Rio 2016: Quotes of the Games

The best quotes of Rio 2016, including Usain Bolt, Katie Ledecky and Jason Kenny.

Following two weeks of thrilling sports action, we take a look at some of the more memorable quotes from Rio 2016.

 

Words to inspire

"It's been really amazing. I've really enjoyed it. No-one will have this experience in life. I hope refugees are not refugees anymore and they have their hope to continue their dreams after they see us," - Refugee Olympic Team swimmer Yusra Mardini after competing in the women's 100 metre freestyle, her final race in Rio.

"I went down and I was like, 'What's happening, why am I on the ground?' Then suddenly this hand on my shoulder, like 'Get up, get up, we have to finish this'. That girl is the Olympic spirit right there," - New Zealand's  Nikki Hamblin hails the sporting gesture of Abbey D'Agostino, who helped her up after the pair fell during the women's 5000m heats.

 

Celebrations

"I have fulfilled my dream and to have fulfilled it in my home country makes me very proud," - Neymar thrilled to deliver Brazil their first Olympic football gold.

"I think we are coming home in 12 days and my father will still be drunk," - Croatian Valent Sinkovic knows what the celebrations will be like after winning the men's double sculls with brother Martin.

"It was gold or nothing for this team. We are going out now. I'll be hungover tomorrow," - Bradley Wiggins intended to enjoy Great Britain's team pursuit triumph.

"I can't get my mind around this. Is this real? Now I'm going to eat as much ice cream and cake as I can," - Jamaican gold medallist Omar McLeod reveals his post-Games plans.

 

Commiserations

"I wanted to enter the women's changing room and either hang myself or hang everyone," - Russia handball coach Yevgeni Trefilov was furious with his team after trailing South Korea 19-12. They came back to win 30-25.

"It was pathetic. Nothing Australian about it," - Joe Ingles reflects on Australia's heavy loss to Serbia in the men's basketball semi-final. Andrew Bogut added: "They kicked our ass from start to finish."

"It doesn't get any lower than this," - Tom Daley reacts to his shock elimination from the men's 10m platform diving semi-finals.

 

Life in the athletes' village

"Since we got here, we've gone out to the beach, the big Jesus or whatever you call it, all that good stuff," - United States equestrian competitor Clark Montgomery battles to remember Christ the Redeemer.

"I'm always glued to the TV watching the so many other disciplines going on. It's a totally different experience," - World tennis number one Serena Williams Williams enjoying herself in Brazil.

"This morning I swam, and this afternoon I play Yahtzee with my room-mate. I just chilled and took it easy," - Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom after breaking her own world record in the women's 100m butterfly final.

"I am a kid in a candy store. I am hanging with other athletes. Golf just gets in my way I want to go watch other sports. I am going to go watch badminton tonight. Go hang out in the cafeteria, try and meet other athletes and feel like I am superstar like them," - The first Olympic golf tournament since 1904 proved a hindrance for two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson.

 

Love is in the air

"Obviously I'd love her to bits even if she was rubbish, but she's not," - Team GB cyclist Jason Kenny gushes over fiancee Laura Trott, with the pair having won five golds between them.

"To win an Olympic medal is special. To win an Olympic medal with your wife standing next to you, taking the penalty in the pressure moments, is so special and we will cherish this for the rest of our lives," - Great Britain's Kate Richardson-Walsh on winning gold in the women's hockey alongside her wife Helen.

 

They said what?

"We are trying to train the owls to find the ball," - International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson about the potential of burrowing owls on the course.

"I did come pretty close to throwing up. It was a burp with 25 to go, but I've been in that position plenty of times in practice and knew I could accelerate to the wall. I knew I had to fight and get my hand on the wall. That was fun," - Katie Ledecky after her win in the women's 200m freestyle.

 

Bolt on Bolt

"I would really like to compete against him over 300m metres, that would be good," - Usain Bolt has his sights set on a 300m race with 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk.

"I am trying to be one of the greatest. Be among [Muhammad] Ali and Pele. I hope after these Games I will be in that bracket," - Bolt knows how he wants to be remembered after completing the 'treble treble'.

Author: 
rnarayan