(Sports Network) - Even though he didn't compete at this weekend's gymnastics trials because of a broken hand, reigning Olympic all- around champion Paul Hamm earned a spot for his third Summer Games. Hamm and Jonathan Horton were named to the Olympic squad Saturday following the conclusion of the gymnastics trials for the men. Horton finished first at the trials over the two days at the Wachovia Center.

The remainder of the six-man Olympic squad will be disclosed Sunday afternoon.

Hamm is recovering from a broken bone in his right hand suffered on May 22 at the national Visa Championships in Houston. Five days later he had surgery, a procedure in which nine screws were inserted into his hand.

Next up for Hamm is proving his hand is healed sufficiently to the point where he can remain on the team and head to Beijing. He will have to do that before a selection committee at a training camp July 22 in Colorado Springs.

"Of course I have something to prove," Hamm said. "I have to prove I'm in Olympic shape and ready to go come July 22. That's in a sense my trials."

The 22-year-old Horton, who is from Houston, made the team despite not reaching the requirements from a crazy formula that is used to determine automatic Olympic spots. A gymnast who finished in the top two all-around and was at least third in three of the six events, based on a combined weighted score from last month's Visa Championships and this weekend's trials, would have qualified for the Olympic team. Not one gymnast did that.

As far as Horton was concerned, he had a weighted finish of second in the floor and also on the rings, but wasn't in the top three of any other category, even though he was first all-around. However, he had second-place showings on Saturday in four of the six events, with the exception of pommel horse and horizontal bar, and that was apparently enough to please a selection committee.

"To finally be on the Olympic team, knowing I'm going to represent the United States of America at the greatest sporting stage ever, it's unreal," Horton said. "It hasn't really completely set in yet, but I won't sleep for a couple of days because of it."

Horton finished the weekend's event with a score of 91.65, which was ahead of David Durante's 90.95. Raj Bhavsar (90.200) was third and Joseph Hagerty (89.25) fourth.

Horton had the top weighted score from the Visa Championships and Olympic trials at 90.75, while Hagerty was second (89.940). Hagerty had a weighted placement of first on the floor and first on the horizontal bar, but wasn't in the top three in any other category, thus leaving his status for the Olympic team in limbo.

The scoring system is difficult to understand at the least, but according to Hamm makes the selection committee flexible to choose athletes who could bring medals in specialty areas such as rings, vault or floor and not just all- around.

"It leaves a lot of doors open for a different combination of athletes," Hamm said. "Certain athletes might be good on certain events. You don't know what combination necessarily will be the best."

Morgan Hamm, Paul's twin brother, had difficulty due to an ankle injury that caused him problems on landings during floor and again in vault on Saturday. He's trying to join his brother on his third Olympic team.

"Today obviously my ankle was bothering me and I couldn't quite do floor and vault the way I wanted to so I ended up making my dismount on floor a little easier and overdid it a little," Morgan Hamm said. "I didn't want to land short and hurt my ankle any more. The last couple of days I've been limping around the hotel and I didn't even know if I would be able to do floor when I came into the competition. I'm glad I pushed through and got through the whole process."

Sasha Artemev had the best all-around score on the first day of the trials Thursday and was third in the weighted standings, but had a difficult time on Saturday. He lost his grasp on the horizontal bar and later fell off the pommel horse. Artemev finished sixth at the trials.

David Sender, who recently won the all-around at the 2008 Visa Championships, did not compete this weekend due to a sprained ankle. He suffered the injury during training on Wednesday and has petitioned for a spot on the Olympic team.

The final day of the women's competition is Sunday.





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