Gymnast Hamm Wins Sullivan Award

NEW YORK —  Gymnast Paul Hamm finally won an easy one.

No spectacular comeback was necessary. No court battles are foreseen. Hamm, the Olympic gold medalist, received the 75th Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete.

“Oh, this is such a huge honor,” Hamm said before turning to congratulate the other seven finalists in attendance Wednesday night. “It’s just great to be one of the Sullivan Award winners.”

Hamm beat out previous winner Michael Phelps, as well as Olympic gold medalists Carly Patterson, Natalie Coughlin, Cael Sanderson, Andre Ward, Jeremy Wariner and Steven Lopez for the award. Phelps won last year before going on to claim six gold medals and two bronzes at the Athens Olympics.

USC quarterback Matt Leinart also was a finalist, along with Elisha Au, a three-time karate world champion.

In Athens, Hamm came back from 12th place with two events left to become the only U.S. man to win the Olympic all-around. But two days later, gymnastics officials discovered that Yang Tae-Young of South Korea had been wrongly docked a tenth of a point on his second-to-last routine, the parallel bars.

Yang asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to order international gymnastics officials to change the results and adjust the medal rankings accordingly, giving him the gold and Hamm the silver. But the CAS panel dismissed the appeal, leaving Hamm with the gold.

In the months since, hundreds of people told Hamm he was an inspiration. People told him they admired his perseverance and determination.

“I just tried to be as honest as I could with myself and everyone,” Hamm said.

Hamm is the second gymnast to win the Sullivan award. Kurt Thomas won in 1979.