BEIJING – Another Hamm got hurt. And David Durante got shunned again.

The Olympic Training Center gymnast wasn’t picked Thursday to replace Morgan Hamm, who withdrew from the Beijing Games because of a nagging left ankle injury that made it difficult for him to tumble on the floor exercise.

A USA Gymnastics selection committee tabbed Highlands Ranch’s Sasha Artemev the replacement, 10 days after the group selected Raj Bhavsar as a sub for Hamm’s twin, Paul, the reigning Olympic all-around champion who is out with a broken right hand.

Durante, 28, finished fourth in the all-around at the U.S. Olympic trials, one spot ahead of Artemev, four spots ahead of team member Justin Spring and six spots ahead of Kevin Tan, also on the team.

In the weighted combined rankings from the trials and the national championships, Artemev was first on the pommel horse, an event in which Durante struggled. Artemev also placed second on the parallel bars at nationals.

“Both athletes have been training well in Beijing and keeping up to speed with their training,” U.S. men’s coach Kevin Mazeika said. “We’re all one family. They understand their need to stay in shape and be supportive of the team.”

Morgan Hamm, slowed by bone spurs from his ankle digging into his tibia, called his withdrawal an “extremely hard decision for me to make,” given his brother’s absence.

“You get to an age in your career where you’re more likely to get hurt,” he said. “We’re not invincible. Things can happen, especially in gymnastics, and we did get hurt.”

Memmel on mend

Gymnast Chellsie Memmel vowed to compete on the uneven bars despite a tender right ankle that she injured Sunday during training in Beijing.

“My ankle is feeling pretty good,” she said. “It’s improving, and I’m ready to do bars for the team.”

Phelps: What record?

Swimmer Michael Phelps has heard enough about his quest to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven Olympic gold medals, set at the 1972 Munich Games.

“You guys are the ones who are talking about it,” said Phelps, who won six golds at the 2004 Athens Games. “I’m not saying anything. I’m doing what I have to do, preparing myself the best way I can so I can swim as fast as I can. I haven’t said anything about breaking any record or getting any record.”

Olympic TV channel

The U.S. Olympic Network will launch despite the recent announcement of a partnership between NBC Sports and the World Championship Sports Network to create an Olympic channel, U.S. Olympic Committee chief operating officer Norman Bellingham said.

“We’re working very, very hard on it,” he said. “It remains one of the primary focuses of the organization. We’re extremely encouraged at what we’re seeing.”

Etc.

Chinese authorities stopped a human rights protest by three Americans in Tiananmen Square. … OTC resident Brian Olson was named captain of the judo team and OTC resident Hunter Kemper was selected captain in men’s triathlon. … Houston Rockets star Yao Ming will be China’s flag bearer today at the Opening Ceremony.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazettedev.gazette.com. Check out our Olympics blog at gazetteolympics.freedomblogging.com

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