New York City in March 2008. This was his first time winning that competition.

However, Paul faced injuries. In May 2008, he broke a bone in his right hand during a competition. He had surgery and worked hard to recover. He was named to the 2008 Olympic Team, but had to withdraw due to pain in his hand and a new shoulder injury. Raj Bhavsar took his place on the team. Paul then decided to retire from the sport.

Paul Hamm also considered trying for the 2012 Olympic team. However, he decided to retire permanently from gymnastics. He explained that years of training had taken a toll on his body. He felt that training at an Olympic level was no longer possible for him.

In December 2015, it was announced that Paul Hamm would be inducted into the 2016 class of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Other Interests

Paul Hamm also appeared on the popular Japanese TV show, Sasuke, known as Ninja Warrior in America. He and his brother Morgan competed in three tournaments. Paul made it to the second stage in two of his attempts.

See also

In Spanish: Paul Hamm para niños