New York, NY, July 20, 2010 – SHADE GLOBAL Inc, a sports marketing and athlete representation agency in New York, announces two-time Olympic gymnast Paul Hamm, the 2004 All-Around Gold Medalist, will come out of retirement to begin training in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Paul Hamm is a two-time Olympian and four-time National Champion gymnast with over 15 major titles to his name. 

Paul became the first American male to win the Olympic All-Around Gold medal in gymnastics in 2004 at the Athens Olympic Games.  He captured headlines around the world after suffering a fall on vault to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in Olympic gymnastics history with spectacular performances on the parallel bars and the high bar.  Paul won the Silver on high bar, and, along with his twin brother Morgan, led the U.S. Men’s team to the Silver medal in the team competition.

In 2003 Paul made history by becoming the first-ever U.S. man to win the World Championship All-Around title in gymnastics.  The U.S. Men’s Team won Silver and Paul also shared the floor exercise Gold.

In August 2007, Paul and his brother Morgan competed for the first time since the 2004 Olympic Games to begin their journey to compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.  Though Paul was named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, he was forced to withdraw prior to the Games due to injury.

Paul graduated from Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business in June 2007, earning a degree in Accounting with a 3.9 overall GPA.   He spent the past two years working at a financial management firm in Chicago before giving into the gut feeling that his gymnastics career wasn’t done forever.

Now more determined than ever, the Olympic Champion is ready to hang up his suit and tie, and will come out of retirement to begin training in an effort to make the 2012 Olympic team.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 2004 Olympic Games (Athens, Greece)- All-Around Gold Medal Champion, High Bar Silver, Team Silver

• Four-Time All-Around National Champion (2007, 2004, 2003, 2002), Seven individual event Gold Medals

• Three-Time All-Around Pacific Rim Champion (2008, 2004, 2002), Six individual event Gold Medals

• 2004 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) James E. Sullivan Award recipient

• 2003 World Championships- All-Around Champion (individual floor exercise Gold Medal)

• 2000 Olympic Team Member; All-Around Finalist       

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