Career
He competed at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney while aged 17, and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, alongside his twin brother Paul, helping the American team win the silver medal in the team gymnastics competition. Morgan's contribution to this victory was vital as he performed on four of the six pieces and was the highest scorer for the team on vault and high bar. He also competed in floor and high bar finals, and only a tie-breaker kept him from taking bronze on the latter event. Morgan was a member of the US team at the 2003 World Championships, where he helped earn a silver medal.
In February 2007, Hamm announced that he would return to competitive gymnastics. He competed at the 2007 Visa National Championships, on floor and pommel horse. He competed at the 2008 Nationals and at the Olympic Trials. He was warned by the United States Anti-Doping Agency in July for testing positive for glucocorticosteroid, which is not performance-enhancing or banned but only allowed if proper paperwork is filed to document that the drug is used for therapeutic reasons. Hamm received the substance through an anti-inflammatory shot to his injured ankle but failed to file the paperwork and his results at the May 24 nationals competition were thrown out. Hamm claimed that he had a legitimate medical need for the drug. He was ultimately selected for the 2008 Olympic team. However, Hamm withdrew from the games on August 7, 2008, due to an ankle injury. Alexander Artemev replaced him on the team.
Read more about this topic: Morgan Hamm
Famous quotes containing the word career:
““Never hug and kiss your children! Mother love may make your children’s infancy unhappy and prevent them from pursuing a career or getting married!” That’s total hogwash, of course. But it shows on extreme example of what state-of-the-art “scientific” parenting was supposed to be in early twentieth-century America. After all, that was the heyday of efficiency experts, time-and-motion studies, and the like.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“In time your relatives will come to accept the idea that a career is as important to you as your family. Of course, in time the polar ice cap will melt.”
—Barbara Dale (b. 1940)
“Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.”
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)