Quotes & Sayings About Olympics

The Olympic dream was born in 2010 during the qualifications to Vancouver. And when I was watching those Olympics from the sidelines, I felt that I wanted to have my Games. I understood that it wouldn't be easy to make them, especially now that in Russia there are a lot of strong girls. — Adelina Sotnikova

The majority of people who get in the sport of gymnastics do not go to the Olympics or get a Division 1 scholarship, but it doesn't mean that they can't get something positive from the sport. — Dominique Dawes

The Olympics are what I work for. They're why I spend so much time in the gym. — Lindsey Vonn

Even though the Olympics take place during Ramadan, some Muslim athletes said they will not fast during games. Then, after sampling the British food, they said, on second thought, fasting sounds good. — Conan O'Brien

not if Shannon is over her illness. Come, Dytyna. We discuss your performance now." "When will we know if I'll be competing?" "We will not know until Monday when we check in at the Olympic arena. Coach Taylor will know then." "I'm going back to the hotel to call your father, Kerri. We plan on meeting for lunch then will head on over to the hockey arena. Two kids in the Olympics! Whoa. I'll see you later." She leaned down and gave Kerri a hug before she kissed her forehead. "Stay out of trouble." "I can hardly get into any trouble in the Olympic village, Mom." At almost seventeen, Kerri was still able to feel embarrassed at receiving her mother's counsel, and she thought that her mother's advice was unfounded. The village was closed off, after all, from the rest of Turin and from the fray of the crowds that converged upon the venues. She watched her mother walk away before she stood up and adjusted the strap — Eleanor Webb

Magic is the Special Olympics of entertainment. — Penn Jillette

Even if I flop, I still qualified for the Games, and that was my goal. My target was to be at an Olympics for the third time with people I like. — Laure Manaudou

Yes, I could win the Olympics. I hope to, and that's what I'm training for. But it's really going to come down to me racing on that day ... Just being really calm and mature about what the reality is - that's my strategy. — Mark De Jonge

Some people are saying that the reason Michael Phelps isn't doing so well is because he let himself get too out of shape. I just have to say that I have been watching the Olympics, and if that guy is out of shape, I have been dead for five years. — Conan O'Brien

But inside of me I knew that the Olympics were still there. I was still young enough. I knew that once I transitioned out of hockey, it would be really hard to go back. — Angela Ruggiero

Olympics is global competition in which eighty, ninety, hundred, hundred and ten countries participate. — George Pataki

The stable funding announced today will allow Special Olympics to grow and benefit an increasing number of Canadians. I am proud that our Government is committed to providing opportunities for Canadians of all ages and all abilities to engage in sport and physical activity and to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle. — Jim Flaherty

I think I dreamed about competing at the Olympics, maybe hoping to win a gold medal. Not that I ever thought that I would, but I dreamed about it. — Dorothy Hamill

Usain Bolt won the gold for the men's 100- and 200-meter dashes for the second Olympics in a row. You know, he has been running since he was in elementary school - kind of like Mitt Romney. — Jay Leno

Predictions are predictions. If you could predict the stock market, you would be super rich. But I have to race the race. It doesn't matter what I've done over the last few years. I have to race at the Olympics. — Mark De Jonge

We take Tod and Stevie to the mall with us, we'd be in and out in thirty minutes. Those boys don't fuck around at the mall. They got, like, a different kind of gay-dar," Daisy told Tex. "It's the kind that they can hone in on the best outfit, pair of shoes, or whatever you need, find your size without even askin' and feed you the shit in your dressing room without you havin' to leave it. They don't spare your feelin's either. If it don't look good, they just snatch it from you and find you somethin' else. They could do it in the Olympics, they're so good. — Kristen Ashley

From an athlete's perspective, to cancel the Olympics in regards to the threats would be absolutely devastating - especially since the Olympics - it's really about people meeting together through sports and putting aside their countries' differences for that time. — Brian Boitano

Passover and Easter are the only Jewish and Christian holidays that move in sync, like the ice skating pairs we saw during the winter Olympics. — Marvin Olasky

One thing I've done in my life is train year-round to compete at anything, anything. I've got an invitation now to maybe be on the karate team for the Barcelona Olympics. I'm debating whether I want to do that. I just love to compete, and I want to win. — Herschel Walker

There are tons of great names who have gotten fourth at their first Olympics, and they just kept with it for the next quad. I'm among good company. — Gracie Gold

The only award I've been nominated for is a Scottish BAFTA. A Scottish BAFTA, it's like hearing that the animals have their own Olympics. You hear all this stuff about TV being faked. Of course it's faked. It's all faked. That documentary a couple of weeks ago about tribal warfare among monkeys, that was all filmed in a Yates wine lodge in Dundee. Comic Relief is faked. Everybody in Africa is fine. — Frankie Boyle

It sounds funny, but the 2008 Olympics were something that just kind of happened, and I was lucky they came at a point when I was uninjured and well prepared. As a gymnast, you can't ask for much more. — Shawn Johnson

My own feeling about JJ, without knowing anything about him, was that he might have been a gay person, because he had long hair and spoke American. A lot of Americans are gay people, aren't they? I know they didn't invent gayness, because they say that was the Greeks. But they helped bring it back into fashion. Being gay was a bit like the Olympics: it disappeared in ancient times, and then they brought it back in the twentieth century. Anyway, I didn't know anything about gays, so I just presumed they were all unhappy and wanted to kill themselves. — Nick Hornby

It took many months in court, but the tabloid eventually published a total retraction and paid substantial damages in an out-of-court settlement. The money went to the Special Olympics in Great Britain. — Arnold Schwarzenegger

I hadn't watched any of the Olympics, apart from the evening we arrived in St Petersburg. I figured why watch it, I'm doing it. — Mel Cormican

At an Olympics Game, you want to enjoy it, especially if you know it's going to be your last one. — Shannon Miller

The obvious precedent for Beijing 2008 was the Berlin Olympics, in 1936. Both were showcases for a muscle-flexing nation, although Hitler made an elementary error when he chose not to dress his young National Socialists in lime-green catsuits laced with twinkling fairy lights. — Anthony Lane

I grew up an athlete. Track and field and dance. In track, I actually went to the Junior Olympics. I've always been very athletic. — Kimberly Elise

The Canadian Identity, it seems, is truly elusive only at home. Beyond the borders Canadians know exactly who they are, within they see themselves as part of a family, a street, a neighbourhood, a community, a province , a region, and on special occasions like Canada Day and Grey Cup weekend and, of course, during the Winter Olympics, a country called Canada. Beyond the borders, they pine; within the borders, they more often whine — Roy MacGregor

Everybody in the Olympics is paid. Lindsay Vonn is going to make a million dollars whether she skis or not. — Dan Jenkins

It's probably the toughest distance race in the world to win. World class runners from 1500m to the marathon contest it and instead of just three runners from each country, like in the Olympics or World Championships, in the senior men's race there are nine. — Paul Tergat

This Olympics is almost a little sad. It is my final Olympics. There are a lot of good memories. — Bonnie Blair

In 2007, as a condition for hosting the Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese government removed restrictions barring Beijing-based journalists from leaving the capital without prior written permission. — Evan Osnos

The Olympics are always a special competition, it is very difficult to predict what will happen. — Sergei Bubka

I just missed out on qualifying for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. — Natalie Du Toit

Performance enhancing drugs are banned in the Olympics. OK, we can swing with that. But performance 'debilitating' drugs should not be banned. Smoke a joint and win the 100 metres, fair play for you. That's pretty good. Unless someone's dangling a Mars bar off in the distance. — Eddie Izzard

I remember at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Shaq always wanted me to show him steps over and over. — Hakeem Olajuwon

The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well. — Pierre De Coubertin

Is this the Olympics or One Life to Live? — Margaret Carlson

I have a power word that I use-when I qualified for the Olympics in 2008, it was fighter. That way when I'm in the race and I get to those dark moments, I can think of the word and it evokes that emotion for me. — Kara Goucher

I am also hugely excited to then be competing to defend my three Paralympic titles at the Paralympic Games. I believe we will see some amazing times posted and I am very much looking forward to what will be an incredible Olympics and Paralympics in London. — Oscar Pistorius

I am a freestyle mogul skier who, on February 13, became the first American to win a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. — Hannah Kearney

Sporting events like the Olympics have developed and maintained a clear message of promoting gender equality as an essential criterion in the success of any international event. — Richard Attias

When I was in the ring at the Olympics, it was my father's words that I was hearing, not the coaches'. 'I never listened to what the coaches said. I would call my father and he would give me advice from prison. — Floyd Mayweather Jr.

It always has been a goal of mine to compete in the Olympics. Right after I graduated from college, I moved out to Salt Lake City with my mind focused on making the 2014 team. — Brittany Bowe

I don't know how many people really knew who I was before the Olympics and that's the fun thing of the Olympics - you get to know someone who captures your heart, hopefully. — Kristi Yamaguchi

We've separated from mogul and aerial skiing and we've built our own sport and our own tricks. And now we're going back to the roots. But the Olympics is a world stage for athletics and it's going to be pretty sweet to represent our sport and represent our culture and show everyone what we're all about. — Nick Goepper

If the Olympic Games ever served a true altruistic purpose, they have long since outlived it. Yeah, the pursuit of athletic excellence, sportsmanship and international goodwill is plenty noble. But the modern Olympics are at best a vehicle for agitprop; at worst, a scandal magnet. — John Ridley

Training with Bela and Marta Karolyi took the joy out of the Olympics for me. I look back and feel there was a lot of verbal and physical abuse. For years, I felt it was my problem. — Dominique Moceanu

The big picture is the Trials and Olympics. I just have to keep focused for that, keep moving forward. — Ryan Lochte

I definitely have two Olympics in me; I don't know about three Olympics. — Gracie Gold

Is a BJ adultery? What? Did I miss a day of school? Of course it is! Oral sex is adultery like Curling is an Olympic sport. The only thing is, oral sex should be in the Olympics because it's much harder than Curling, and if you're good at it, you DESERVE a medal! — Lewis Black

When you win the Olympics, you hope that the medal that you get, that weight makes it feel like you really earned something. — Charlie White

Let me explain: Like two great athletes who don't play on the same team but meet up on the world stage, blacks and women have always convened at the Oppressed Olympics and given each other a friendly head nod, similar to how when I'm in line at the grocery store and I notice the person in the next checkout line is also buying lemonade. — Phoebe Robinson

The goal for me is the Olympics. It's Sochi and doing my best there. And, you know, my best has the potential to be on the podium. — Jeremy Abbott

I think every athlete that's just out here for the Olympics just does something to inspire those around them and inspire each other. — Oscar Pistorius

On the face of it, China has won the Olympics. But it is not China that has won, but the Communist party. The Chinese people have lost. — Ma Jian

I'd always said that I'd like to have a title by the next Olympics, so this is a great opportunity, and could be the start of my climb to a world title. — Billy Joe Saunders

One naively thinks that by winning the Olympics, it's going to be this switch, and then your life is going to be perfect, and that's not reality. — Dorothy Hamill

I'm not trying to snowboard for other people anymore. That just kind of comes with age and growing up. That's helped me a lot. Some of that started right after the last Olympics (in Vancouver). — Kelly Clark

Sorry to disappoint you but I don't even watch the Olympics no more. — Roy Jones Jr.

(Algerian athlete, 1996 Summer Olympics, on the 3000m world record)
I think my 3:27 for 1500m is worth 7:21 for 3000m. — Noureddine Morceli

'Suena' is what the essence of the Olympics are about. There are the best athletes in the world up on one stage. The love and admiration and respect for each other is amazing to see. — Jencarlos Canela

Everyone contributed to this legend except Phineas. At the outset, with the attempt on Hitler's life, Finny had said, "If someone gave Leper a loaded gun and put it at Hitler's temple, he'd miss." There was a general shout of outrage, and then we recommended the building of Leper's triumphal arch around Brinker's keystone. Phineas took no part in it, and since little else was talked about in the Butt Room he soon stopped going there and stopped me from going as well - "How do you expect to be an athlete if you smoke like a forest fire?" He drew me increasingly away from the Butt Room crowd, away from Brinker and Chet and all other friends, into a world inhabited by just himself and me, where there was no war at all, just Phineas and me alone among all the people of the world, training for the Olympics of 1944. — John Knowles

My father-in-law and I always had great interest in Indian sport. At the Athens Olympics, watching the wrestling event, we started discussing the state of Indian sport - inadequate representation, lack of satisfactory results etc. We thought we should do something about it. — Amit Bhatia

Seriously, I love the Olympics so much it hurts. — Spencer Kayden

You see the fairy tale - four minutes of glory at the Olympics. I thought my life would be cake after that. — Dorothy Hamill

I'm really happy that it's in Russia. I've had a lot of success here. I had my first world championships here when I was younger so I am happy to do the Olympics here. I am really enjoying myself. — Hayley Wickenheiser

I wasn't paid a dime for my track career. But participating in the Olympics gave me the opportunity to learn about different cultures; it made me a better person. I wouldn't trade the time I competed for anything. — Wyomia Tyus

All those ninnies have it wrong. The best thing about Seattle is the weather. The world over, people have ocean views. But across our ocean is Bainbridge Island, an evergreen curb, and over it the exploding, craggy, snow-scraped Olympics. I guess what I'm saying: I miss it, the mountains and the water. — Maria Semple

If you look at the success of snowboarding in the Winter Games and how that's brought a more youthful edge to the Olympics in general, they don't have that with the Summer Games. They don't have anything that's drawing in a younger viewership. — Tony Hawk

If I had to pick one exact moment when we were live on air and something very, very special happened it was at the Athens Olympics. Chris Hoy won the Gold Medal in the kilometre time trial and that was incredible. — Jill Douglas

Work diligently. Work hard. Focus. Perform as if you are at the Olympics. One day, unexpectedly, it will start paying off. — Joan Marques

The Olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that's wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries that represents the best in all of us. — John Williams

My dream as a youngster was to be like Olivier. To be a great stage actor. To be a great Shakespearean actor. To me that is the Olympics of acting. — Armand Assante

I raced locally for a year, went to Europe the year after and went to the Olympics the year after that. — Taylor Phinney

As a scientist, I play in the top league - the Olympics, the World Championships - and I want to be in the lead. As a runner, I set personal goals, and I want to push beyond my own personal limits. I was very happy when I practiced for several months and then reached my goal to run a marathon in 2:50. — Wolfgang Ketterle

You want to do Olympics just like you do a pro football game or a basketball game? Be my guest. Watch it all fade away. — Dick Ebersol

I was still young when I missed Beijing. I was favourite to win a medal but I knew I had time. My coach advised me to stay at school and finish my exams. Even if I had gone and won the Olympics, I might not have handled the pressure. So I moved on. — David Rudisha

On television, I have watched countless athletes from different countries, sports and Olympics stand proudly at the top of the podium and shed tears. They symbolized the Olympics for me because Olympic medals represent all of the hard work and sacrifices made by the athletes as well as the people who helped them reach the top of their sports. — Hannah Kearney

I didn't know about competition or the Olympics until Peggy Fleming won in 1968. My mother looked after all of the competition stuff. I just skated. I didn't really love competition, but that was the only way to get better. You'd see more talent. — Dorothy Hamill

Four years ago, I was thinking ... no Olympics, who am I? Probably in '04, I was identified with gymnastics. I thought gymnastics was who I am and I have to be an Olympian and I have to make this team. That's probably why I was a little bit devastated when I didn't make it. You know, I was kinda lost. Now I realize that we're all magnificent, regardless of what we do or whatever career path we choose, you know, that career doesn't have to define us as a human being. There's so much more to being human than all of this. — Raj Bhavsar

Did you know? Duke Kahanamoku competed in four Olympics from 1912 to 1932 setting three world-records, while winning three gold medals, two silver, and one bronze. — John Richard Stephens

Olympic organizers are reportedly struggling to fill rows and rows of empty seats. Empty seats! In fact, yesterday officials put out a casting call asking for 200 Europeans or eight Americans. — Conan O'Brien

America is a country where the Olympics and the divorce lawyers both have the same slogan - Go for the Gold. — Bob Hope

I tried to make the Olympics team in 1956. — Bruce Dern

A couple days ago, I saw a lot of people tweeting, 'Oh, it's so cool 'Home' is being used in the Olympics!' We don't really get to watch much TV, man, with the concerts every night, but I wish I could have seen it. I really just found out through Twitter and my management texting me. I thought it was really awesome. — Phillip Phillips

It was a long, difficult summer of 2004. That was a leap year, so several things happened - the Olympics and presidential election. And right in the middle of the election campaign - and I don't think this was an accident - the 9/11 Commission delivers its report. — Michael Hayden

I made my first Australian senior team when I was 16, first Olympics when I was 19, and I retired. I'm 32, I retired four years ago, so a good third of my life or nearly a third of my life has been all about running. — Cathy Freeman

Taking part in an Olympics on home ground is something you dream about. — Zara Phillips

For me soccer provides so many emotions, a different feeling every day. I've had the good fortune to take part in major competitions like the Olympics, and winning the World Cup was also unforgettable. We lost in the Olympics and won in the World Cup, and I'll never forget either feeling. — Ronaldinho

The human rights record within China seems to rise and fall over time, but it's very clear that in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and since then, there's been a greater intolerance of dissent and the human rights record of China has been going in the wrong direction. — Gary Locke

I wanted to emulate my parents - Mum captained India in basketball, and Dad won a bronze in hockey in 1972 Olympics. My focus has always been to achieve excellence whether in the field of tennis, in the corporate field, in the art of acting or in motivating youngsters. — Leander Paes

Looking back, I'm so proud to have gone to five Olympics - I believe only three other Americans have achieved that. My true gold medal, though, is my daughter, Karsen, who is 18 months old. And I have a wonderful husband, Mike. — Gail Devers

In February 1991, I was rushed to the hospital in Los Angeles to have my feet amputated. Three years earlier, I had broken the national 100 meters hurdles record while a student at UCLA and was a favourite for the event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. — Gail Devers

Sochi will be my third Olympics, and I'm coming into these games in a stronger position than I've been in years past. — Ted Ligety

The Olympics is a time primarily for sport and celebration, but diplomacy does not stop at the door of the U.N., and for it to work, it must be sustained and consistent. — Douglas Alexander

If skating got into the Olympics, I would be tempted to hold off on shredding for a year and just skate, to make that my new goal. In that sport, I'm still the underdog. — Shaun White

WHEN I finally slowed and looked around, I saw with amazement I'd trotted sixteen blocks in about three minutes. Summer Olympics, here I come. Assuming they held the races at night. — MaryJanice Davidson

I mean it's funny, playing music, how of course you want it to do well, you want them to like it, but it's not competitive like an election, it's the Olympics, it's not a Formula 1 race. The Billboard charts are just to show you what people like. — Eddie Van Halen