'We're still in medal hunt', say injury-hit US gymnastsThe US men's gymnastics gymnastics, exercises for the balanced development of the body (see also aerobics), or the competitive sport derived from these exercises. Although the ancient Greeks (who invented the building called a gymnasium team has urged fans not to write off its Beijing Olympic prospects after injury robbed the squad of its two best performers. The shock withdrawal of Morgan Hamm Morgan Carl Hamm (born September 24, 1982 in Waukesha, Wisconsin) is a US gymnast. He competed at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney while aged 17, and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, alongside his twin brother Paul, helping the American team win the silver medal in the team on Thursday means the Americans face the daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin task of battling the world champion Chinese on their home turf turf: see lawn. turf In horticulture, the surface layer of soil with its matted, dense vegetation, usually grasses grown for ornamental or recreational use. without Hamm or his brother Paul, the defending Olympic individual champion. Any medal, let alone gold, would now be regarded as a long shot for the Americans who finished fourth the last time it competed internationally without either of the Hamm twins at last year's world championships in Stuttgart. US gymnast Jonathan Horton described Morgan Hamm as "an irreplaceable athlete" but insisted the squad's depth of talent meant they were still in with a chance. "We are one family and the expectations stay the same," he said. "We still feel that we are medal contenders and we're going to go out there and do our thing on the floor and have a great competition." Morgan Hamm, whose ankle injury means he will watch the Olympics Olympics Sports medicine An international competition among (traditionally) nonprofessional athletes trained in a particular summer or winter sport, which is held every 4 yrs in a selected city. See Paralympics, Special Olympics, World Medical Games. from the stands with his twin brother, said American heart would help boost the injury-ravaged team. "These guys can go out there and get a medal, compete with anybody else in the world," he said. "I really believe they're going to show the heart of America, here in Beijing." 
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