OLYMPIC AVENUE INSPIRATION

Sport keeps you out of trouble, it gives you motivation, it keeps you surrounded by positive people and it gives you drive. Good things happen when you have that mindset. So I encourage all aspiring athletes, young, middle-aged, I don’t care, to join sport and to go for whatever you want. There’s no dream big enough that you can’t achieve. — Jen Kish, Canada, after leading her team to bronze in rugby sevens •

I don’t think you’ll be seeing another Michael. There is only one Michael. It’s not even in a generation, it’s once in every 10 generations that someone like Michael comes along. He just had so many things going for him — he had the physical skills, the mental outlook, the family that supported swimming, he was in a great swimming club. He had the emotional ability to get up for big races, and be able to perform better under pressure. I don’t think you’ll be seeing another Michael. There is only one Michael. — U.S. swimming coach Bob Bowman •

I am super glad with the fact I can be an inspiration to others and hopefully diversify the sport, but at the same time I would like there to be a day when there are more of us and it’s not ‘Simone, the black swimmer.’ The title ‘ black swimmer’ makes it seem like I am not supposed to be able to win a gold medal, I am not supposed to be able to break the Olympic record, and that is not true as I work as hard as anybody else and I love the sport and I want to win, just like everybody else. — Simone Manuel, United States, gold in 100-metre freestyle •

When I was a girl I dreamt of being a professional player and there wasn’t such a thing as girls football. Then I dreamt of being a professional coach but they didn’t have professional coaches. Then I dreamt of being coach for Sweden, but went to the States and had the chance to play three finals. That is a dream come true. I have been a part of this women’s development and I am really proud of the fact. — Pia Sundhage, Sweden, women’s soccer team coach •

In London I won with one hit, here I lost with one hit. Fate doesn’t exist. Winning is nice, but losing is normal. — Elisa Di Francisca, Italy, silver in fencing •

It means a lot. We have survived a war. There are still kids who don’t know if their parents are alive, there are still kids who don’t have enough to eat or notebooks or books to go to school. From this country I become Olympic champion, that’s just huge for us. Even if from Kosovo you don’t have so much opportunities in life. — Majlinda Kelmendi, Kosovo, gold medal in judo (the country’s first) •

He feels like I’m the next one and I’m just trying to live up to it. — Andre De Grasse, Canada, bronze medal in the 100 metres, on Usain Bolt •

There was a lot of uncertainty, but in those moments, I had an incredible group of people around me, supporting me, cheering me on, giving me strength. — Rosie MacLennan, Canada, gold in trampoline, on coming back from injury •

I think the nicest, strongest and deepest emotions you can only achieve when you play for your country. It’s something which I would recommend everyone to try to at least go through it once. To win something for yourself is definitely a great thing, but winning for your country, for your people, for your fans and for the family is something which I cannot measure. — Radek Stepanek, Czech Republic, bronze in mixed doubles •

Lucas tucked his head into my armpit and said ‘why are you crying mom, you won?’ It’s another life lesson to teach him, why we cry when we’re overwhelmed with happiness. He has already learned about dedication and sacrifice. He gets it. He calls me Kristin Armstrong, not momma, when I’m on the bike. — Kristin Armstrong, United States, gold in track cycling •

When you box, people take notice of your body, I think they focus on the muscles, the tone and the fact that you work your body damn hard. For me personally, I wear my muscles with pride, because when I get close to making the weight for a tournament like right now, I know how hard I’ve worked to get these muscles and this body. If anyone came up and said, ‘ That’s not very feminine or that’s disgusting’, I’d say, ‘ That’s your opinion but I don’t think that’s very right because I’m nothing more than proud of any of the curves that I do get in my body.’ — Shelley Watts, Australia, boxing •

The way to the gold medal was not easy at all. The training was very hard and sometimes I had difficulty just standing on my own feet at training. Sometimes I finished training crying, but I always thought that the hardships of training would bring me one step closer to this gold medal. — Jong Sim Rim, South Korea, gold in 75kg weightlifting •

For the first time in 22 years my body gave way. That’s sport, there’s ups and downs and highs and lows. There’s two sides to every coin, and my career has shown that. I haven’t dominated and I haven’t won everything. I’ve actually lost more races than I’ve won. — Australian cyclist Anna Meares, a six-time Olympic medallist, after being unable to build on her bronze medal showing in the keirin in Rio •

My sister told me that if I did a lap of honour, I should do it slow. She said ‘you’ve already climbed Everest. Make sure you enjoy the view.’ — Jennifer Simpson, USA, after winning bronze in the 1,500-metre race •

They say back home and in track circles, if you win a medal, it will change your life. And I think your life is changed on the way to that medal, with all the journeys, the sacrifices that you make, the training that you do and the people you leave to watch. That’s what is really the value of a gold medal. — Sam Kendricks, United States, after winning bronze in the men’s pole vault •

I think the crowd likes the energy. Sport is looking for people with energy. That’s what gets them going. They like to be part of the competition. Not so much just watching it. So for me I try to live in the moment. — Jamaican track star Usain Bolt