Hamming it up

We may have left "Henmania" behind us after Wimbledon, but "Hammania" is still the big flavour of the month Stateside.

Far from a household name this side of the Atlantic, Mia Hamm is currently the hottest property in American sport. Today she leads the US into the women's World Cup final against China as the highest international goalscorer in history (male or female) and an icon to millions of young women and "soccer mums"in America.

And Hamm's endorsements in the US are only matched by Michael Jordan. She is currently appearing in a television advert with the basketball legend in which they joust at tennis, fencing and judo while a female voice sings Anything you can do I can do better.

Her shoe endorsement, however, is a more personal matter. It concerns her older brother Garrett, a Thai-American adopted by her parents when she was five, but who died of a rare blood disease two years ago. Such was Hamm's affection for him that she requested that his initials be inscribed on every pair of her trademark boots sold by Nike.