2004

The 2004 Future Stars Championships was held at the United States Olympic Training Center November 19. The Future Stars Championships features the best 10, 11 and 12 year olds in the United States performing special Future Stars competitive routines. The Future Stars program has always been about education and preparation for the future. A major aspect of this concept has been to hold the annual Men’s National Coaches Workshop in conjunction with the Future Stars Championships….

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic Committee announced today that 2004 U.S. Olympic gold and two-time silver medal gymnast Paul Hamm (Waukesha, Wis.) and the 2004 Olympic gold medal U.S. Women’s Beach Volleyball Team of Misty May (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Kerri Walsh (Saratoga, Calif.) have been named the winners of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Spirit Award, presented by Nu Skin Enterprises….

ATHENS, Greece – Last night, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) received a letter from Mr. Bruno Grandi, President of the Federation Internationale De Gymnastique (FIG). The letter was in reference to the continuing controversy surrounding the final results of the Individual Men”s All-Around, which was won by Mr. Paul Hamm of the United States.

The USOC views this letter as a blatant and inappropriate attempt on the part of FIG to once again shift responsibility for its own mistakes and instead pressure Mr….

USA Gymnastics is thrilled with the performances of all of our athletes at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The nine medals won by the U.S. team, including the silver medal winning performances of both the men’s and women’s teams and the all-round gold medals captured by Carly Patterson and Paul Hamm, represent an unparalleled level of success for American gymnastics. They are important validations of the system we implemented during this quadrennium to support the efforts of our national team athletes and represent the commitment of our clubs, professional members, athletes, coaches, and administrators to make our sport better….

Men

Paul Hamm took first place and Brett McClure finished ninth in the men’s all-around final on Wednesday at the 2004 Olympic Games. Hamm finished with a score of 57.823 to edge Korea’s Dae Eun Kim by 0.012 – the smallest margin in Olympic history. | MORE |
TEAM SILVER! – The team competition has concluded with high (bar) drama as the U.S. men won their first Olympic team medal since 1984, and their first team medal in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1948. The U.S. men finished second (172.933) behind Japan (173.821), followed by Romania in third with a total of 172.384.
Read the press release | USA MEN COME FROM BEHIND TO WIN TEAM SILVER |

Quotes

Paul Hamm

Exclusive! Listen to Paul in Audio!

On what he was thinking after his mistake on vault: “Well right when it happened I was thinking that I cost myself possibly a gold medal or any medal, but I knew at the same time that it only cost me so much and I knew that there was a possibility I could win a medal….

USA Comes From Behind To Win Team Silver

ATHENS – The U.S. men’s gymnastics team came from behind in the final rotation on high bar to win the team silver medal late Monday at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Team USA scored a 172.933 to trail Japan at 173.821. Romania took the bronze at 172.384.

The men’s team medal is the United States’ first since 1984 and only the fourth in U….

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Team USA has laid down its challenge to China by naming all-around standouts Guard Young and Blaine Wilson to the U.S. Olympic Team on Thursday following the Olympic Team Selection Camp in Colorado Springs. Team alternates will be Steve McCain and Raj Bhavsar.
 
The pair joins Paul Hamm and Brett McClure, who finished 1-2 in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials process concluding on June 26 in Anaheim, Calif….

ANAHEIM – The U.S. men’s 1984 gold medal gymnastics team reunited today (Saturday, June 26) at the Olympic Team Trials in Anaheim, California at the Arrowhead Pond Arena. The team, comprised of seven men coached by Abie Grossfeld and Makoto Sakamoto, captured the gold in Los Angeles, the first team gold medal won by the USA.
Bart Conner, the 1984 Olympic parallel bars champion, was excited to reunite with past teammates….

ANAHEIM – Reigning World Champion Paul Hamm continued his string of dominant performances, leading the all-around after the first day of competition at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.
Hamm (Waukesha, Wis./Team Chevron – Ohio State) scored a 57.600 tonight, which combined with his Visa U.S. Championships scores results in a 40.420 weighted total….

NASHVILLE – Sam Sheehan was forced to withdraw from the 2004 Visa U.S. Gymnastics Championships today due to an left rotator cuff strain.
Sheehan, who turned 18 on May 20, has been hampered by the rotator cuff since sustaining the injury during the International Friendship competition at the Women’s National Team Training Center on her birthday.
“It started to flare up while in Houston, and the strain caused some inflammation,” Sheehan’s coach Mary Lee Tracy said….

NASHVILLE – Guard Young was forced to withdraw from the 2004 Visa U.S. Gymnastics Championships today due to an acute Achilles tendon injury.
Young, who turns 27 on Thursday, has been bothered for quite some time with the injury and said it flared up on him during training.
“I put myself in the mindset to get up for this meet, to get my mind, my body ready,” Young said. “Then at the last minute to have this letdown is a big disappointment for me. Now my sights are set for Olympic Trials.”
Young (Oklahoma City, Okla./Team Chevron-Oklahoma) must now petition the Men’s Elite Committee for a spot in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics, slated for June 24-27 in Anaheim, Calif.

NASHVILLE – Reigning World Champion and two-time U.S Champion Paul Hamm leads the 2004 Visa U.S. Gymnastics Championships after the first round of competition.

Bryan Del Castillo (Laguna Niguel, Calif./South Coast Gymnastics) and Derek Helsby (Orlando, Fla./Houston Gymnastics Academy) lead the all-around contest in the junior men’s elite II and I divisions, respectively, after the preliminary competition in the VISA U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
Del Castillo, who was in eleventh place after the first rotation, shot to first with an 8.875 on vault in the second rotation, where he remained through the rest of the competition….

Oklahoma’s Jamie Henderson leads the field of 18 athletes who qualified Saturday to complete the Men’s Senior field for the U.S. Championships, June 2-5 in Nashville, Tenn.

HONOLULU – Reigning world all-around champion Paul Hamm reaffirmed his title by winning the Senior Men’s all-around gold medal against a talented international field on Thursday at the 2004 Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships presented by Outrigger Hotels in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Hamm (Waukesha, Wis./Team Chevron-Ohio State) scored a 57.265 for the victory. China’s Lu Bo took second at 55.482 trailed by Canada’s David Kikuchi at 55….

INDIANAPOLIS – The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. will host the nation’s best male gymnasts as they compete in the 2004 Men’s U.S. Championships Qualifier, starting at 3 p.m. April 24 at the USOTC Sports Center.
The Men’s Qualifier is the only route for athletes not already on the Senior National Team to qualify for the 2004 U.S. Championships, June 2-5 in Nashville, the 2004 U….

INDIANAPOLIS – Chevron continues its support of the U.S. Men’s National Team program in the Olympic year with the signing of 15 top athletes and coaches to Team Chevron.
“ChevronTexaco is a valuable partner of USA Gymnastics and a direct contributor to the success of our men’s program over the past four years,” said USA Gymnastics President Bob Colarossi. “ChevronTexaco’s support allows many of our top athletes to devote themselves to training at the optimum level….

INDIANAPOLIS – Houston native Sean Townsend returned from an injury-plagued 2003 to medal in four events and re-gain his National Team berth at the 2004 Men’s Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas.
“This was my chance to make a statement, that I’m back,” Townsend said. “This is the most depth we’ve had in the U.S. National Team program since 1984, and to see the level of all the competitors here in Vegas has everyone excited about our chances in 2004….

INDIANAPOLIS – USA Gymnastics ventures into uncharted territory this week with the live internet broadcast of Session 1 of the Men’s Winter Cup at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 6.
The webcast is the first of its kind for USA Gymnastics, which hopes to expand the viewing audience for elite gymnastics events through the worldwide medium. The webcast can be accessed at www.usa-gymnastics.org.
“The increased exposure of our events and athletes during the Olympic year through worldwide webcasts will only aid our efforts to draw more participants to our sport,” said USA Gymnastics President Bob Colarossi….

INDIANAPOLIS – Six positions on the 2004 U.S. National Team are up for grabs when the nation’s top men’s gymnasts gather in Las Vegas for the 2004 Men’s Winter Cup Challenge, Feb. 6-7 at the Sports Center.
“The Men’s Winter Cup Challenge is the first step toward making the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team,” said Ron Galimore, USA Gymnastics Men’s Program Senior Director. “The Winter Cup is the first competition of the year for the top athletes and up-and-comers to show their physical preparedness, and to demonstrate their desire to represent the United States in 2004….

INDIANAPOLIS – 2003 World Championships Team Head Coach Kevin Mazeika will lead the 2004 Men’s U.S. Olympic Team to the upcoming Olympic Games in Athens.
Mazeika was selected during a conference call today among the Men’s Program Committee members, concluding an interview and evaluation process that began in August.
“Kevin has achieved a track record of success as both an individual coach and as a National Team coach, including the most recent World Championships, and has proven that he is more than capable of guiding the U….