Best Olympics quotes
LONDON – Following are some of the fun and memorable quotes from the London Olympics:
“These were happy and glorious Games.” – International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge hails London 2012 as he closes the Games with a reference to Britain’s national anthem and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee year.
“My mother used to tell us in the mornings, ‘Carl put on your shoes, Oscar you put on your prosthetic legs... So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes.” – South African runner Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed ‘Blade Runner’ because he races on carbon fibre prosthetic blades, talks about growing up playing sports with brother Carl.
“It’s what I came here to do, I’m now a legend.” – Jamaica’s Usain Bolt permits the world to proclaim him a sporting legend after becoming the first man to retain the 100- and 200 metres titles.
“When baby kicks, I will breathe in and breathe out and try to calm myself down and talk to baby: ‘Behave yourself and help mummy to shoot!’” – Eight months pregnant, Malaysia’s Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi later said she felt “three or four kicks” during the 10m air rifle qualifying.
“There was no pressure. You should play in my country, then you will see pressure. They throw bricks at you.” – Croatia’s Ivano Balic reacts after his side’s handball semi-final defeat by France.
“I wanted a gold medal for each of my two girls on the way. They could come any day now!” – Mo Farah won the hearts of an enthralled home crowd that included his pregnant wife and daughter by becoming the first Briton to win the 10 000 metres title and then repeated the feat in the 5 000.
“I’m ready to wrestle anyone who steps across that line. If the Queen of England came out on the mat I probably would double-leg her.” – An exuberant Jason Burroughs invites all challengers after the American wrestled his way to Olympic gold.
“I hope that this medal inspires the kids at home to put down guns and knives and pick up a pair of trainers instead.” – Erick Barrondo, winner of Guatemala’s first-ever Olympic medal with silver in the men’s 20km race walk.
“Good evening, Mr Bond.” – Queen Elizabeth at 86 makes her film debut with James Bond star Daniel Craig in a clip for London’s quirky opening ceremony where she appears to jump from a helicopter.
“The female body is a masterpiece. Everyone likes to look at the female body, especially in dynamic, athletic sport.” – Australia’s Natalie Cook, gold medallist at Sydney in 2000, defends bikinis in beach volleyball.
“There are many people who want to start rowing because I have come to the Olympic Games. We will start when I get back. We just have to wait for the boats to arrive.” – Niger rower Hamadou Djibo Issaka trained for just three months for the men’s single sculls, but never in his landlocked and mostly desert native country.
“My results come from hard work and training and I would never use any banned drugs. The Chinese people have clean hands.” – Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen brushes aside doping suspicions raised after the 16-year-old set a world record in the women’s 400 metres individual medley.
“We were getting rather frustrated with Transport for London at one point and discussed internally trying to get on a bus with a coffin.” – London funeral director John Cribb expresses frustration at special road lanes set aside for Olympic vehicles.
“The excitement is growing so much I think the Geiger counter of Olympo-mania is going to go ‘zoink’ off the scale.” – London Mayor Boris Johnson is typically effusive in summing up the mood at an Olympics concert in London’s Hyde Park.