HOUSTON (Texas), May 24: Reigning Olympic all-around men’s gymnastics champion Paul Hamm will miss next month’s US Olympic Gymnastics trials after suffering a broken right hand at the US Championships.

Hamm, trying to make a comeback after a two-and-a-half-year break and qualify for the Beijing Olympics, suffered the injury while performing on the parallel bars on Thursday’s opening night of the meet.

Hamm broken the knuckle on his right ringfinger, X-rays showed on Friday, forcing Hamm to pull out of the event and forcing him to petition the US Gymnastics selection committee for a chance to defend his crown in Beijing.

“The team has to be named by July 1 and at that time he would have to show that there’s a reasonable expectation he would be able to participate at a high level,” said Dennis McIntyre, US Gymnastics men’s programme director.—AFP