The dispute over Paul Hamm's Olympic gold medal didn't impact his appeal as a celebrity endorser, says the dairy company that has signed the gymnast.
Hamm, who rallied to win the men's all-around competition at the Athens Games, is being honored with his own ice cream flavor. His signature "gold medal pecan swirl" has a base of butter pecan — his favorite — blended with thick caramel swirls and caramel-filled chocolate "gold medals."
Hamm, from Waukesha, Wis., reached an endorsement deal with Minneapolis-based Marigold Foods LLC for its Kemps brand milk and ice cream. The company sells dairy products in the Upper Midwest.
He won the gold medal, but South Korean Yang Tae-young has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to change the results because of a scoring error by three judges. The appeal is pending.