MEN s AA-FINAL: Paul Hamm –first US Olympic all-around champion in history

World Champion Hamm becomes Olympic Champion

Olympic gymnastics king - Hamm is successor of Nemov
In an exciting Olympic all-around final with great performances but also dramatic falls of various favourites in the end World Champion Paul Hamm (USA) took the lead with the score of 57.837 despite of a fall on vault.

He overtook Korea’s KIM, Dae Eun who presented a faultless all-around (57.811) and his team mate Yang, Tae Young (57.648).

As well the Japanese gymnasts as also one of the favourites Yang, Wei (CHN) suffered from falls during their routines and through this lost their chances on a medal.

(2)KIM, Dae Eun (KOR), (1) Paul HAMM (USA), YANG, Tae Young (KOR)

Dragulescu - on one of the top ranks in this rotation!

1st ROTATION:
At the beginning of the all-around Marian Dragulescu definitely presented his aims for a medal. He started with a fireworks on floor although he shortly stepped out of bounds after his second acrobatic row. With 9.612 he received the third highest score on floor in this rotation.
Only World Champion Paul Hamm from the USA was better than him. He presented a perfect routine with layout full-in, in the end tucked full-in and took the lead with 9.725.
Howver, Yang, Wei from China managed to reach the same score on pommel horse...

Standing 1st ROTATION:
1. Paul Hamm (USA) 9,725 (FX)
1. Yang, Wei (CHN) 9,725 (PH)
3. Ioan Suciu (ROM) 9,650 (FX)
4. Brett McClure (USA) 9,625 (VA)
5. Marian Dragulescu (ROM) 9,612 (FX)
6. Isao Yoneda (JPN); R. Martinez (ESP); Caranobe (FRA): 9,775

YANG, Wei - in the lead!

2nd ROTATION:
Although it is not his best apparatus, Marian Dragulescu with a safe and clean performance on pommel horse – 9.525 = 19.137.
Japan’s Tomita Hiroyuki thrilled the audience with his nice pommel horse work – 9.737 = 18.799;
Korea’s YANG, Tae Young followed with also with excellent work on this apparatus – 9.650 = 19.425;
Yang, Wei (CHN) seems to be an ideal gymnasts for rings and today he presented a perfect routine until a stuck double layout dismount – 9.737 = 19.462. He took the lead after the second rotation as his competitor Paul Hamm received “only” the score of 9.700. And the duel on the highest level continues…
Also including Romania’s Ioan Suciu. He is already known as being a great gymnast on pommel horse and received the same score like China’s Yang before on pommel horse. Brett McClure (USA) followed with a great routine on parallel bars with a very high double summersault bw. from a giant. This secured him the 4th rank after this rotation in front of Korea’s Km, Dae Eun...

Standing 2nd ROTATION:
1. Yang, Wei (CHN) 19,462
2. Paul Hamm (USA) 19,425
3. Ioan Suciu (ROM) 19,387
4. Brett McClure (USA) 19,350
5. Kim, Dae Eun (KOR) 19,249
6. Eric Lopez (CUB) 19,200

3rd ROTATION:
Yang, Wei with a step to secure the landing of his vault (9.512) and also Paul Hamm with visible problems in his strength elements on rings (9.587) but they remained on the top ranks in front of McClure, Suciu and with the same scores Yang, Tae Young and Martinez. Even the 7th – ranked Erc Lopez from Cuba was only 0.142 points behind them…

Standing 3rd ROTATION:
1. Paul Hamm (USA) 29,012
2. Yang, Wei (CHN) 28,974
3. Brett McClure (USA) 28,963
4. Ioan Suciu (ROM) 28,937
5. Yang, Tea Young (KOR) 28,877
5. Rafael Martinez (ESP) 28,877
7. Eric Lopez (CUB) 28,877
8. Marian Dragulescu (ROM) 28,699

4th ROTATION:
...and suddenly a series of mistakes for the favourites started:
At first Paul Hamm fell after his Tsukahara 2 1/2 twists on vault – only 9.137!!
This opened the door for Yang, Wei who presented a very nice “Belle” and a stuck dismount on parallel bars – 9.800. Hamm was not even among the top 10 anymore…
Also Dragulescu looked good on his “Dragulescu“ – 9.850 and suddenly as 4th he was among the top ranks again. Also Roman Zozulia (UKR) reached the top 8 with his high score of 9.762 on parallel bars.

Standing 4th ROTATION:
1. Yang, Wei (CHN) 38,744
2. I. Suciu (ROM) 38,674
3. Yang, Tea Young (KOR) 38,586
4. Dragulescu (ROM) 38,549
5. KIM, Dae Eun (KOR) 38,436
6. B. McClure (USA) 38,374
7. R. Martinez (ESP) 38,362
8. R. Zozulia (UKR) 38,429

5th ROTATION:
... and the problems for the favourites went on:
The leading Chinese Yang, Wei fell from high bar during an Ell-grip turn and Paul Hamm got closer to the top again with a great and faultless routine on parallel bars: 9.837 and rank 4!
Ioan Suciu had problems during a handstand on parallel bars and couldn't stabilise his second rank – only 9.312!
Korea’s KIM, Dae Eun kept his nerves together on high bar and stuck his layout Tsukahara dismount – 9.725 (48.161).
Japan’s Isao Yoneda fell from high bar during a giant 1/1 turn…(9.025).
Vice- World Champion Hiroyuki Tomita presented a great rotuine on parallel bars – 9.637.
Another great routine on parallel bars from Yang, Tae Young from Seoul (KOR), third after the 4th rotation, with double piked from a giant and a stuck double summersault dismount, a lot of cheers for him from the audience – 9.712 and he took the lead in front of his team mate Kim…
Brett McClure with fireworks on pommel horse – 9.712 and the 3rd rank after the 5th rotation.
Marian Dragulescu on parallel bars with slight instabilities...

Standing 5th ROTATION:
1. Yang, Tae Young (KOR) 48,299
2. Kim, Dae Eun (KOR) 48,161
3. Brett McClure (USA) 48,086
4. P. Hamm (USA) 47,986
4. I. Suciu (ROM) '
4. Dragulescu (ROM) '
7 . R. Martinez (ESP) 47,862
8. H. Tomita (JPN) 47,823

6th ROTATION:
Kim, Dae Young ended his all-around on floor with 9.650: 57.811. What would this be in the end…?
Dragulescu ended on high bar, being only 1 tenth behind the medal ranks after the 5th rotation - …slight problems at the begining of his routine, then a good Kovacs 1/1 turn and a stuck dismount but he didn’t manage to overtake Kim: - 9.337 and a total of 57.323.
Hiroyuki Tomita unfortunately with a few steps after his dismount on high bar – 9.662
Brett McClure fighted for a medal on rings – he was third after the 5th rotation, not convincing in his strength elements, only a SV of 9.5. He stuck his dismount but with the score of 9.162 the dream of a medal is probably over.
Yang, Tae Young – the leading gymnast is fighting for gold on high bar – a good layout Tkatchev, then slight problems during his giants but he brought the routine to a safe end with only a very small step at the dismount. The very slight insecurities during the routine and the step on the dismount cost him the lead – 9.475 -
…and suddenly there was again a chance for Paul Hamm. He started concentrated in his high bar routine, the series of Tkatchevs layout – straddled – piked went very well, a stuck dismount – and the sensation is perfect – 9.837!!

Paul Hamm is the first Olympic all-around champion from the USA in history with the score of 57.823. After his major mistake on vault he caught up again and crowned his concentration during the last routines with the gold medal!

Final standing after 6 rotations
1. Paul Hamm (USA) 57,823
2. KIM, Dae Eun (KOR) 57,811
3. Yang, Tae Young (KOR) 57,774
************************************************
4. Ioan Suciu (ROM (57,648
5. Rafael Martinez (ESP) 57,549
6. Hiroyuki Tomita (JPN) 57,485
7. Yang, Wei (CHN) 57,361
8. Marian Dragulescu (ROM) 57,323
>> detailled results

Olympic all-around with a trend reversal This all-around has been the most considerable in years with very strong and all-round gymnasts, despite of the various instabilities of the top athletes. It seems the leading nations are focusing on the values of the all-around again – getting a bit away from the before spreading specialization which was a danger for the sports. This can be said even although the Japanese and Chinese gymnasts couldn’t prove their potentially available strength today. Together with the Americans the Asian gymnasts are focusing on a trend in the direction to a variety with complex athleticism in a sense of good all-around gymnasts again. The European gymnastics nations should follow this trend with their younger gymnasts on the way to Bejing 2008.
Eckhard Herholz, with information from Dieter Hofmann from Athens

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