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.
Son of Sandy, a nationally ranked diver Paul along with his twin brother Morgan grew up on a farm in Waukesha, Wis., and used makeshift equipment to train on. Sandy built a pommel horse from an old maple tree and foam and leather from automobile upholstery; rings were hung in the attic; a stairway railing was made into parallel bars; and they set up a trampoline in the barn. At the 2000 Olympics, Paul and Morgan Hamm became the first set of twins ever to make the U.S. gymnastics team.
Hamm won his first world championship medal in 2002. He originally finished fourth on floor at the 2002 Individual Event World Championships, but moved up a place when FIG, the sport's international governing body, announced that silver medalist Gervasio Deferr of Spain tested positive for marijuana and stripped him of his medal. At the 2001 Worlds, Hamm had the highest U.S. finish in the men's all-around (seventh) and contributed to the team silver, only the second world medal for the U.S. men in the team event. (The first was a bronze in 1979.)
At the 2003 Nationals, Hamm won his second consecutive all-around and pommel horse titles and also won on high bar. His first U.S. all-around title in 2002 ended Blaine Wilson's attempt to become a six-time national champion. In 2002, he also claimed the national titles in vault. Paul made the national team in 1999 after an 11th-place finish in the all-around at Nationals. In Athens Olympics 2004, Hamm wins Men's Individual All Round Gold Medal in Gymnastics.
Best Finishes:
2nd Team at 2003 World Championships
1st All Around, Floor Exercise at 2003 World Championships
1st All Around at 2003 U.S. Gymnastics Championships
3rd Floor Exercise at 2002 World Championships
1st All Around, Pommels, and Vault at the 2002 US National Championships
7th All Around at the 2001 World Championships
2nd Team at the 2001 World Championships
14th All-Around at the 2000 Olympic Games
2nd in All-Around at 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials (114.125)
1st in Pommel Horse (9.850) at 2000 U.S. Olympic Trails
11th in All-Around at 1999 U.S. Gymnastics Championships
3rd in All-Around at 2000 U.S. Gymnastics Championships (112.925)
