I'm forever gonna miss the start to the finish, the rush of racing downhill.

A lot of legends, a lot of people, have come before me. But this is my time.

My coach is pushing me harder than ever to make sure I stay at a good level.

There's no substitute for work. There are no shortcuts. There are no secrets.

When you're doing any event on an elite level, you're in tune with your body.

Now that I'm older, I see the benefits of having free time to release energy.

When you accept yourself you are free from the need for others to accept you.

People could see in me who I am now, an Olympic champ, the best in the world.

To me, the decathlon is its own little society and I am part of that culture.

As a young athlete, it was first about having fun; then it was about winning.

Whatever muscles I have are the product of my own hard work and nothing else.

Right now, after having had back surgery, I am finally back to running again.

There is something about seeing myself improve that motivates and excites me.

The bible tells us to be grateful in every situation. I am grateful for mine.

Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have Nature, and that is much better.

I'm going to Ibiza with the lads! I’ll probably come back a raging alcoholic.

When it comes down to it, determination has a greater impact than giftedness.

Maybe during the last sprint, sometimes you can lose, sometimes you can gain.

Every season something happens so I programme that in; something will happen.

Marathon running is a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting.

If I won a second Olympic title, maybe I would be tempted to go after a third.

God has given me the ability. The rest is up to me. Believe. Believe. Believe.

It's sad to know I'm done. But looking back, I've got a lot of great memories.

Anytime you ride against the best in the world, it becomes a learning process.

Nobody has milked one performance better than me - and I'm damned proud of it.

It's not necessarily size that matters, it's how fast you move that implement.

I don't have rights. Let's put it this way: in athletics, I don't have rights.

I'm obsessive. I want to know the answer to how good I am. Most people aren't.

My friends back home call me a warrior. In fact I'm a butterfly-faced warrior.

Many of us are missing something in life because we are after the second best.

My brother is my best friend. Usually, when I'm fencing, I can hear his voice.

Running with others can help get you out when you might otherwise blow it off.

You've got to look for tough competition. You've got to want to beat the best.

Having fun unleashes creativity. It is one of the seeds you plant to get ideas

[Peter Norman] was a man of principle and pride, had a strong moral character.

John Smith from Oklahoma State was the greatest American wrestler of all time.

Top results are achieved only through pain. But eventually you like this pain.

I think every fight is a tough fight, but I'm not settling for a bronze medal.

When you cross the line, it is such a wonderful feeling it's hard to describe.

Winners are convinced they will finish first. The others hope to finish first.

Determination is like a muscle. If you do not use it regularly, it fades away.

Once you've committed yourself to something, pace yourself to the finish line.

You learn as much from those who have failed as from those who have succeeded.

Most places in the Midwest, you ski on piles of trash, like retired landfills.

I eat a variety of foods like vegetables, fruit and beef for protein and iron.

But if I keep my core and back strong, the scoliosis doesn't really bother me.

I don't need to scare the other athletes. When I'm running, I will scare them.

Be very strong... be very methodical in your life if you want to be a champion.

I am not gay. I am, as far as I know, heterosexual. I've never been with a guy.

We have to lie to ourselves as decathletes and say that we like all ten events.

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