Paul Hamm, 22, may make history for the United States in men's gymnastics individual all-around final at the Athens Olympics Wednesday.

Hamm, the champion in the all-around at 2003 Anaheim worlds and the top finisher in the qualification round of the Athens Olympics, is technically, physically and psychologically ready to clinch his first Olympic gold.

In the Olympic history, only Anton Heida won the men's individual all-around title for the United States in 1904, a hundred years ago.

Boasting several intricate routines on men's six apparatus, such as three consecutive releases on high bar, Hamm, whose form was going upward from the qualification on Saturday to the team final on Monday, vowed to do his best in Wednesday night's all-around duel.

"I commited an error on high bar, which prevented me from doing the third release. And I got only 9.462 points." Hamm said after Japan edged the United States to take the men's team gold on Monday night.

Before the high bar, Paul Hamm scored 9.725 on floor, 9.750 on pommel horse, 9.612 on vault, 9.737 on parallel bar, which definitely contributed a lot to the American team.

"We had a good teamwork and were in good form this evening, but the Japanese performed even better. They deserved the win, but we still have chances in the upcoming all-around and apparatus competitions," Hamm said that night.

Also the favorites for the all-around title tonight were newly crowned Olympic team champions Hiroyuki Tomita, 23 and Isao Yoneda, 26, from Japan.

Tomita was the bronze medalist in the Anaheim worlds and the third placer in the qualification round in Athens.

In the Olympic history, Japan has so far three Olympic champions in men's individual all-around. They were Yukio Endo in 1964, Savao Kato in 1968 and 1972, and Koji Gushiken in 1984.

Yang Tae-young from South Korea who placed second in the qualification might be a dark horse in the final.

China's Yang Wei, the 2000 Sydney Olympic and 2003 Anaheim world runner-up in the all-around, is no doubt another eye-catcher.

Although he got only seventh place in the qualification, Yang showed stable form in the men's team final. He has power and strength to overtake the current top three - Hamm, South Koran Yang, and Tomita, and overcome the disappointment of his team failing to win a medal in Athens.

In the Olympic history, Li Xiaoshuang is the only Chinese to have won the men's all-around title in Atlanta in 1996.

Also in the running is Romanians Marian Dragulescu, gold medalists on the floor, the vault in the 2001 Ghent worlds, the champion on the floor in the 2002 Debrecen worlds, and the 2004 European all-round champion.

Dragulescu placed fourth in the qualification in Athens.

The top 24 gymnasts from the qualification will compete in the men's individual all-around final at 20:30 local time in Athens.

Source: Xinhua