Shortly after becoming the first American to win the all-around competition at the 2004 Olympics, Ohio State alumnus Paul Hamm decided to retire at the top of the sport. It took just two years, however, before Hamm realized how difficult it was to abandon what had become such an integral part of his life for nearly 23 years.
As a result, Hamm is once again back in the gym training with one thing on his mind: gold.
"It was really tough to come back in this sport," Hamm said. "It's such a tough sport. I had about two-and-a-half years off and though I occasionally came to the gym to train, I really had no focus or goals in mind ... it was more so just to stay in shape."
Staying in shape was never difficult for Hamm or his twin brother, Morgan - who also represented the United States at the 2004 Olympics. But the two quickly discovered making the leap out of retirement was far more grueling than they originally thought.
"Not only were we trying to get back into the same shape as before, we were also trying to get better," Paul said. "In a sport like gymnastics, the rules often get harder and harder and each year the requirements get more difficult. Those late nights spent icing every part of my body and the mornings full of aches and pains kind of wears on you."
Hamm has met little resistance in returning to his old form. Last year, after graduating from the Fisher College of Business with a degree in accounting, he competed in the U.S. Championships in New York where he won the floor exercise - his first event since retirement. Then in March, he won the American Cup.
Hamm's dream hit a bump in the road as he broke his hand at the end of a parallel bars routine Thursday at the U.S. Championships. He must petition U.S. Gymnastics for a spot on the 2008 team - a request that is almost certain to be granted.
Hamm's coach Miles Avery said it is Paul's anticipation that separates him from everyone else.
"I think his mental preparation for gymnastics and how cerebral he is has really allowed him to be so successful," said Avery, who is in his 10th year with the Buckeyes. "He really thinks through every turn and doesn't want to waste his body on unnecessary turns. He thinks a lot about gymnastics before he even does it."
Paul believes it is OSU's coaching staff, as well as the university as a whole, that has allowed the team to be so successful.
"I moved to Ohio State before the last Olympics and there were a lot of reasons," Paul said. "Ohio State has tremendous athletic facilities and the coaching is wonderful here too, with Miles Avery as my coach. There were also a lot of other elite athletes training here for the 2004 Olympics, so we wanted to be a part of that atmosphere. All things considered, it was a no-brainer."
Paul, a Washburn, Wisc. native, came to Columbus with the Olympics on his mind. He also cited OSU as a factor in his decision because he always planned to complete the degree he started at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
As a result, Paul and Morgan used the ensuing two years after Athens as a way to relax and focus on their education. The decision to retire proved to be an easy one for Paul in particular, primarily because of the controversy surrounding his gold medal.
In Athens, Paul saw his hopes of a medal crash to the mat following his fall on the vault, plummeting him to 12th place. He responded with wins in the next two events, taking sole possession of first in the all-around competition. Soon after, however, bronze medalist Yang Tae-Young claimed his routine on the parallel bars was unfairly docked 0.1 points, dropping him to third overall - when in fact he should have beaten Paul for the gold.
After reviewing the video, officials determined the judges did make a mistake, but that Tae-Young was also inaccurately awarded points on a different move and thus, his appeal was denied. The controversy took months to resolve, taking quite a toll on Paul.
"After the last Olympics it was just a good chance for both Morgan and I to rest our bodies and minds," Hamm said. "It was stressful leading up to the 2004 games, and then after it, I had the whole controversy thing to deal with. It was a difficult time. We just used the opportunity to relax and focus on academics, which is big in our family."
Regardless of how he fares in the 2008 Olympics, Paul said this will, without a doubt, be his last run at an Olympic medal.
"Both Morgan and I are going to retire for good after this Olympics, last time was just like a fakeout," Paul said. "We both have accomplished everything in the sport we wanted and he's going off to graduate school and I'm looking to see what kind of MBA programs I can get into. It has been a fun ride so far and we just want to go on one last run and see what we can accomplish."
Matt Gottfried can be reached at gottfried.35@osu.edu.
2008 Woodie Awards
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