“The joy of effort is more important than the thrill of victory.”

-Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic movement (1894)

"We love playing, we love winning. When you get the emotions of the Olympics going on, it's something

special and you can't really describe it.”

- Nathan Robertson, Great Britain's badminton

player

“It’s tough. I’ve never seen anything like this. You’re watching batting practice in the outfield and you can’t see the ball because it’s the same

color as the sky.”

-Chris Reitsma, Canadian baseball pitcher, on practice in Beijing

"It is about competition, but it's also about being an Olympian in life."

-Eli Wolff, Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University

"It is about competition, but it's also about being an Olympian in life." -Eli Wolff, Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern

University

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/

"Back in Korea, he nicknamed me 'Butter' because I'm so smooth and relaxed."

-Lee Chang-Hwan, on the nickname given to him by the president of the Korean Archery Federation

“People didn't think Brazil could play or win. Some even thought we were coming here just for

vacation. But we play every game until the death.“-Juan Oliver, Brazil team’s handball coach

"I think I shot well in this match.”

-Wan Khalmizam, Team Archery (Malaysia)

“When you bite it, there's not much taste.”–Huo Liang, on his gold medal in synchronized

diving (China)

"We had an Olympic moment.”

-Jean Lopez, U.S. Taekwondo Team's head coach

“We have a heart of gold, and that’s what this medal is right here. It’s a team that will

never give up.”-U.S. gymnast Joey Hagerty, on winning bronze after twins Paul and Morgan Hamm were s

idelined with injuries

"We have 30 world-class athletes this time, 29 runners and one boxer. All of them are gold medalists. We don't expect much from the boxer." -Gebeyaw Take

le, chef de mission, Ethiopia

“I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let the other swimmers think about me,

not me about them.”

-Amanda Beard, 7-time Olympic Medalist currently in her 4th Olympic Games in Beijing

(U.S.)

“They may become harder to achieve, but your dreams can't stop because you've hit a

certain age or you've had a child.”

–Dara Torres, first American swimmer to compete at 4 Olympic Games; has won 9 Olym

pic medals