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August 22, 2004 4:23 pm

Talks center on second gymnastics gold

By JILL LIEBER and VICKI MICHAELIS

USA TODAY

ATHENS, Greece - Officials from the U.S. Olympic Committee and their South Korean counterparts might seek to solve the dispute over U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm's gold medal in the men's all-around by asking that a second gold be awarded to Korean Yang Tae-young.

USOC interim CEO Jim Scheer and chairman Peter Ueberroth met with officials from the Korean Olympic Committee on Sunday evening to discuss the overall situation, USOC spokesperson Darryl Seibel said. Among the proposals, according to an official with knowledge of the discussions, was to seek a second gold.

Seibel wouldn't comment on the specifics of what was discussed. Bob Colarossi, president and CEO of USA Gymnastics, said before the meeting that the possibility of awarding a second gold medal to Yang was on the agenda.``We listened to their point of view,'' Seibel said. ``No decision was made.''

The idea of a second gold has precedent, but it might be difficult to justify in this situation.

At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the International Olympic Committee awarded a second gold medal to Canadian pairs figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier after it was discovered a French judge had been told how to score the competition. At the 1992 Games, double golds were awarded in synchronized swimming after a judge admitted to a scoring error.

The IOC is in charge of medal decisions. In the Hamm case, according to IOC spokesperson Giselle Davies, the IOC would consider awarding a second gold only if the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) changed the results of the men's all-around based on federation rules.

In Salt Lake City, ``The IOC stepped in because it was a manipulation of the judging,'' Davies said.

The Koreans have been up in arms ever since Wednesday night, when Hamm won the gold in dramatic fashion on the final event by an unprecedented .012 over Korea's Kim Dae-eun. Yang was the bronze medalist. A protest was lodged Friday over the results of Yang's parallel bar scoring because two judges awarded him an incorrect start value.

The Koreans plan to appeal Monday to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Korean spokeswoman Jae Soon Yoo said. ``We'll do all we can do,'' she said.

However, the Koreans probably will not find satisfaction there either.

``If the dispute is related to scoring or judging, CAS is unlikely to review the case," says Matthieu Reeb, secretary general of CAS.

Yang should have been credited with a 10.0 start value, FIG's Philippe Silacci said. Instead, he was given a 9.9 value. His final score was 9.712 on the routine and 57.774 for the event. An extra 10th of a point would have put him at 9.812, or 57.874 overall, ahead of Hamm's 57.823 by 0.51. Silacci said FIG denied the inquiry because ``FIG rules do not allow for a protest against judges' marks. The judges' marks have to be accepted as a final decision and cannot be changed. The rule is very clear. We listened to (the Koreans) because it's open judging. We just told them, we don't agree, goodbye.''

Three judges for the parallel bars were suspended. Silacci said the sanctioned judges are American George Beckstead, the FIG technical director of parallel bars who oversaw the event; Spain's Benjamin Bango and Colombia's Oscar Buitrago Reyes, who were responsible for setting the start values of the parallel bars routines. A start value is the maximum number of points a gymnast can be awarded on a certain routine based on the degree of difficulty of his elements. Points are then subtracted for mistakes, leading to a final score.

Cecily Hamm believes her son Paul is the rightful Olympic all-around champion and that he should not give up his gold medal.

She said that in a written e-mail statement given Sunday to USA TODAY. ``Some people have suggested that Paul should return his medal,'' Cecily Hamm wrote. ``Paul has done nothing wrong. The judges' decisions (barring cheating) need to be respected in all sports. Were Paul even to offer the medal up, that action itself could be perceived as going against the judges' decisions and defying the outcome dictated by the governing body.''

Worried about possible fallout from angry Koreans, Hamm's parents, Sandy and Cecily, asked Colarossi on Sunday to provide extra security for their son for the duration of the Olympic Games. Hamm, and his twin brother Morgan, were to compete in the individual event finals on Sunday and Monday.

``I asked for it, and his family asked for it, because of how this has spun out of control,'' said Sheryl Shade, Paul and Morgan Hamm's agent, from her home in New York.

USOC and USA Gymnastics officials did not confirm that extra security was added.

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