NBCOlympics.com: Paul Hamm confirmed for Beijing

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A side step on landing marred the big air he got on his vault. Hewobbled some on rings. He ran through only about half his parallelbars routine. On the high bars, he initially seemed to have stuckthe landing, then lost control and slipped onto his backside.
Minor glitches all.
And in no way do any of those glitches diminish what Hamm did. Hammresumed vaulting only this week, for instance. He's still workingon implementing elements into the parallel bars routine that relyon more challenging grips. And others wobbled on rings as well,perhaps due to unfamiliarity with the equipment; the apparatus inuse Saturday is like the one that will be used in Beijing ratherthan the ones Americans typically train on, made by a differentmanufacturer.
Hamm's floor routine looked first-rate, and after he nailed hisfinal pass, he clapped to himself and, with the crowd cheeringloudly, waived a thank you -- with that right hand, high in theair.
Hamm was not expected Saturday to put on the kind of show that onlyhe, among the U.S. men, is capable of putting on.
For one, USA Gymnastics officials had asked him to show readinesson only three of the six routines on the men's program, on stillrings, high bar and pommel horse. Then he went out and took part inall six events.
Moreover, as Dennis McIntyre, USA Gymnastics' senior men's programdirector, put it beforehand, "He really needs to do routines thatput him competitively with the other athletes."
"As somebody put it, he doesn't have to be 'Paul Hamm great' today.He needs to be competitive with the other athletes.
"And show that he's on track to be 'Paul Hamm great.'
Which he, unquestionably, did. His scores Saturday were in the topthree in three events, the three mandatories: floor, pommel, highbar.
"We're all amazed at where he's at," another member of the team, Justin Spring , said afterward.
If Paul Hamm is, by Aug. 9, again Paul Hamm great, the U.S. men aresurely medal contenders in Beijing, and Hamm is surely in the mixfor the individual all-around, along with China's Yang Wei.
China remains a team favorite but asked Saturday if the Chineseought to be worried that he is "coming back so strong," Hamm saidwith a laugh, "They should be worried," McIntyre adding, "Theyshould be worried about our whole team."
Hamm also said, "I guess also Yang Wei should be a little worried, too. He's probably counting on mebeing out."
Hamm is the first American man to win the world individualall-around title, which he did in 2003. He is the first Americanman to win the Olympic individual all-around gold medal, which hedid in Athens.
At those 2004 Games, Hamm helped the U.S. men to a team silvermedal, the first American men's team medal in 20 years.
After Athens, Hamm took more than two years off.
Then he launched a comeback.
In his first three meets of 2008, Hamm won -- and did sodecisively. At the nationals, in Houston, he was well ahead of therest of the field on the first day, May 22, until he got hurt,breaking the bone between his ring finger and wrist -- the fourthmetacarpal -- as he was nearing the end of his parallel barsroutine.
He did not compete on the second day, May 24, nor at the U.S.Olympic Trials in mid-June.
Even so, the selection committee named Hamm to the team on thecondition he show readiness at Saturday's camp.
Five days after breaking the bone, on May 27, Hamm underwentsurgery in Columbus, Ohio, where he has for the past few years beenliving and, again, training. Dr. Lawrence Lubbers repaired thebreak with a plate and nine screws.
On July 3, Lubbers cleared Hamm to resume full-on workouts.
The next day -- the 4th of July -- Hamm was in the gym, the doctorand his coach, Miles Avery, watching. "Gotta work," Avery said oftraining on the holiday. "You get clearance from the doctor to go,I said, 'Let's go,' and Paul said, 'Let's go.' "
Last week, Lubbers signed a letter that gave Hamm what the doctorcalled a "complete release." Lubbers said in a telephone interviewthat the risk of further injury to the hand is "very minimal."
Lubbers also expressed full confidence in Hamm, who is mentallytough as they come, calling Hamm a "quiet force."
The U.S. men's team arrived here last weekend in Colorado Springsfor training. Upon arrival, Hamm said, he felt "75 percent." Hesaid Saturday he now feels "90 percent."
The U.S. men are due to travel July 29 to San Jose for U.S. OlympicCommittee processing. The next day, it's off to China. The plane isdue to arrive into Beijing the morning of July 31st.
That afternoon, Paul Hamm -- with the other Americans -- is all butsure to be at the gym.
"Give us three more weeks of doing routines and we are ready tochallenge," Avery said after Saturday's performance had wrapped.
"That's what he wants. That's what I want. Everyone's going to seethat, I think."