INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Athens Olympic champion Paul Hamm plans to compete at a U.S. men’s ranking meet next month, his first competition since breaking his hand at the 2008 national championships.
Hamm hopes to earn one of eight spots on the national team available at Winter Cup, Feb. 2 and 4 at the Sports Center in Las Vegas. Being part of the national team would put him in the pool for international competition and also make him eligible for training funds from USA Gymnastics.
Hamm, the only American man to win the Olympic and world all-around titles, missed the Beijing Olympics after breaking his hand in 2008. He came out of retirement for a second time in the summer of 2010 but missed last year’s national championships while he recovered from shoulder surgery.
