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Show Wed/Thurs/Frl, July 30-Aug 1, 2008 Olympic gymnast Paul Hamm won't go to Beijing Hamm's injury clears the way Gymnastics. "Paul's comeback practice and pain all of last week, for China's Yang Wei in the all- this year has been phenomenal, and he decided over the weekend AP National Writer around race. Yang is the two-time made even more impressive fol- that it was better to let a healthy athlete take his spot. CHICAGO (AP) - U.S. gym- defending world champion, and lowing the injury to his hand." He appeared to be on track at The Americans would have nast Paul Hamm will not be going the all-around gold was expected to the Beijing Olympics and to be a two-man contest between a weeklong training camp two needed Hamm to compete on all him and Hamm. weeks ago, where he proved he six events in team qualifying, and defending his all-around title. Hamm broke his hand on May was physically able to compete at likely would have put him up on Hamm announced on Monday he was withdrawing from the U.S. 22 at the national championships, a July 19 intrasquad meet. Hamm all six in team finals, too. The team because his broken right just 11 weeks before the start of did portions of all six events that scoring format in team finals is hand was not sufficiently healthy the games. He had surgery five day, looking particularly good on unforgiving, with three athletes enough for him to compete in days later and pushed his recov- floor exercise, and estimated he competing on each event and all ery in hopes he'd be healthy was about 90 percent healthy. Beijing. three scores counting. Make a He also hurt his rotator cuff in enough to help mistake or struggle, and it costs the Americans his accelerated recovery effort. the team dearly. "I have put my heart and soul get back on the At this point in time, the success of Despite taking 2-and-aand into my comeback and done podium half years off after Athens - an everything I could to get ready in defend his gold the team and fairness to the team, and unprecedented layoff in the sport time to compete in Beijing," medal. Hamm said in a statement Hamm's with- the alternates, is most important. While - he had firmly established himreleased by USA Gymnastics. drawal ends the / am very disappointed, I feel I can wait self as a contender for another "At this point in time, the suc- career of one of . . „ gold, winning every meet he cess of the team and fairness to the best ever U.S. HO longer tO make thlS decision. entered this year, often by large the team, and the alternates, is gymnasts. He was ^^mm-^^^^^^^mmm^^^^mmi^^^mmi^m margins. At nationals, he was only most important. While I am very the practically perfect through his disappointed, I feel I can wait no American man to win the world But he struggled with some of first five events before breaking longer to make this decision." (2003) and Olympic (2004) titles, his skills on parallel bars and the fourth metacarpal in his right The U.S. men are scheduled to and he led the United States to a acknowledged he still had pain in ring finger in the closing minutes leave on Wednesday, and compe- silver medal in Athens, its first at the hand. of his parallel bars routine. tition begins on Aug. 9. When he returned home to the Olympics in 20 years. Even with the injury, he still One of the alternates - Sasha "We admire Paul for making Columbus, Ohio, it was clear just four Artemev, David Durante and Raj had finished the night almost fo Raj this difficult decision," said Steve what a toll the hard training had Bhavsar - will take his place. place. Penny, president of USA USA taken. Hamm struggled with points ahead. By NANCY ARMOUR Chinese gymnasts may be too young to compete BEIJING (AP) - Two female Chinese gymnasts, including aa gold-medal favorite, might be too young to participate in the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Several online records and reports show He Kexin, the host nation's top competitor on uneven bars, and Jiang Yuyuan might not yet be 16, the minimum age for Olympic eligibility. Both were chosen for China's team last week. On the Web site of the Chengdu Sports Bureau - Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in southwest China - a file dated January 2006 shows He Kexin as being born Jan. 1,1994. Most recently, a May 23 story in the China Daily newspaper, the official English-language paper of the Chinese government, had He Kexin's age as 14. The newspaper story begins: "The 14-year old newcomer to the national team, who was recruited last year, has raised a lot of eyebrows recently after she broke two world records on the uneven bars in as many months." The New York Times raised questions about the athletes' ages in a story Saturday. And Chinese B-9 The Park Record "There is a lot of online inforofficials provided the newspaper with copies of passports indicat- mation and reports," he said. "We haven't got the time to check ing both gymnasts are 16. But in a speech on Nov. 3, every piece, but everybody knows 2007, in the central city of Wuhan, not all of them are reliable." Liu Peng, director of general The New York Times reported administration of sport for China, International Gymnastics said: "The 13-year-old uneven-bar Federation officials acknowlgymnast He Kexin, who defeated edged questions about He's age national team athlete Yang Yilin had been raised and asked the - she just won the bronze medal Chinese for clarification in May. in the world championships - has "We heard these rumors, and demonstrated her ability." we immediately wrote to the To be eligible for the Cities Chinese gymnastics federation," Games where Liu made his Andre Gueisbuhler, the secretary remarks, Chinese documents general of the international federshow athletes must be over 13, ation, told the newspaper. "They immediately sent a copy of the but under 15. Zhang Peiwen, spokesman for passport, showing the age, and the Chinese Gymnastics everything is OK. That's all we Association, told China's state- can check. run Xinhua news agency that both "As long as we have no official gymnasts were over 16. complaint, there is no reason to "Our Olympic squads were act, if we get a passport that obvirecently named and we registered ously is in order." their ages according to their ID The American and Chinese cards or other legal certificates women are expected to battle for presented by their regional gym- the team gold medal when the nastics associations, which show Beijing Games begin Aug. 8. they all are over the minimum age He is one of the few athletes in for the Olympics," Zhang said. the world who has scored more Zhang questioned the credibil- than a 17 under the new scoring ity of data found on the Internet system. Using He and Yang Yilin, or in newspapers. who also has scored a 17 on bars, bai the the Chinese Chinese hope hope to to use use the tl uneven bars to build up a big advantage in the team competition. The Americans, who won the 2007 world championships team title, have only one gymnast, Nastia Liukin, who has achieved a 17 on bars. If gymnasts He and Jiang are under age, it would be yet another black eye for China in the buildup to the games. In June, Chinese swimmer Ouyang Kunpeng and coach Feng Shangbao were permanently banned from the sport after Ouyang tested positive for anabolic steroids. Wrestler Luo Meng and his coach also were barred for life for a doping violation by the athlete. The Chinese government is working feverishly to present a positive image of an open, friendly, progressive nation. But visa restrictions, air pollution, freedom of the press issues and a problem-filled torch relay have presented a far different image to the world. MOBILE GROOMING! 888.427.7368 I\y>E THE WILD WEST W I ONLY RENT NEWER EQUIPMENT! DAILY RENTALS AS LOW ASt Investing in Park City and here to stay PARK CITY We have moved into our new location ... 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