By Eddie Pells The Associated Press

Olympic champion Paul Hamm has decided to return to competitive gymnastics, hoping for a less tumultuous path to the all-around title at the Beijing Olympics than the one he took in Athens.

Hamm and his twin brother, Morgan, met last weekend with USA Gymnastics officials to confirm their decisions to return. They plan to participate in a limited number of events in 2007 while they finish school and get back into competitive shape.

Their decision was confirmed to Associated Press yesterday by their father, Sandy, and their agent, Sheryl Shade. Neither gymnast was immediately available for comment.

“We know that USA Gymnastics has been in discussions with the Hamms about their future training and competitive plans,” said U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel. “If Paul and Morgan decide to return to competition, we would be delighted. They are two of the most-accomplished gymnasts in America.”

Paul Hamm won the gold medal in the all-around in Athens in 2004. Soon after the event, the International Gymnastics Federation acknowledged a scoring error had been made on South Korean Yang Tae-young’s second-to-last event, and he wound up with the bronze.

The Koreans protested. When FIG president Bruno Grandi suggested Hamm share the medal as acknowledgment of a mistake, Hamm was forced to defend his gold well after the Games were over, all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.