Hamm makes third Olympic team

PHILADELPHIA — Paul Hamm is going to his third Olympics, and he never had to do a routine.

The reigning Olympic gold medalist, who missed this week's trials with a broken hand, was selected for the U.S. team for the Beijing Games on Saturday afternoon, along with Jonathan Horton. The rest of the six-man team and/or a training squad will be announced this afternoon.

"It's strange. It doesn't feel the same as it would for Jonathan," said Hamm, who still has to show he's physically ready to compete at a July 22 training camp. "I understand where the committee stands, and I feel I can do the job they want me to do. But it's definitely a little bittersweet for me.

"I haven't gone through my trials yet," he added. "I still have my trials process to go through."

Hamm is three weeks removed from surgery to repair a broken fourth metacarpal in his right hand, which occurred in the closing seconds of his parallel bars routine at the national championships. It will be another two weeks before he can do "moderate" gymnastics.

But putting him on the team was a no-brainer. He is the only American man to win the world title (2003) and Olympic gold medal (2004), and had firmly established himself as a favorite to defend his title in Beijing.

Going into the final night tonight of the U.S. Olympic trials at the Wachovia Center, 2007 world champion Shawn Johnson is first in the women's event with 64.000 points, with Nastia Liukin, who handed Johnson her only all-around loss in the last two years, in second place with 63.500 and Chellsie Memmel, who sat out last year's world championships while recovering from shoulder surgery, third at 62.250.

The gymnasts who finish first and second in the all-around after the scores from Friday and today are combined will earn automatic Olympic berths. The four other team members and alternates will be selected July 20 after a training and selection camp at the Bela Karolyi ranch near Houston.

"I am loving it," Karolyi said. "Chellsie is not giving up anything. She is going to stay breathing down their backs. Shawn and Nastia, they have been thinking they have it so good, they are one and two. And now, wow. Chellsie. They are going to be looking over their shoulders.

"A month ago Chellsie wasn't even walking on the balance beam. Now, look at her."

Dumais earns third

trip in diving

INDIANAPOLIS — Troy Dumais made it 3 for 3.

Dumais earned his third trip to the Olympics with a dominating performance in 3-meter springboard at the U.S. trials, but he had barely crawled from the water when his focus shifted to the ultimate goal — winning a gold medal in Beijing against the powerful Chinese team.

"I'm going to get back in the weight room on Monday morning," said Dumais, a 28-year-old native of Ventura, Calif. "The flame is burning as bright as ever."

Christina Loukas, 22, locked up her first trip to the Olympics with an easy win in the women's 3-meter.

"It's not really hit me yet," Loukas said.