Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I'm pretty confident.
I am happy with my confidence level.
I don't think I'm unbeatable, nobody is
It's the best fifth place I've ever had.
It's so rewarding the journey that I've been on.
I'm a different athlete, I'm a different person.
Sometimes we make a mistake. Don't treat us as the enemy.
I've done whatever it takes to prove I am a clean athlete.
We are training as hard as all athletes in other countries.
There have been some hard times, people around me supported me.
Between Italy and France, I have chosen Luca Marin, the love of my life.
I think I will have an edge over my rivals in terms of confidence and experience.
Around the world, when China has good results, people always think something bad.
I can't control what everyone else swims but if all goes well I know there are no limits.
I can't believe it. I'm speechless. It is amazing to see where I've come from the last two years.
I'm so over the moon that I have the opportunity to represent my country at a third Olympic Games.
You can imagine how hard it is, but there's always a force that pushes me forward to do all I can!
I feel good. I'm up there. I got third in the 100 'fly, I've qualified in the top eight already for the 100 freestyle.
That's pretty rewarding in itself coming from where I started. Obviously the next goal for me is to make the Olympic team.
The fact that I am as lean as I was in 2008, I'm stronger than I was in 2008 I think I have the potential to be as fast as I was.
I used to beat myself up everyday if I did not win an event. I am quite open about those things now and that has been a big change.
I know I've made huge gains in my confidence, and knowing more about my racing and myself as a person. That has made me a better athlete
I just need to focus on myself. I think nobody should focus on others, whether they actually have a problem with Chinese swimming or not.
Tonight was not about winning, it was about focusing on myself and what I was aiming to do. It's the reason why I was able to swim so well
I could see myself still swimming because I'm really enjoying the sport. But at the same time I have this biological clock that is ticking.
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.
I really would like to start a family as well. Whether I can balance the two or have to decide one or the other way, I'm not sure what will happen.
It's easy to forget when you're an elite athlete that everyone else gets nervous as well. Even the best people in the world, at whatever they do, they're still nervous
I've probably given myself enough time to prepare for this meet and we're all different athletes so I can't take their results as what's going to be inevitable for me.
There are indeed people with ulterior motives who don't wish Chinese swimming well; they even don't wish Asian swimming well. We cannot let these people's plans succeed.
I went through so many things personally, emotionally and mentally during that time off that I know that I'm better for it now and I think I'm a better athlete because of that.
It is completely surreal because two years ago I wasn't swimming, I was 10 kilos heavier and was on a completely different path in my life, I was still living in Sydney, I'm just so happy now.
I'm really quite exhausted at the moment, but you never know, you are always surprised at what you can find sometimes, and maybe I will find something deep within to find the desire to swim fast
In Athens I was 17 and I didn't have any expectations. I was just swimming fast and racing everybody. I didn't have the joy after my races in 2007. I didn't want to go to Beijing. I had to for sponsors.
I've achieved everything I ever wanted. I've done three Olympics, world championships, I've been around the world and made good friends. But I still have the inner drive to do more, to be not just good, but to be great.
Going into that race I was going for the world record, just quietly, but I wasn't feeling at my best all week so it was hard to determine what would happen. I could not believe it, I went into shock, I'm still in shock.
There is no limit to childishness, if a person starts attacking the other one, they just strike back. Your weak point? Secret? They won't avoid it, and instead try to hurt you with it. So the reason you're fighting is totally lost. They'll just start thinking about how to hurt the other person most, so much that they'll cry out in pain.
Everyone who has been to an Olympics says expect the unexpected. That kind of psychology games does go on, so I'm kind of expecting things to happen but I don't know who from. I think it's kind of silly but I'm prepared for it. I'd probably just laugh it off because it means that they are afraid of racing me, so it's like a huge compliment
It took a lot of guts to change it and say 'I don't like the life that I'm living and I don't like the swimmer I am', so let's change it completely and say 'Look, I've got to learn to love myself'. And that's been a really hard thing to do because when you've done a performance that you're not proud of and the public and the media have criticized you.....people are really quick to make judgements so it was tough to say 'Well I don't care what you have to say. I'm going to do this for myself and if you don't like me after this, well then, it's too bad'.