Paul Hamm wants to be remembered as a great Olympic gymnastics champion, not the guy in the YouTube video.

Almost five months after his embarrassing arrest on assault and two other misdemeanor charges, Hamm spoke out yesterday, saying he regretted what happened and hoped to regain his reputation.

His contrite statement came during a conference call with reporters two days before he competes at the Winter Cup in Las Vegas. It will mark his first meet since the 2008 nationals, where he suffered a broken right hand, and will be a key steppingstone in his bid to make the U.S. Olympic team for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Aware, however, that he couldn’t simply come back without addressing his September arrest, the 29-year-old took a proactive step by saying what he could about a legal case that is still pending, with his next hearing scheduled for Feb. 23 in Upper Arlington.

“Since my case has yet to be resolved, I have been advised by my lawyer not to discuss any details regarding what took place in Upper Arlington or the case in general,” he said. “I would, however, like to say that I sincerely regret what happened and hope to regain my reputation through my actions moving forward. Currently, my lawyer is working with the local justice system to resolve the matter.”

On gymnastics, Hamm said he will work on four of the six events this week (pommel horse, floor exercise, parallel bars and vault), with two missions in mind:

•  To help the U.S. team, about which he said, “If ever there was a time for us to win team gold, now is that time.”

•  To possibly prepare himself for a run at another Olympic all-around title.

Hamm will compete on Thursday, then likely again on Saturday, with the immediate goal of earning a spot on the U.S. national team, which will keep him in the mix for the Olympic team to be named later this year.

Hamm won the gold medal in 2004, and, after a brief retirement, came back for 2008. But his Olympic dreams were cut short when he suffered the hand injury a few months before the Beijing Games.

He committed to another comeback for London, but in early 2011, he suffered a torn right labrum and rotator cuff. With the Olympics less than six months away, Hamm is still trying to overcome those injuries.

“I understand that I am now further from leaving the sport with extraordinary accomplishments, both in and out of the gym, than I was before, but it is still my mission to do just that,” he said.

Hamm’s arrest came after he was accused of hitting and kicking a cab driver, damaging the taxi’s window and refusing to pay a $23 fare.

In a video of the arrest, Hamm sat handcuffed in the back of a cruiser and asked officers to let him go, saying, “I don’t understand. I’m going to kill you guys.” He can also be heard telling officers he had about eight drinks.

He lost his coaching job at Ohio State. Though his court case is pending, he has made amends with USA Gymnastics, whose president said Hamm is eligible to compete this year.

“I’ve had several consultations with Paul and believe he is taking responsibility for his actions,” Steve Penny said. “He has expressed a desire to do the right thing. USA Gymnastics will continue to work with Paul regarding his future activities.”