Morgan Hamm
© Max Morse

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., July 16, 2008 – USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) today reaffirmed Morgan Hamm’s status as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for men’s gymnastics. It has been determined that Hamm’s recent public warning by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) did not impact his qualification for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.

"After a review by both USA Gymnastics and the USOC, there is agreement that the public warning Hamm received did not impact his qualification for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "USA Gymnastics evaluated the impact of the ruling against the selection criteria for both participation in the Olympic Trials and ultimately his selection to our men’s Olympic team. After thorough analysis, the Men’s Selection Committee determined that USADA’s ruling did not affect either of those decisions."

"Our review of the process undertaken by USA Gymnastics showed that the approved Olympic selection procedures for men’s gymnastics were followed, and we fully support the findings," said Steve Roush, chief of sports performance for the U.S. Olympic Committee. "We appreciate USA Gymnastics’ efforts to respect and consider the interests of all of the athletes potentially impacted by this decision."

On July 3, USADA gave Hamm a public warning for testing positive for a prohibited substance. The doping offense involved the use of a prescribed anti-inflammatory medication under the care of a physician but without first seeking a therapeutic use exemption as required by the applicable rules. Hamm and his physicians have since provided the documentation that it was administered for a valid medical need and under the care of a physician. The public warning carried with it the disqualification of Hamm’s competitive results on May 24, the final day of the Visa Championships.