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Hamm's hand healed enough for Beijing
Olympics 2008
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More from SportsCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Paul Hamm is going to the Olympics again, thanks to a performance Saturday that ended any doubt about whether his broken hand has healed.
Eight weeks after breaking his right hand, Hamm needed to show competitive readiness at the last intrasquad meet before the U.S. team leaves for China. And after a short meeting, the men's selection committee confirmed the defending Olympic champion would be on the team.
It wasn't exactly a stroll for Hamm, who grimaced and grunted his way through his rings routine and nearly fell during his high bar landing — signs that he still needs time to get in competitive shape.
But nobody was expecting perfection.
What they wanted to make sure of was that the hand had healed sufficiently, that his routines were rounding into form and that the spot awarded him after he petitioned his way through nationals and Olympic trials should still be his.
Answers: Yes, yes and yes.
The Americans go through team qualifying in Beijing on Aug. 9 — three weeks from Saturday.
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