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Hand Healed, Gymnast Hamm Headed to China
Reigning Olympic gymnastics champion Paul Hamm will get a chance to defend his crown in Beijing thanks to a tryout Saturday that showed his surgically repaired right hand, above, had sufficiently healed.
(Rob Carr - AP)
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Sunday, July 20, 2008
Now it's official: Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone and Samantha Peszek are going to the Beijing Olympics. And they're bringing Bridget Sloan with them.
Considered all but locks after strong showings at last month's nationals and Olympic trials, Memmel, Peszek and Sacramone looked even better last night to earn spots on the U.S. women's gymnastics team. Sloan, the alternate on last year's world championship team, upgraded herself with an impressive performance at the two-day selection camp in New Waverly, Tex.
The four join Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, who secured spots with their 1-2 finish at trials, on the last U.S. team to be finalized.
Gaithersburg's Corrie Lothrop, was named an alternate along with Jana Bieger and Ivana Hong.
Now it's on to Beijing, where the Americans will be favorites to add Olympic gold to the one they won at last year's world championships.
"We don't even want to be Olympians. We want to be Olympic champions," Peszek said, her nails painted gold.
Their biggest competition will come from the home team, China. World champs in 2006 and runners-up last year, the Chinese have made no secret that they desperately want to win gold at home. Romania, Russia and Australia also are expected to contend for a medal.
"I am very happy with this team. Very, very happy," national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said.
Memmel, the 2005 world champion whose comeback from a devastating shoulder injury has been the feel-good story of the summer, and Peszek finished third and fourth at nationals and trials. Sacramone has been the Americans' backbone the last four years, one of the best in the world on floor and vault. Had the full Olympic team been named after trials, national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said the three would have been on it.
ยท MEN'S GYMNASTICS: Give Paul Hamm a hand. And a plane ticket to Beijing. The Olympic champion will defend his title in China thanks to a performance yesterday in Colorado Springs that ended any doubt about whether his broken right hand has healed. Eight weeks after the injury, Hamm needed to show competitive readiness at the final intrasquad meet before the U.S. team leaves for China. After watching Hamm excel, then gathering for a short meeting, the men's selection committee confirmed that the 25-year-old defending all-around champion would be on the team.
