Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Olympics report

Olympics

Olympic gymnastics

No American male has ever won an Olympic all-around medal at a non-boycotted Games. That could change in Athens with the emergence of Paul Hamm, the World all-around champion and arguably the best male gymnast produced by the U.S. since Kurt Thomas. Should he win an all-around medal in Athens, Hamm would join Peter Vidmar (silver, 1984) as the only American to do so.

A first for the U.S.

Hamm became the first American man to win the individual all-around world title last year at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif. Trailing China's Yang Wei in the final rotation by less than .05 points, Hamm completed a difficult high bar routine and stuck the landing to pass Yang for the title. It was the first all-around Worlds medal by an American man since Kurt Thomas won silver in 1979. Hamm also tied Bulgaria's Jordan Jovtchev for gold on floor and helped the U.S. men to their second consecutive silver in the team event.

I like the floor exercise. Here is how they score it:

FLOOR EXERCISE

: Optional exercise must include 4 of the 6 prescribed moves.

VALUE DESCRIPTION

1.0 Prone fall, turn over, lower to pancake

1.0 Front handspring

1.0 Roundoff back handspring

1.0 Side lunge to side scale (hold 2 secs)

1.5 Back extension roll to handstand

1.5 Straddle press to handstand