U.S. Olympic Committee officials condemned the International Gymnastics Federation on Friday for suggesting American Paul Hamm relinquish his all-around championship.
Federation President Bruno Grandi made the appeal in a letter written to Hamm that USOC and FIG officials released to the media.
USOC Chairman Peter Ueberroth said he refused to send Hamm the letter Thursday night despite Grandi’s request.
“We think it’s deplorable,” Ueberroth said at a news conference. “They’re deflecting their own incompetence and their problem to a young athlete who simply came here to compete in the Olympic Games.”
The deputy secretary general of FIG, Andre Gueisbuhler, indicated the federation was pressured by the Korean delegation. The Koreans believe bronze medalist Yang Tae Young of South Korea deserves gold, which he might have won if not for a scoring error.
This is another chapter in a controversy that began Aug. 18, almost as soon as Hamm became the first American man to win the all-around title.
He prevailed in dramatic fashion, rallying from 12th place to win by 12/1,000ths of a point. A few days later, acting on a written protest from the Korean mission chief, FIG officials reviewed tape of Yang’s parallel bars routine and determined judges had underscored him by a tenth of a point.
If Yang had received that tenth, he could have won gold, pending the results of the final rotation. Three judges were suspended, but in accordance with FIG rules, the final results were not changed.
FIG officials said again Friday that medal finishes could not change. But in his letter to Hamm, Grandi contradicted himself when he noted the judges’ mistake and said, “As a result, the true winner of the all-around competition is Yang Tae Young.”
In interviews earlier this week, Hamm said he would surrender his medal if the FIG or the International Olympic Committee ruled Yang the champion. Grandi based his proposal to to Hamm on these statements.
Grandi congratulated the native of Waukesha, Wis., and wrote that if Hamm returned his medal, “such an action would be recognized as the ultimate demonstration of fair play by the whole world. The FIG and the IOC would highly appreciate the magnitude of this gesture.”
IOC officials, who have said repeatedly they will not get involved in the scoring controversy, were taken aback by their inclusion in Grandi’s letter.
“The IOC was not consulted on this letter,” IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davis said. “It does not at all reflect the IOC’s position.”
Jim Scherr, the USOC’s chief executive officer, rebuked Grandi in a written reply.
“We believe it is improper for the FIG, that purports to support and care about the welfare of its athletes, to put an athlete in an untenable position such as this,” Scherr told reporters.
Grandi said he was not trying to pressure Hamm.
“There is no doubt he has won the medal,” Grandi said. “He deserves the medal, and the ranking is clear. . . . I respect totally Paul Hamm and all the decisions he makes. . . . He is not responsible for anything.”
USOC officials said they informed Hamm of the letter Thursday night. Attempts to reach Hamm, who returned to the U.S. Tuesday, were unsuccessful. His agent, Sheryl Shade, issued a statement on his behalf.
“Paul Hamm is the 2004 men’s Olympic all-around gymnastics champion,” Shade said. “For anyone to suggest otherwise is mendacious, capricious and just plain wrong. It is not the duty of athletes to resolve problems caused by FIG.”
USOC officials, who previously said they would consider supporting the Korean delegation’s bid for a co-championship, have withdrawn their offer.
Regardless, Korean mission chief Shin Bark Jae and his delegation are pursuing a gold medal for Yang zealously.
“As a matter of fact, it was the Koreans who came with all these statements which Paul had made in the press, and the Koreans also asked us, `Well, look, Paul Hamm wants to return his gold medal if FIG requests him to do so. You should do something,'” the FIG’s Gueisbuhler said.
“We have clearly told the Koreans Paul Hamm has won the gold medal and all we could do was make a request whether he would be willing to make a gesture of fair play.”
Shin said he is awaiting a public reply from Hamm.
Gueisbuhler said FIG officials were surprised the USOC reacted “so massively.” He said although FIG had no intention of altering the official results, the federation hoped Hamm would return the medal because “there is also a kind of moral aspect” to the Games.
“In the Olympics, everyone speaks of fairness, the Olympic spirit,” Gueisbuhler said. “This was sort of a last letter in which [Grandi] tried to give this option to Paul Hamm.”
The USOC doesn’t want Hamm to consider it. The committee offered Hamm little public support in the first week of the controversy but is ardently backing him now.
“We were at fault as an Olympic committee for not more strongly, more directly stating our public support for Paul and his position and his welfare,” Scherr said. “We wish we had done it more strongly and earlier.”
