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For Hamm, Gold Is Painful for Rewarding
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — To her teammates, she is awesome. For Mia Hamm, it’s her teammates and the team that deserve that description."From the beginning this has been an entire team effort. I think that’s what you saw today," Hamm said.
The American’s objective was the first Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer. They got it before a record crowd of 76,481 at Sanford Stadium, the biggest to watch a women’s game anywhere.
The United States beat a talented team from China 2-1 and Hamm had a role in both goals. Still, she insisted "This team is incredible," deflecting the praise everywhere.
In the 19th minute, Hamm struck a ball from just inside the penalty area that was deflected by Chinese goalkeeper Gao Hong onto the crossbar. Shannon MacMillan pounced on the rebound and gave the U.S. team the lead.
With the score tied 1-1, Hamm provided a brilliant through pass to Joy Fawcett, who raced down the right side and sent a perfect pass for Tiffeny Milbrett to slam home for the winning goal.
"I’ve never seen her accelerate so fast," Hamm said of Fawcett, once again downplaying her own role. "Joy put a perfect ball into the box."
And MacMillan "finished an important goal. She showed great discipline by getting the rebound, she was right there," Hamm said.
Hamm was the team’s leading scorer in 1995, but playing on a hurt ankle she had only one goal in the Olympics and did not score in the final.
"It would have been nice, but I wouldn’t trade this victory for anything in the world," said the 24-year-old forward from Chapel Hill, N.C., who led North Carolina to four NCAA titles.
Hamm was hurting so much she came out for a substitute at the end of the game. While her teammates ran the victory lap around the cheering stadium, she limped in the middle of the field.
"But right now, it feels great," she said, clutching the gold medal around her neck. "We all believed in each other and we believed in this day. We are an incredible group of people."
This was the theme repeated by MacMillan and other members of the team, who practiced and lived together since January in Orlando, Fla., for just this moment of glory.
Hamm might be the best all-around player in the world. She’s had more than 100 appearances for the U.S. team and was the youngest to play for Team USA at age 15, and the youngest (19) on the team that won the inaugural World Cup in 1991.
A three-time All-American at North Carolina, she is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time leader in goals (103) and assists (72). She is also a two-time winner of the Hermann Award given to the top collegiate soccer player in the nation.
"Mia impacts the game whether she scores or not," said teammate Brandi Chastain. "She tears defenses apart. She is awesome."
Even if she won’t admit it.