The nation’s most accomplished gymnast will try to prove today he’s healthy enough to defend his Olympic all-around title.   Bart Conner doesn’t need to watch Paul Hamm test his surgically repaired right hand at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He has seen plenty.   “I didn’t think Paul Hamm could take two years out of the sport and come back and be a legitimate contender,” said Conner, a spokesman for Allstate, presenting sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. “I’ve changed my mind. He looks fantastic and comfortable doing what he can do.”   In his prime, Conner, 50, achieved the notoriety of Hamm, having won gold and bronze medals at the 1979 world championships and a gold on the parallel bars and a team gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.   If his hand heals, Hamm, 25, should enter the Beijing Games next month with the potential to challenge China’s Yang Wei, the two-time defending all-around world champion and 2000 Olympic all-around runner-up.   “He’s very smart about how he has trained, very smart about designing his routines to allow him to get the maximum score,” Conner said of Hamm. “I was very impressed with his competence at this level. He’s not over-reaching himself.”   Emmons, Turner excel    OTC residents Matt Emmons and Jason Turner claimed titles this month at the USA Shooting Rifle/Pistol National Championships in Columbus, Ga. Emmons won in air rifle, prone rifle and 3-position rifle. Turner won in air pistol after a thirdplace finish in free pistol.   Fencing nationals    Colorado Springs resident Hillary High, Monument’s Olivia Prosseda and Gleneagle’s James Salem competed last week at the U.S. Fencing Summer National Championships in San Jose, Calif.   In women’s epee, High finished 88th in cadet and Prosseda placed 44th in Division IA, third in Division II, 20th in Division III and 71st in junior. In men’s epee, Salem took third in youth 14 and 71st in cadet.   Porter stumbles    OTC judo player Myles Porter dropped both of his matches July 6 at the German Open in Braunschweig. His losses were against Benjamin Van Leeuwaarde of the Netherlands and Dimitri Peters of Germany.   Volleyball team loses    The Colorado Juniors lost this month in the quarterfinals of the USA Junior Olympic Girls’ Volleyball Championships in Dallas. The team was coached by Rey Reyes.   Mountain bike worlds    Colorado Springs elite cross country riders Kelli Emmett and Sam Schultz will begin competition Tuesday at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. Both received USA Cycling discretionary nominations.   Wrestling camp    A men’s freestyle wrestling camp for Olympic team members starts Thursday at the OTC. It will be run by Olympic coaches Kevin Jackson, Kerry McCoy and Lee Kemp.   Wrestling clinic    OTC wrestlers Henry Cejudo and Adam Wheeler will hold a clinic at 9 a.m. Saturday at Coronado High School. Cost is $50.   Krimsky in court    John F. Krimsky Jr., the former marketing director of the Colorado Springsbased U.S. Olympic Committee, has a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Danbury (Conn.) Superior Court. He faces four felony counts for possession of child pornography.

Photo by