Runners

"We run, not only because we think it is doing us good, but … because it helps us to do other things better."

"They really need discipline, to be objective, to know what they really want in life. If you train with the mind of winning you always win, if you train with a weak mind, no I am just doing it for the sake of running then something is wrong somewhere."

"The future of Zimbabwean athletics lies in the hands of junior athletes, but if they are not promoted then who will lift up the sport in the coming years? We are growing old and as we retire who would come next?"

"To me running is about healing my body, it’s a process that keeps me fit. I have got no plans to retire anytime soon, I can even hit 50 years"

"When I look back at my career, the 1998 Commonwealth Games are one of the high points"

"Of course, in any profession there are ups and downs but I am grateful I have done my part"

"It’s difficult to achieve what you really want to achieve in terms of properties because of the economy but I have tried"

"I train in Bulawayo but I have my own house in Gweru, I have a number of cars but I don’t prefer to call them property (with a chuckle) and I also do not want to drive. I prefer to be driven by others"

"You won’t believe it, I know, but that has been my routine ever since I turned professional. I do not have any spare time. When I am not running I am sleeping or I am at church"

"Most of the times I train with Tabitha Tsatsa, a veteran I regard as the best ever female long distance runner in the country"

"Tabitha is turning 46 but you will amazed at how she is still doing it on the road. Remember this is the lady who ran 2 hours 29 minute in the 42km distance some time back and represented Zimbabwe at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. To me, Tabitha is the best ever"

"I am training plus you know am ageing, am getting old, so am doing something that I will fall on when I retire. And you know you don’t eat everything, even uprooting the tree, you have to eat the fruits, then leave the tree so that when you grow old, you will be just getting something from what you have been doing rather than just become redundant"

"I have a small project of mine I’m doing. I’m building a big house somewhere, the completion of which will see me end up as being a sponsor of a marathon. We don’t know what God has for us in front there, one day I might wake up and say here is a race I am sponsoring"

"I am the vice-chairperson of the Athletics Commission. We are representing athletes the wrong or right way, we are their ambassadors. We want to see the sport grow in Zimbabwe"

"It’s about training and discipline, right now I am from training, I went around five o’clock, I did two hours 17 minutes, almost closer to 30 kilometres, it’s pretty slow, at two hours I should have covered 30km, I haven’t got a lot of speed but a combination of speed and endurance, it will make things work"

"I train every day, twice a day, it honestly depends on what are you doing, it’s not about covering more kilometres everyday, it’s about what you are doing per day because yesterday we did track, the day before we did track we are going to have the jogging almost one hour thirty, almost two hours, so for one hour thirty at times you would have covered 20 kilometres, then plus or minus the track that you did in the morning"

"The race was challenging and it was tough on its own besides those three girls who were running so fast, the race was tough and the course itself, we were climbing the steps, getting into water, coming back again, repeatedly five times, I really knew that if I stayed there, I was going to keep my pace and maintain it, not to chase anybody because in running you don’t copy somebody but you run according to how you trained. If the pace is too high you need to go back to your own pace, you really need to keep shuffling the cards where you are calculating, after that you feel how tough the course, if they are too fast you let them go, if they are too slow you carry on"

"It’s a long time since I last ran the cross country, I can’t remember the exact year but it was in Portugal. That route that we did the other day we ran it once some time ago. I wasn’t training for the cross country, I was training for the Old Mutual marathon in Harare where I finished third"

"There are quite a number of races I want to compete in this year, they are saying there is a race on 25 May in Harare then another on 29 July on the same course, same route where quite a number of international athletes are going to run there. I really want to try my best, I have run the Comrades Marathon without the intention to finish, I never ran to finish but I ran it, I can’t remember because I ran it twice then after that I discovered that when you run this race you really need to put the proper endurance. Comrades, you can run without speed but if you put the right endurance and the right distance in your knees you will be home and dry but if you start by speeding then you won’t have the proper strength in the knees, you won’t do anything there. I really want to finish it at 45, the Russian guy Kotov won it at that age"

"I don’t intend to stop running because there are people who are older than me who are still at it. There is this guy, I don’t know where he is from, he was 83 by then, he could run the marathon in three hours at 83, they always call him the fastest guy according to his age. When we run, we run according to ages, I run as a veteran, but when I beat the seniors and get into the top 10 I am considered both ways. Besides there are ladies who have been running before I even got into running, Catherine Ndereba is older than me, she can still run as fast. The issue is about the right training, if you master what you want to do"

"My knees cannot go up much higher than they used to so, sometimes doing track more helps keep them fresh. I haven’t pulled out of a race because of my knees, when I feel they are so painful I slow down, I know somehow they are going to heat up and I am to follow up. I don’t have a diet, I eat anything as long as I am hungry"

"I am still young, my mother has to look after me, before you have a kid you are still a child yourself, I have never been married, to have children in two years time, maybe. Even when you are a runner, you plan when you want to have kids, I will have obviously one day, that one I know"

"Discipline is needed, they need to listen to their coaches, follow the programmes that they are given by their coaches"

"You must have goals and set targets to achieve them."

"Refrain from things that will ruin your career."

"Invest for the future and do not lose focus. In life you should know what you want then it will not be easy for someone to shift your focus."

"It was always exciting to represent my country on the international stage. Imagine the adrenaline rush when I step on the track knowing that all eyes are on me. That made it extra special. I had fans from all over the world but the support back home was the best"

"There is no Amantle Montsho without the people"

"Age has caught up, and only God knows how much my heart fills with excitement for every moment I represented Botswana and Africa at large"

"To taste God’s air, the adrenaline rush on track, thousands of people all eyes on me, fans chanting a name not friendly to a foreign tongue, ‘It’s Amantle Moncho from Botswana!"

"Setting new national records was an indication that athletes were at their peak performance and that the upcoming national meets would be mouthwatering with the positive performance."

"I think I knew what discipline was as a child growing up at home. In Ethiopia there are things that you just have to accomplish. For example, I had always had to fetch water from the nearest river and wood from the forest, even though there were hyenas all around. That’s how you learn that sometimes you have to overcome things."

"I have a good chance. I'm in good shape and I'm feeling fine, but there are other strong athletes in the field and I will never stop fighting for it."

"It is a tough competition that requires extraordinary preparations but I believe I will have a better performance this time and set another personal best."

"My focus now is to intensify training before taking part in the African Senior Championship next month and my dream is to qualify for the summer Olympic Games."

"It is my first time competing in the Canadian marathon and I am so happy for this achievement."

"My focus now is to work hard in training so I can make my country proud in my first appearance in the Olympic Games."

"My first performance in athletics made me realize how I had wasted time in football and handball."

"The silver medal for me was a sign that I would achieve a lot in athletics if I gave it time and work hard."

"I am proud of my performance at the Peace Marathon. It has shown me that I can be more productive in the Olympic Games if I improve my preparations."

"I could not maintain my rhythm but my aim was to finish the race, which fortunately, I did."

"I will never forget the first time I carried my country’s flag."

"Everyone has the potential to win but sometimes, other competitors soar higher and leave you wondering if you will ever get to their level, especially when you surpass your previous best times."

"Many people think athletes don’t get married and that if we do, we can’t have kids. That’s ridiculous!."

"There are some men who can’t approach a female athlete because of our masculine bodies. Why should that be a problem? We are no different from other women."

"Do not let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because you can do anything you put your mind to."

"Some people find pleasure in pulling other people down with negativity."

"Women should stop at nothing to fulfill their goals."

"I qualified because I was an outstanding candidate."

"When people close to me realised I had potential, they supported me both morally and financially and encouraged me to participate at the higher levels."

"Even though I left empty handed, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything."

"Sometimes, I’m forced to train in full body attire even though it is very uncomfortable because real athletic wear is frowned upon."

"Winning this race is good for me because it shows that I am in good shape. Training has been going pretty well, I have to maintain my shape by competing in such events."

"This race, though not a full marathon, can only motivate me to work harder ahead of the forthcoming Olympics."

"There is no magic in sports, as much as we the athletes want to go there and win, but there is always somebody who is working harder than you are, and more is being invested in that person than in you."

"It starts from the way you eat or sleep, the people you surround yourself with, the people that educate you, the people that sponsor you, the people that tell you that you can do it, versus Nigerians, the majority of whom just criticize."

"You get to another stage of your life where you just don’t say things or do things like ‘I don’t know if I want to do this thing, I’m not sure’, no you have to want it, that’s just it."

"Sports is big business. You have to invest. And you know we have great talents in Nigeria but you know, at the end of the day, all do not pay attention to these talents. They don’t prepare us for these major championships."

"I feel like most of the time, really some of us don’t pay so much attention on ourselves and try to put other people or other things into it. At the end of the day, we lose focus on the things we’re supposed to focus on."

"She (Blessing Okagbare) is good, she’s got good character and she’s doing fine. She’s hardworking; she sprints and jumps well. I also want to sprint like her."

"When other nations are planning to win, we are praying. God hears our prayers but you have to help yourselves too."

"The separation of sports and education has made it difficult to discover other stars."

"The table kind of turned on me, instead of me being managed when I was an athlete, now I have to manage people."

"There can only be one Michael Jordan, there can only be one Michael Jackson and there can only be one Mary Onyali."

"Talents are usually found in communities and schools. If kids are not identified early, it would be difficult to train them when they are older."

"Hard work, discipline, determination and dedication. You have to learn what you do and do well in what you do."

"Whenever I lose, I take it as a learning curve; I don’t beat myself over it."

"Sport has always being seen as a man’s domain. It was a breakthrough period for women in sports and I am proud to say that I am one of the leading women that championed the breakthrough which led to the recognition of women in sport, both in Nigeria and Africa."

"If I had got married to someone who was not sport-inclined, a typical African who would want you to have a regular job or stay at home as a mother; it would have been a disaster."

"Wherever they are, despite the situation, they should not lose hope and must keep training."

"Till today, the picture and video are still with the IOC and still at the museum. It shows the true picture of Olympics. We didn’t win the gold or the silver but bronze, however it was a golden bronze. To the IOC it depicts what the Olympics is all about."

"I had not practised or used the starting block before. I was using it in Egypt for the first time. I did not know the blocks had sensors that could detect sensitive reactions, So, I triggered the block before the shot. I was disqualified for misusing it."

"Part of the contract stipulated that you must have a minimum of 2.5 GPA or you would be kicked out. A lot of us were from financially poor background. So, it would be silly to lose such an opportunity."

"Do not focus entirely on sport, because there will be a day when your body will fail you. When that day comes, and you do not have the educational background to face the real life after sport, something will fall off you."

"Personally I believe our female athletes are much better than the males because we are naturally good listeners, attentive, focused and a little more disciplined than the male athletes. The male athletes on the other hand get distracted easily than the females just like mothers will be very attentive to the care and needs of her children and I think that’s why we women bring in anything we do not just sports but in anything we find ourselves."

"There is nothing we can do specially for the male athletes to do better it’s just the way it is. The competition in the male category is stiffer. They do their things with more energy, power, ego etc so they are their own monsters creating their own competition or sports making it more stiffer and competitive. It is every where in the world, it’s a general thing."

"Running was in my blood from the beginning. If God has given you a talent, you have to show it. People told me, 'You won't have children if you run long distances.' It was lies. I wanted to be like the men. If no one gives you encouragement, you have to encourage yourself."

"People would always be fighting over resources: land, animals, water. When I grew up, I wanted to find a way for people to listen to me – but for that to happen you need a title. At that time, I didn’t realise that sports could help me to be the way I am. Those two sides of me came together, to help me work for peace."

"I always overcame obstacles because I stay focused on what I want and how to be better,” she said. “I have proven to myself anything is possible if I put my mind to it. This is why I started the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation."

"I can’t believe it, I’m so grateful for the win. I didn’t give up."

"I am happy to be back at the Women’s 5k Challenge...Last year (2009) I lost in a sprint finish but this time I will be stronger at the end."

"I went out for gold but it was too hard to keep up with the pace of the three on my own. Our team tactic did not work, my team mates fell off and I got tired for the last kick. It is disappointing but at least I got bronze."

"I am hoping to double-up in Daegu. I feel my body is in good shape to handle both races."

"I am ready for the marathon...my management has been able to get me a race in Amsterdam and I want to see how my body will react to it. I have hopes of doing well, but am also not certain how it will go. It is my first marathon race."

"When I was out there, I was running for my country and wish to thank the Kenyan people for their tremendous support they accorded us."

"Initially I didn't believe it when I heard the good news. It's truly a dream of every athlete to win a medal in the Olympics and I'm honoured to have my parents accompany me and share this joy."

"The victory here is a precursor for the Boston Marathon next month. I have to train well to ensure I get the results,” said Chepkirui, the two-time national cross-country champion'"

"https://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/athletics/2023-03-06-chepkirui-eyes-boston-after-winning-paris-half-marathon/"

"“Since I joined the road running, I have had a successful outing and I am yet to finish in a bad position."

""It will be a tough race but I will do my best."

""I believe in living my own life and do what I love even when those around me do things different. It does not mean I am better than them, this is just who I want to be and do things"."

"I am really progressing well in my training. Running is my passion and I will not get tired. I really appreciate my fans who have been following me and for those who are asking if I am still running, the answer is yes and I want to promise them I will do my best"

"After my maternity leave, it was not that easy since you have to shed a lot of fat, and then you now start concentrating on the training programme. It is not easy and it is not something you can start in a day"

"We are happy that BingwaFest is coming back for the second season. This is a tournament that has valued athletics as much as the other sports, and it is a good platform for us athletes to not only help us stay in shape but also earn some money. I will be taking part in the 5,000m and the 10,000m races, and I look forward to it"

"It feels so good, I was so happy because I defended my gold"

"The best part was that I felt so comfortable out there"

"My plan was to defend my gold, but the race was difficult because of the weather"

"I expected to have more of a lead"

"We are seeing the need for veteran athletes to come together, to advice and to support each other."

"I am in good shape and I hope to run well tomorrow. The race will be very tough with Lornah and Anikó. It will not be easy but I will do my best. It depends on who will be pushing the pace and also on the wind conditions."

"My motivation is to run good. If I’m still running good then I’m not going to retire. I hope I can run in the Olympics and World Championships, but it all depends on the bodywork, like a car."

"It is great to win gold in my first championships race over 10,000 with a personal best...We were inspired by the marathon girls and we wanted to achieve the same."

"My fourth Olympics and I hadn't had gold. Today I said 'I am not going to lose'."

"I wanted to enjoy the crowd and be able to enjoy the atmosphere and just compete to my best ability, and I think I did that."

"My preparation for each race is very key. When the race begins I just like to get into the groove and go from there."

"Today I’m very happy because I won this year in London...I knew I was strong because I have done good training so I was having a feeling that I could do it."

"I knew this morning I was going to run well and there was such a good field you were always worried someone would do better,...It wasn’t until 25 miles that I got that confidence back and felt I could win."

"This is a great moment for me, and this is a day I will not forget for the rest of my life."

"I am convinced that this time is good enough to be selected for the Kenyan World Championships team."

"Some people like to run but they can not run [very fast]. It (running fast) is a talent."

"I don’t do anything. I just run. So I have to just focus on running. We don’t have any other jobs. Where we get money, it is from running. That makes us to work hard. If we do not win, we do not get money. If we do not get money, how can we live? In Kenya, everything is money, money, money. So we have to make it [in running]."

"Myself, I am sure I am clean. No doping scandal at all (with me)."

"I was never worried that I'd lose this,...At 35km I noticed that my other two team-mates had dropped off and that gave me the motivation to carry on."

"I had prepared that I would move out at 35km and my body was responding very well, as well as my movement,...At the 40km mark I knew the gold was mine. It was very hot but everybody had to get through the heat. I had to control my body and listen to my body very carefully."

"I am not happy about my race because I fell with 2 laps to go. The past 3 years I did not perform at my best but I have been improving a lot recently. I am not saying anything about the Kenyan team for the Olympics, but I will try my best in the rest of the season."

"What I have learnt is that a genuine name and personality will always remain,...Athletes should learn a lesson from these dopers that whatever you take, it will always come out, however, long. Shortcuts are not the way."

"I’m feeling so good to win my first World title. Since I started steeplechase in 2009, I knew that one day I was going to be a World champion. I have been waiting, waiting, and this year it is my time."

"I have had very good training and will be happy to see who the opposition lining up against me is. I want to run a fast time and look at making the Kenya team for the World Championships in 2019 in Qatar."

"I have no plans to compete on the track this season. My focus is on the road race and hopefully, I will string together good results and put my name up for selection to the marathon team for the World Championships next year(2019)."

"I love to compete and run as fast as I can. It is road, time and me."

"I want to continue being in the athletics, and that is why I saw it wise to change from track to the marathon and road races."

"I'm new in marathon races and I will be looking forward to a good performance. It's been a tough training for me, but it has come from me in terms of good will and hard work for good results."

"I have been in athletics for a long period and what I can say is that when you are disciplined, you will be there for a long period. It really motivates me training with the world beaters like Eliud Kipchoge and Geoffrey Kamworor."

"I have done my part on the track and now it is only right to try out a new challenge and the marathon discipline is inspiring enough."

"Eliud Kipchoge has inspired me. I have seen him train, the punishing he goes through to be ready for a marathon and it is worth to try it out."

"I believe 5,000m is my race though I took long to realize and specialized in the 1,500m. Since venturing in the 5,000m, my performance has been growing and I believe the best is yet to come."

"This season has been inspiring for me considering I have been able to lower my personal best. I have decided to settle for 5,000m and just hope for the best."

"For me, the improvement in time this season has been key and very inspiring for that matter."

"We went to like the last sprint and I knew that this was going to be the toughest sprint so I waited and waited so sprinting that I was like I have to go for it or give it everything I have."

"That was like the greatest thing I've ever felt. I feel so happy and grateful to do it here in Boston."

"I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to get second,’ but then realized quickly that she still had a shot. “I saw the finish and thought, ‘Oh, I can kick; I have a chance to win today."

"My coach used to tell me, 'If you win big races, your life is going to change,'... So I was a little prepared, and I'm having fun with it, but you really don't know what it's like until you're there."

"I was trying to help some of the Kenyans coming there to learn Japanese...But I decided I wanted to be more serious about running and make it my job. I felt like I was not going to reach my goals if I stayed there (Japan)."

"I didn't start training for the marathon when I was 20, 21, 22, like a lot of the women now...The other thing is that I didn't want to run marathons just because it was the thing to do. I felt like I wanted to do it only when I was ready to do it well."

"I love racing in New York...I know [the marathon course] is not as fast as some of the other races, but sometimes you have to feel it in your heart. You go where you want to be."

"Returning to Pittsburgh as the defending champion is really special to me....Last year (2022) was my first time in the city and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The best part of the race is seeing all the amazing spectators on the course, regardless of the weather. My goal this year is to win the race again and see how far I can push my limits."

"It feels great to win my first race ever in Pittsburgh...It was so great seeing all the people on the course and cheering despite the rain. I can’t wait to be back!"

"This will be my first time coming to Pittsburgh...It’s always exciting to travel to new places and Pittsburgh has been on my bucket list. I’m motivated to capitalize on my training this spring, rather than refocus on another marathon. I am feeling fit and ready to run fast in Pittsburgh."

"The great feelings, I still have it. Lots of memories...It’s good to be back, back where I started. Not where I started running, but where I started to run well."

"It’s crazy. When I won the Boston Half, it’s when I was new. I had just started training with my coach and I saw that my training is paying off and all that stuff. Since then I kept going to races and getting better and better. This is where it all started, that year was when we started to get better...I’m excited. I love it here."

"I can tell you, my coach used to tell me ‘If you win Boston or big races like that, your life is going to change and everything is going to change.’ I was like ‘Oh yeah. I don’t think too, too much.’ But I can tell you it has changed a lot. Everywhere you go people stop and talk to me and say good luck, and want to know more about running...That’s one thing — I’m more inspired by it. Just how people are really into it, knowing it and wanting [to run more]. I go to the store and people stop me and that’s really good. It keeps me going."

"Coming back, every time is good and awesome...offering up some last minute advice. Make sure you have enough energy and are feeling yourself and know how much you still have left to go on the hills… Pace yourself."

"Today was a tough day. It was going to be a war of attrition and I knew that from the gun. I figured if we're going to hurt we might as well run fast."

"I think it was the best race for me. I got everything out of myself so I'm very pleased."

"I’m not an emotional person, but today was huge for me, I’m really proud of myself. You don’t get those moments too often, so I’m going to soak it in, be happy, then go back to being a competitor and try to take that next leap forward in racing down Boylston again. Today’s just as big as 2011 for me."

"At this point in my career I enter each race with a heightened sense of urgency and have become very selective in what races I'm willing to commit my time and energy to."

"I'm always grateful to be on the starting line and grateful to see the finish line just like every other 30,000 runners out there. I'm just like them. The conditions are tough today, but it's just so great to be here."

"I just feel like there is so much support and I want to do well for everyone else and it's the greatest motivator."

"I think sports have this great opportunity to bring joy and happiness into a world that’s sometimes a bit uneasy and disappointing and sad. It’s a great responsibility and honor to hopefully inspire people to be the best versions of themselves. If there are enough people in the world bringing the best versions of themselves to their work and families and communities, we would hopefully arrive at a place that is better. It’s an honor to be part of a culture and part of a group of women in the United States that’s doing it the right way, full of passion and dedication toward their sport."

"I was pretty confident that I was going to win, But I realized in the last mile that I couldn’t hang on and I had to settle for second."

"I am so happy, it was the only medal I missed in my cabinet."

"I didn’t know I was going to win because the race was tough. I used my mind and decided to be patient...We had the Ethiopians in the races before and we saw they are strong on the hills. This was the last chance, I don’t think I’m going to go for another World Cross-Country."

"I’m satisfied with my second place finish, what matters most was to finish within 1-2 bracket. I will go back and work hard in training to ensure I do well in Tokyo. I’m really not bothered much with Ethiopians, as a team we will deliver good results."

"The race was good. I just wanted to seal top two...I have no pressure; I will be facing familiar opponents in Tokyo. I am used to fast-paced races and all I am going to do is continue with my training."

"I have been running 10Ks and half marathons, so I have lost speed to defend my 5,000m title...I want to leave it to the younger athletes."

"I tried to be patient and wait for the right time to happen...Today was my time."

"In the middle of the race I had to be patient and had to wait for the right time. I knew I trained well, and today I can say it was my time...Moving from track to the road racing was a big challenge for me. In track there was not a lot of mileage."

"In a marathon, anything can happen."

"With a year of marathon experience now under my belt, a win in Boston, and my move to the U.S., I’m coming to New York this year (2023) with more confidence and in search of a title...I’m excited to show the people of New York what I’m capable of and that my win at the United Airlines NYC Half in March was just the beginning."

"It is all about focus. The training for 1500m and 5000m is different, you do more because the distance is longer, you basically change everything in training."

"What came to my mind in New York was to finish the race so I can learn how to do my next marathon...So it helped me a lot to learn about patience. In New York I didn’t know about patience, I ran it like it was a track race."

"I said in my mind let me try to be patient. When were at about 25k, I said ‘patient’. And when I reached 42km, I said, ‘no, I want to win this race.’ And I said, ‘can I just use track speed to go?"

"You know, now you are saying you are not alone...There’s someone who depends on me. My daughter needs to go to school, needs to have a good background, a good life. So you have to work hard because someone is looking up to you."

"It’s encouraged me a lot to work hard because it’s a new life, it’s a new environment...I said, let me try to win because I asked you [to come] here. No excuses, I must perform. So I think they encouraged me a lot to train and to focus well."

"I do hope that next year (2024) is going to be good for me because I’ve done a lot and I’ve won the silver medal...So I want to upgrade it to gold."

"You can’t be like Eliud if you want to sit down and you say, ‘I want to be like Eliud Kipchoge’. Eliud Kipchoge does not sit down and wait to go and win races!"

"I'm really excited as they (Hellen Obiri, Peres Jepchirchir, Brigid Kosgei are my friends...It only makes the competition more fun when it’s that stacked. I'm excited to compare myself with all those women."

"I was so disappointed that I couldn’t defend my title in New York last year (2022) due to an injury, and winning again in Central Park has been my main motivation as I begin my preparations for the autumn...New York is an important step in defending my Olympic gold medal next summer in Paris, and I will do my best to make my family and my country proud."

"I was thinking to run maybe 1:04:50, but I'm so happy...it's difficult to run alone. If I had a pacemaker I would run 64 (minutes)."

"I am not worried about the course, as I have had success in hilly marathons before, but New York has always been about head-to-head competition...I know I must be in the best possible shape to compete with the other women in the race."

"I was not expecting to run a record time. I just tried my best – that was all...Today was great preparation for Chicago."

"I was thinking about winning this gold since 2019, but Hassan was always there. I was also watching Hellen Obiri...This time, I was really watching them, and I knew I had to be very fast in the last 300 metres."

"This victory to me was even more important than a world record...I am so happy about this performance."

"With God’s help, I can get the double...I am very confident now."

"I really did not do anything special to prepare for Guiyang...I never stress about competition and thought I should just follow the leading group and rely on my finishing speed at the end. I am really happy about my individual result, but even happier that we [Ethiopia] took the top three places."

"Some people believe that it is nowadays very difficult for junior winners to make it at senior level...But I believe that there is nothing that stops a junior athlete from making it at senior level. Actually, coming up from success at junior levels is easier because there is little pressure and expectation when competing with senior athletes."

"I ran a 3000m race representing my Woreda [district] and finished second at the All-Tigray Games...It was this performance that convinced me that I may have a future in athletics."

"My focus is to defend my Olympic title in Tokyo...It was a really good race here (Kasarani Stadium near Nairobi), which I really wanted to win. I know I will meet many good athletes in Tokyo but I have prepared really well."

"I was really looking forward to defending my title, and I had a dream. Amazing to me, I completed it. I'm so, so happy," she told reporters. "I managed to make history. I've done it.""

"I didn't know I would come out strong today, after what I went through over the 5,000," Kipyegon said. "I didn't sleep until yesterday.""

"How I started athletics was like magic or something. I started when I was in primary school, back at home, where I used to do training in the school"

"I used to play football, gymnastics. After that we got a teacher [who] introduced us to running. I started running and knowing that athletics might [get] me somewhere"

"I have been performing for many years and getting the gold medals"

"I want to do my best and motivate the young girls and young women to know that Faith has come a long way, and she’s still performing at the Olympic level and getting these medals, especially the gold medal."

"I won my first gold medal as a mum, after coming back from maternity leave. I was running with experience and at the same time [for] people back at home, especially my daughter. [Motherhood] changed me a lot, mentally."

"Many people benefited from that gold medal"

"My village got electricity after that"

"It’s the love of the sport. Wanting to inspire the young generation and the young girls around the world, that you can also take athletics as a profession. Going out there running early in the morning and going to camps, staying there, from Monday to Saturday"

"Because we as athletes take what we have given by God [as] our talent. To inspire the young generation and upcoming athletes to know that if you take it seriously, it can put you on another level in the world."

"If you have that pain, it's success"

"The dream is just to get that gold medal…bring that gold medal home"

"If you are in training, and you don't feel pain, next thing you are going to a race, and you don’t perform good. But if you have that pain, it's a success. So, you feel pain today, I think it will be a successful tomorrow to achieve what you have been feeling pain [for]."

"I want to do this for my country. I want to do this for myself. I want to do this for the next young girl to know that if a young girl can win a gold medal, why not us"

"I didn’t expect to win...The [race] was tactical. I didn’t have many races but my preparations [were] uninterrupted. My wish is to ensure we work as a team in Tokyo to ensure we deliver podium finishes."

"It has not been a fab day for me, I have to say...I am very disappointed because I feel like I am in an amazing place. I couldn’t feel my legs [after grimacing in the semi-final], it was a bit weird, but at the end of the day, I can still run, it’s not really a problem. I am in much better shape than that so I am very disappointed."

"I had wanted this [51 seconds] and to race in this stadium (London) for so long so to do so well in this atmosphere…I couldn’t be happier...I’d been feeling great in training and that I could not only run 51 but do it in my last competition before Budapest is great. I have all the information I think we need in what we can do better – now it’s time to work hard and get the last things perfect."

"I’d been feeling great in training and that I could not only run 51 but do it in my last competition before Budapest is great. I have all the information I think we need in what we can do better – now it’s time to work hard and get the last things perfect."

"Changing my stride pattern is one of the biggest changes I will make in my career. I like the challenge. I knew it would be tough but I really like the feel of the 14 strides compared to 15 so I think we made a really good decision."

"Everyone brings their A game to the championships and I hope to do the same."

"It's more a case of giving it less thought...last time I really missed racing and I know I'm going to feel just the same when the baby's born. I came back (in 2007) and I'm not saying I started back running too soon 12 days after the birth but rather the scale at which I ramped it up. I had gone through a difficult labour and I didn't give my body enough time to recover."

"The race went according to plan, I was only thinking about the gold medal."

"Of course, I set the women-only world record for the half marathon (1:06:11) in Valencia and that was a race without pacemakers. I have also run times for 10,000m on the track (personal best 30:36.75, 2016) and 10km on the road (31:35, 2017) that are better than the course record but the most important thing for me is to win."

"Since Valencia, I have just been training and focusing on Bengaluru. Even though the race has been put back two weeks, that hasn’t affected me. In fact, it’s allowed me to prepare slightly better."

"I had to keep on checking who is behind me, how I am doing...that’s all I was doing, and I decided to be ahead of the boys, so I was always checking behind me."

"It was a very competitive race with strong runners...the course was very good and the weather was perfect for running. I am going back to Kenya to prepare the track season. My goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games in the 10,000m."

"Beyond these, I am drawn to the richness of this great country. Richness not summed in any currency, but in the people."

"And I think working out is one of those things that you need to do at the top of the morning because it actually does energize your day. People think it’s gonna take away from their energy, but I find that it energizes my day."

"I think my mind works as fast as my legs do, and so I’m always thinking of something I have, some business plan or something I wanna do in the community or something. So I’m always thinking of stuff to do."

"At that point, it was more of a spiritual race than a physical one. It was incredibly hard for me, as I know it is for a lot of women. You feel this unworthiness, this shame."

"If people knew the real numbers on abortion in this sport, then I think there would be more urgency to help women in colleges, to improve the standard of sex education."

"The only thing I have in my armoury is that I know I'll fight. Whatever it takes, I'll fight. Even if I'm tired, I'll fight."

"You can't change a child's life, but those are the small things that can motivate them, give them a little push to keep them going."

"I just want these kids to have a mental frame of mind that is open to work as opposed to being people who just sit around and wait for things to be done. So that's why I do it."

"But there are things you get from participating in sport that will give you more substance. That's the message we need to be bringing out: you'll be healthy and happy. This is far better than anything else."

"I’m really excited to learn more rather than just focus on who is going to run and are they going to win or not."

"Maybe I’m searching for some very hard or stressful things. I don’t know. Maybe for me to stay in this sport I have to find out what is possible or impossible?"

"Running teaches you patience, and I didn't want to give up. After all, if you don't give up, you just continue."

"I think learning to take something difficult in your stride is something life teaches you."

"So, when I feel like I want to give up or cry, I don’t. And the outcome is much more beautiful."

"I don't challenge myself to be better than the next person, rather better than myself. I think everyone should compete with themselves."

"Challenging yourself is hard work, but it's okay to be scared, have doubts and to be worried. Just don’t run away and quit."

"The real race begins when the pain starts."

"So for me, just to be a female and represent my country, it’s a big day for me, because I am able to show other females that they can do it too."

"I'm at the stage that I probably don't have the child-like passion about track and field but for me, it's more about the mission to inspire people. I want to an example of what's possible to the people that come behind me."

"I feel like I had an innate gift that I was born with to run."

"It’s a blessing to be out there, it’s my pas­sion and the joy I bring to many people when I compete, it’s a blessing. Sometimes I reflect and learn from how far I came. I remember running barefoot in Trelawny, and the whole process to where I am now is just awesome."

"I also like to give back in life. I like to make sure the way I live my life I can influence young people."

"I put the pressure on myself because I love what I do."

"When you achieve that dream, it shows anything is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard for it."

"I dreamed, I worked hard, I received."

"I really did not get any encouragement from anyone, but I pushed on because I liked to run. I made my first national team in 1988."

"I knew I would be the Olympic Champion. I was running and the others were looking backwards, so I understood that they were tired, when for me the pace was easy. It was nice, because I could run strong and enjoy."

"I knew of 1960 Olympic marathon winner Abebe Bikila and 1968 winner Mamo Wolde from the radio, so I thought I’d try it, too."

"They thought I should be doing women things."

"I do not really want to be famous,But it's nice to be among the renowned athletes."

"I am hoping to make history, I feel like I have made good preparation."

"Well, for me the greatest of all marathons is of course the olympic marathon, but second place is Boston."

"Sometimes, if there are a lot of people around me when I go to a store, I feel a bit intimidated. I used to be shy. I still consider myself shy, but I'm a little better now and I'm getting used to it."

"I'm very happy to win a second time, I found it to be a very easy race."

"I've been told there is a big hill, but I didn't see it."

"They all went out of their way, getting us awards and everything."

"Even if I never ran again, I would have been content."

"The reaction I felt from people had a big impact on me, I suddenly felt such a great sense of responsibility. I felt that I had to try to keep running, as long as I possibly could."

"Before the race I was afraid of the others with better times, but soon I realized that they were not running fast today, I picked up the speed and they would not follow. At that point I was already sure that I would win because I practiced very hard."

"Never again, never again will I do this distance, it is too long."

"This is not only a special thing for me but also for my country and all African women."

"She is the only woman from Africa who has won the Olympics and Boston Marathon three times. She is an inspiration for us."

"I think she is an example for a lot of women who are discouraged by the culture because it does not reward you."

"If she can win four times, it gives us much more potential to think we can do it, maybe six times."

"For women, she seems like a very special person, she's very determined, If she wins four, we don't need anything else."

"My wife gave birth to a baby girl soon after the Olympics and I named her 'Fatuma' after you."

"She ran with the same smooth stride and placid, dispassionate look on her face that she carried through the Olympic race."

"The most relaxed-looking runner I have ever seen."

"Government is spending so much on football. Though I am not against that, but it’s advisable for it to shift a little and show more interest in other sports, such as track and field."

"The responsibilities of impacting the right attitude and adequate training can only be achieved by professionals in the industry."

"When you look at the idea behind the race, it is meant to promote peace. And so any thing that will bring peace to this country must be supported."

"At that level, you don’t wait for anybody, it is your career and you have to work very hard to achieve your goals."

"My goal has always been to help our athletics a blend of the old and new by encouraging them."

"When you are a top athlete in the world, if you marry the person on the track with you, whenever you travel, both of you can go together since you do the same thing."

"For me, each race was like a hurdle that I must jump over."

"Motherhood is such an indescribable feeling; it’s the best thing in the world. I think all women should go through the experience to understand what I’m saying."

"I am very passionate about the plight of the less-privileged and I wish that I could set up a foundation to cater for their needs."

"When the ovation is loudest, it’s not when people start saying what else do you want. Because sometimes it’s better to give the young ones a chance to come up, it’s not that some people don’t want to leave, it’s because Nigeria don’t appreciate their own."

"You should not worry about what is going on around you because whatever that’s going on is to distract you, but if you keep on focusing and you talk with the right people, when you talk to one person and that person wants to discourage you, you know that you don’t need such a person, but when you talk to another and he encourages you, you know that the person is your friend that wants you to progress."

"if you keep on working at it, with all your mind and people say they see you everyday passing by to the stadium to train and one day when they see you on the pitch for an international tournament the people will remember how you always went for training every morning, passing through their area all the time, that’s it, you don’t have to give up."

"There are things that matter in sports. You may train an athlete for months and you think that the athlete is good enough to win a medal but on the day it matters the athlete gets into an overwhelming stadium with 80,000 spectators shouting and the athlete freezes."

"My parents bought me my first running shoe , My coach John Afuwape gave my first Spike shoe in 1980."

"Some of the athletes of this generation need to be ready to work harder and not to be telling their coaches that the work load is too much. They must realise that only hard work, determination and discipline can take them to the top of their careers."

"Sometimes you look back in life despite what you have achieved and wished you did some things better, I wish I had listened to my coach to run 400hurdle and put more effort in 200m and 800m."

"Growing up and seeing my mother representing Nigeria as an athlete, I always wanted to be like her. Whenever I watched her races and how she ran so well, I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps, and like her, my goal is to one day participate in the Olympics."

"My mother taught me to be hard working. She instilled that in me from my childhood days."

"It was a triumph for women all over the world to stand up to their enemies, That's what made me really proud."

"My father worried a lot about me - it was an enormous stress for him,I knew that what I was doing was an incredible burden for him."

"As I crossed the line, I thrust a fist into the air, It was a symbol of victory, of defiance. It was to say:I did it! I won!"

"That year I didn't run a single race in Algeria, It was simply too risky. I could have been killed at any moment."

"Tradition is not really a problem. The thinking has evolved enormously. Women’s emancipation has really progressed. Women can choose what sport they want."

"Women’s sport in general is very weak, We still need a good sports policy. There’s a lot of work to do."

"I was screaming for Algeria's pride and Algeria's history, and still more."

"Several leaders of political parties told me, You did what we haven't been able to do for years. You brought us together."

"My parents came originally from the remote countryside. But for 10 years my father drove a truck in France and sent money home to our family."

"You can't be a champion in a week or a year, You must accept a time of suffering."

"I like to keep things simple, not be a star. But I've become a representative of all Algeria, and of young women in particular."

"Every year it gets harder to balance my training, my friends, my other interests and my duty to visit my parents and take care of them."

"My race at the world championships was the first time I ever felt complete confidence in myself."

"In athletics, on the track, I learned to suffer, to love my country, to concentrate, to take responsibility."

"I believe you can express your self in sport maybe better than in any other field. All that, and it brings everyone together, too."

"It is an athlete’s greatest accomplishment to be at the Olympics and in an Olympic final, so that’s what athletes have to learn to thrive on. Just like when you train your body physically, you have to train your mind mentally to harness that positivity from everything that is going on around you and put it into that competition. It’s almost like being in Hollywood; you have a script, the scene/race has already been rehearsed. I’ve trained, sacrificed and worked hard, so now it’s time to portray that in front of the World."

"Most people don’t see this part, but there were days when I was throwing up, there were days when I couldn’t walk after a session, days when I felt like quitting and there were days when I’d say why am I doing this, I don’t want to do this anymore! But nobody sees that part, so when you make a final and you’re like wow…at least before the gun goes off, I can say I am number 8 or top 8 in the World! That to me, if you think of how many people are in this World, is fantastic, it’s awesome!"

"I don’t know about any secrets, but I think if I could put it in a nutshell; I’m an athlete of routine, routine of being disciplined, hard working and dedicated. Doing the small things that most athletes don’t want to do, tapering down, ice baths, all kinds of stuff; If coach says do 6, don’t try to do 4! Your goal is to do 8. Those are things that made me a better athlete. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I try to take care of my body, rest etc."

"Debbie Ferguson – McKenzie – Interview Female Coaching Network, 7 July 2015 by @fasterfergie16"

"the focus is always on the training, the physical part of it, and the mental aspect of it is (being) ignored."

"not because they are not physically ready, but because they are not mentally prepared."

"experience in track and field will also help me to drive home a point to young athletes because I have gone through it already."

"My Mother is Still My Driving Force."

"I missed being at the World Championships and my city would have loved to see me run since I'm based in Germany. They missed me too in the relay team because our team did poorly in Berlin. I'm not saying I'm the best in Nigeria but if I was there and some of us that ran in the Olympics were there, we might have made an impact."

"I used to watch every competition on Skysports to see the times athletes are running and to see if the times aren't above what I can run. They ran well last year but nobody really ran fast among the Nigerian women, unlike in 2008 when I was running. That year Damola ran 11.08 seconds which was really very fast but the fastest last year was 11.16 seconds. It was good but what they were running in Europe, America and Jamaica was faster; they were giving us time to follow because Carmelita Jeter of the US ran 10.6 which was very fast. The Africans didn't do so well but at least we are following up."

"I don't know how it all happened but I was very disappointed and it's coming from athletes you never expected to do drugs. I feel for them but I know one or two things would have led them to do it. Sometimes it's not the athletes' fault but I'm not encouraging drugs. If they do it and they know it, then they should face the consequences. It's just a pity; a sprinter (Gloria Kemasuode) too is affected and she's good. We are all going to miss her. I really feel bad for them because I don't think they are under pressure."

"If you leave athletics, it leaves you. I was getting lazy because this is the build up period from September to December but so far so good, everything has been so good. I have a coach in Germany by the name of Frank Duka that prepares a programme for me. We have a coach in Nigeria that we use whenever we are around too."

"It's not so easy because it's just like when you are in school trying to read and pass your exams without lagging behind. Every year new people come out in athletics so I just have to train hard and see who comes out this year. I ran well in 2008 and I hope to do the same this year (2010). I know it's not going to be easy but I have to come back to it, to tell myself I can do it."

"Our administrators are killing the sport. We have to understand that you cannot reap from where you did not sow. I’m sorry to say this, we believe too much in fire-brigade approach. Sports is dying in Nigeria because our administrators are not doing what they are supposed to do. It was on during our time but it was better. It is that bad now."

"It is a great feeling, having a bronze medal before and now silver, I hope they will soon award the silver medals to us. Even when we came back with the bronze in 2008, we didn’t even get a handshake or a congratulatory message but thank God today that I can now be addressed as Olympics silver medalist. That is the joy of the whole thing but it would have been better if the silver medal had been awarded right on the podium"

"Every single year we (Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria) have taken a group of 68 athletes and coaches to learn and develop the sport. Our goal is to try and compete in 2026. We are developing them along the way, every single year it is getting better and better."

"This sport (bobsled) is celebrating 100 years this year and we are only in our 5th year. it would interest you to see what we have been able to do in 5 years. this is due to our passion, dedication and willingness to be great."

"This sport (bobsled) has the biggest learning curve that I probably have ever experienced in my life. I’ve learned a couple things along the way, but this is totally new. Take a driver who just freshly got their license —16 years old...They know what to do behind the wheel. They have an idea. But then go throw them in Daytona. It might be a little bit different type of driving. That’s how I feel. It’s just straight survival mode the entire time."

"I don’t believe that one body and the other operate the same, particularly in sports. You can’t just give two different people the same workout and expect their bodies to respond the exact same way. They may respond similarly, but there are going to be things that will differentiate between their outcomes. If you can understand the fundamentals of why their bodies respond differently, then you could also be able to contribute to those specific differences, to make that individual athlete better."

"The ability to be selfless is what drives your ability to actually see clearly."

"In being selfless, you’re able to see a lot more sometimes than you really want to. Sometimes you just have to be able to tackle that fear, particularly that of the unknown. It’s always easier to just turn away and walk away from it, but if you just open up to it, you’ll really be able to see exactly what your purpose is."

"When you ride on faith, you’re able to live in that element of selflessness. You’re able to live in that moment of fearlessness. I don’t attribute any type of individual success to myself, but more so to God’s will to put me in places to allow things to flourish or opportunities to present themselves."

"This is a real-life example of what it means to represent African excellence and a true testament to the fact that impossible is nothing. This milestone is truly a blessing."

"Everyone should be held to the same standard of fairness no matter what country they are representing and which sport they play. We all give so much of ourselves every single day and sacrifice our lives to be the best we can be naturally - no one should be able to dilute this efforts or strip them away by cheating. In any country where there is doping scandal, the system and the culture that was in place for this type of behaviour to be acceptable should be broken down and re-educated to prevent innocent-hearted athletes from being punished in the future."

"After we qualified for the Olympics, there was this uproar within Nigeria, the Nigerian diaspora, and non-Nigerian people. People were really excited that there was a winter effort and something positive happening for Nigeria."

"Fear is really just another opportunity to learn."

"This is beyond a dream come true. To be able to bring something back to not only the country of Nigeria – which has so gracefully given me my family, my culture and everything I stand by – but also to the continent of Africa and the world."

"To bring a gift for people to know that resilience is something that you can actually live to achieve, and that the fear of the unknown doesn’t need to be something that limits your ability to thrive in life...Those qualities will be important for everybody to be able to take in."

"Don’t be afraid to take that risk. Impossible is nothing."

"You can sometimes stand in front of a door without knowing what’s on the other side and open it. You won’t know what’s on the other side until you open it."

"Being in an uncomfortable place isn’t bad [and] it isn’t wrong; it’s just different. Sometimes you need to be able to take that chance."

"Although we're American, we're also Nigerian. We're actually Nigerian first. That's the one culture that we know, that we were raised to respect and understand. To show people that it's okay to be both and it's okay to represent where you're from is a powerful message that, hopefully, we've been able to translate."

"You can’t coach someone to have passion, you can’t coach them to be dedicated, you can’t coach them to have heart and you can’t coach them to move with integrity or commitment and those are the things we are looking for."

"I don’t see myself as ‘the next’ anyone,I see myself as me, Favour Chukwuka Ofili, who is coming up with the grace of God in my life."

"If you are healthy, you can really do anything."

"To become an Olympian is tough, but it is an achievable task which anyone can attain through hard work and support from their coaches and sports administrators."

"We were very dedicated and proud to wear the national colours. With support from every corner, we were always happy running for the country (Nigeria), as it was a privilege for the few of us selected to represent the country then."

"My dominance in the hurdles was mainly because of my determination to become a world-class hurdler, and I ensured that I put in my best for the country in those days."

"My most memorable moment was when I became the first women’s champion from Texas Southern in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) meet history, winning the 400m hurdles in 55.16secs. That was in 1986. The time broke the stadium record of 55.47secs set by Anna Kastelskaya of the Soviet Union in 1982, and I was happy being a Nigerian."

"I regretted not going far at the Seoul Olympics due to what happened to me at the Games. It was the second round of our 400m hurdles and an athlete crossed my lane and collided with me. I fell down and could not finish the race. I was rushed to the hospital and ended the Olympics with the Plaster of Paris (POP). I was very sad because I was unable to achieve my aims and target and I will never forget that incident in my life"

"The development of a world class athlete is a long process. We need to put the process or system in place to discover and develop new athletes. The best way to do this is to start from the primary and secondary schools. Any potential athlete needs to be taught the basics in whatever event they are likely to participate in."

"Nigerian athletes work very hard. In terms of training and seriousness, Nigerian athletes are far ahead of their European and American counterparts. What is lacking is the absence of the right facilities and this is where their foreign counterparts have an edge."

"Running and jumping came to me naturally. It was while I took to athletics which was known as track and field then. I took part in basketball, badminton, table tennis, and a few other sports when I was growing up but it was athletics that I stuck to."

"I didn’t get much encouragement from home at all because they didn’t know too much about sports. My mum wasn’t that educated enough to know what sports is all about."

"Education was very important to me as an athlete back then. I took it seriously right from when I was in Nigeria and even when I got to the United States and ran for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the coaches were trying to make athletics the major priority. I made them know that I came to the US for my education while athletics is secondary. I made sure I got my degrees first. I know that with the education I have something to fall back on in the case of injury or retirement from the sport."

"My love for track and field made it fun and interesting for me to go to extra length to achieve the results I got. I would have won three gold medals at the 1978 African Games but I picked up a groin injury that forced me to pull out of the 100m hurdles. At the 1973 African Games, I competed in the high jump, 100m hurdle, and long jump and I clinched the gold medals in the three events. I was thrilled to win the gold medals as it was just fun for me then."

"The Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1974 in New Zealand in the long jump event was special. I was close to winning the gold in the hurdles too but I tripped towards it and ended up with a bronze medal."

"We were already at the 1976 Montreal, Olympics in Canada and waiting for the opening ceremony before we pulled out of the competition a day before it. Everybody was disappointed because of the hard work we had put in preparing for the Olympics for four years but it wasn’t the end of the world."

"My mum was a strong woman but she didn’t really understand what the sport is all about. She was there for me whenever she can and whatever she could do for me, she tried her best."

"They (Government of Nigeria) must catch the athletes when they are young. We started very young. They must encourage the athletes with good incentives to be able to compete."

"I will tell the athletes to work hard and not to let sports get into their heads. They must complement their endowed talents with education. It gives them something good to hold on to after their retirement. Also as an athlete, you need to be disciplined and make up your mind on what you want. You must determine what you want to do with your life."

"Having represented Nigeria twice at the Olympic games, I can confidently say it is unarguably the pinnacle of any athlete’s dream and getting a medal in such an epic event can be deemed to be one of the highest achievements and a dream come true that any athlete can hope for."

"At the 2008 Beijing Olympics where I and my fellow team mates (Oludamola Osayomi, Gloria Kemasuode, Franca Idoko and Halimat Ismaila) qualified through to the finals and ended up winning a bronze medal in the women’s 4x100m relay, it was nothing short of an electrifying moment. It was as if the world stood still because all the hard work, discipline and sacrifice just paid off."

"For me and the rest of the quartet, it was as if that moment should just draw on and on. Having put in so much work and now seeing it been rewarded with a bronze medal at such an epoch making event was more than words could describe. Little did we know that fate had a whole different surprise package for us all a couple of years down the line."

"It was with mixed feelings that we got the news of the disqualification of the Russia’s women relay quartet due to a doping infraction by one of her team members. On the one hand we had this joy of becoming Olympic silver medallists, but on the other, a feeling of slight disappointment knowing that the winning quartet had an undue advantage due to one of its members spiking her system with banned substances. This type of revelation comes with a bit of a sad feeling considering the amount of work you honestly put in and believing (erroneously as it turns out) that everyone was competing on a level playing field. And when you now find out that some persons had undue advantage due to the use of banned substances and it deprives you of what should have been rightly yours at the time, it gives you a feeling of sadness and slight depression and disappointment in and towards the system."

"It really gladdens my heart to have my bronze medal upgraded to a silver medal because it just simply gives me the drive to work even harder and have a rededication to a clean sports for us all."

"I will also like to use this medium to appeal to all my fellow athletes, both young and old, that no matter what you think you are facing now, I want you to just believe in yourself and continually tell yourself that the seeming punishments and disappointments of today if endured will lead to untold glories in the nearest future."

"Agnes Osazuwa has won the last women's 100m semifinal, clocking 11.35s to beat Gloria Asumnu who finished 2nd #NigeriaOlympicTrials"

"In my first marriage, my husband wasn’t really supportive of me being a coach. But I am stubborn; coaching is what I do and what I love, and so I went for it. One of the major reasons that marriage failed was because of my career. We were together for 12 years, but there was a lot of quarrelling going on, especially when I had to travel for competitions or when I had to go to the stadium to train my athletes. I wasn’t ready to give up my career as a coach, so I formally ended the marriage in October, 2021. When you hear that a lot of women had to quit coaching because of the lack of support of their spouses, that’s actually the truth."

"I go to where I am needed and I owe no one any apology for working for Rivers."

"Government has done everything so; it is left for us to pay back the kind gesture. We had good training, good facilities and good coaches. If any state deserves to win this festival, it should be Rivers."

"The number one reason many female coaches are not encouraged to stick with this career is the lack of support, and what I mean by support is about the Federation having your back. There are not many female coaches. There are about 10 of us in the country that I know of right now, but we are not being encouraged and supported. We need exposure. We can only get better when we are exposed, but we are not getting that from the Federation. A lot of the time you see a team consisting of four male coaches and one female coach, or none at all; where is the gender equity? These are some of the reasons women give up on coaching, because we are not getting the right support."

"We have prospects for the Rio Games. We are in camp right now and we are working hard. The athletes want to go to Rio and win medals and do the nation (Nigeria) proud. We are all working together to ensure that we go to Rio to win medals and do the nation proud. The athletes want to win because they know that there is something good awaiting them and they stand the chance of making good contacts thereafter. These are the future stars of Nigeria. This kind championship was used to discover the likes of Endurance Ojokolo, Blessing Okagbare, Obinna Metuh and many other stars. It is a step in the right direction and should be sustained."

"I am so disappointed in those people who said our athletes fumbled in Durban. In the first place, people should look at the circumstances our athletes travelled to Durban. About one week to the competition, athletes from other countries were already on ground in Durban, but our athletes did not even know whether they would make the trip or not. Some of our key athletes couldn’t make the trip due to one reason or the other. Coaches were also affected. I want Nigerians to celebrate the athletes. At this stage of our preparation for Rio Olympics, what they need is encouragement. We must not do things that will make the athletes remember the hard way they made the trip to Durban."

"Meet Endurance Ojokolo, one+ of finest female sprinters Nigeria has produced. In 2005 she got to the 4x100m final of the World Champs & 14yrs later, she's the coach of @Dushos to his debut."

"I’m excited about running at the African Masters Championships. And most definitely I will love to race against Ojokolo. Perhaps when the younger ones see us perform they will want to go and replicate it as they participate actively."

"My talent was first discovered at a school athletics day a year after I arrived Norway. We had different events such as sprint, long jump and high jump. I was the fastest girl, and the guys were afraid to run against me, so, I ended up running by myself, but with the best times of all children. The teachers encouraged me after that to take up athletics."

"In recent years, when I am running, it is mostly for the joy of it...to give God glory with my talent and to inspire other people. I don’t attach my accomplishments to any country or to anyone."

"You can be great today and be loved by everyone and the next day you are out in the cold. It is like you are working hard your whole life for a run of a couple of seconds and sometimes you might not get rewarded for it. So, one has to take nothing for granted because nothing is guaranteed in athletics."

"It would have been a great honour to represent Nigeria at some point, but the IAAF has made it very hard to switch allegiance. Now, the athlete has to wait at least two years to compete for another country in an international championships."

"Make the best out of my training, to improve everyday, and reach the potential that I feel inside me and haven’t shown yet. If I manage to do all that, the result will surely come."

"We believe that every girl in society, regardless of her ethnic background, should get equal chance in sports to have fun, develop her talents and enjoy being in an inclusive community. We believe that youth sports is the best tool for girls to develop self-motivation, resiliency and strong appreciation for their own health and well- being. To help young girls become the future ethical leaders and positive contributors for our society, we offer training and equipment for them free of charge twice a week."

"I am proud of my country. I have always wanted to represent my country since I was a junior athlete and if offered the opportunity to run at the Olympic Games, I will do my level best to make the country proud."

"“I knew I wasn't the favorite [at Trials] and I had to put in the work to make sure I came out successful. But I believe in one thing: ‘Go hard or suffer the rest of your life’.”"

"“No, man, nobody had transportation to school. The only thing you had was ‘Legsus.’ L-E-G-S-U-S. We used to say, ‘You have a Legsus.’ Like L-E-G for the leg, then S-U-S to mimic the Lexus car. ... We have a ‘Footsubishi.’ And then I would say ‘Shoebaru’ ... to mimic the Subaru vehicle. That was the only mode of transportation that we had. If you’d ask me how you get to school, I’d say, ‘I ride the Legsus.’”"

"Liberia is owned by Jesus no matter what they say or who says what, Jesus owns Liberia. Despite what we have gone through, we must forgive if we want to achieve durable peace. Though it is difficult to forgive, but we must do so in the interest of peace and our Nation. This nation belongs to God. Any government who does not know Jesus is bound to fail."

"I was brought up with good values, so that's played a huge part in my life. I'm not outspoken, particularly, about my faith, but I'm a believer and I'm very pleased to have had a good life which I've had to this day. I'm very thankful – I've worked very hard, and having good morals instilled in me, behaving well as a citizen – I believe has helped me on the journey to where I am."

"I can’t believe it! At last, at long last, I have won it."

"I did not win a medal here but I’m very happy to have helped my teammate get gold. We planned to wear them down during the race instead of waiting to kick at the finish where they beat us. Linet is stronger at finishing and that is why I accepted to do all the pacing especially when our teammate Florence (Kiplagat) dropped injured and God made our plan work."

"I would still have given it my best go if Masai was here. Sure, it would have made the race more challenging but this victory was not easy as it looks since we had to compete against bad weather."

"Yes, at last, at long last, I have it. I have been through so much pain but God has worked his miracle. This shows if you keep knocking and believing, the door will eventually open."

"I dedicate this to my family since they have been praying so hard for this day. I’m glad to be home so I can celebrate with them."

"When you have faith, you can endure suffering. There are some sufferings that have no name, that you can't describe or justify, but when you believe in God, you no longer ask why me and not someone else. And that is a great achievement."

"When I saw her in the stadium, she always showed respect. She worked with my mother in a factory in Floréal. My mother told me how, every morning, Maryse Justin would hand her bag to her sister and run from her home in Quatre-Bornes to the office. My mother always told me that this lady had enormous courage, that she was very determined. That stayed with me."

"“But I believed that I could make it, and to make it and grab that gold medal, I’m proud,”"

"“I did dream of this, I’ve been working so hard for this. We have a long season ahead and I believe there’s still more to come.”"

"“The world hasn't really recognised me. The world doesn't really know me that well because I haven't run that sub-1:58 but I know I'm going to do it,”"

"“I'll be all over social media and that is what I want. I haven't been there, according to me. I don't have that exposure. In Morocco, I will make some miracles happen. I'm ready.”"

"“I feel like right now I have that experience whereby I know in the heat they take the top three. And in the semis that's where you have to push yourself. That's your final, actually,”"

"“You have to put yourself in the top two. This year we have the Olympics and now I have a goal. My goal is to be in the final. Like my coach says, anything can happen once you are in the final.”"

"“I am from this village called Medingen. It's a dusty place, to be honest. There's no track. There's no grass. There's nothing, there is just dust everywhere,”"

"“So, it was challenging. I started running when I was doing physical education in grade four. And that's where I thought, ‘Let me just try this thing of running. Let me see where I can go. Then I just started running and we started visiting other schools.”"

"“The goal for this year is to run 1:56. I didn’t tell the coach yet. But that's my goal and I know I'm going to do it. I wrote it in my diary. I just have to keep consistent in my training,""

"I am always smiling when I wear this national flag of Burundi. I did all I was supposed to do to defend this title despite the fact it was not easy. I did it for god and for my country. I want to be an inspiration for the youth and children in Burundi"

"They treat us as if we are cheats. We deserve to be respected as athletes, as champions."

"It doesn’t make sense. For sure, I didn’t choose to be born like this. I love running, and I will not stop running"

"I am feeling seriously wonderful. I didn’t realize I could run a world record, but it was my first time here. I came here to do what I have to do"

"I did it. It’s wonderful and it’s fabulous. The pacing was really perfect. I want to thank all the people who came to cheer us"

"I will firstly endeavor to train myself to improve my record and do better in 2020 Olympic Games"

"I started being ranked seventh on the list in 2012 Olympic Games, the second in 2016 and though I don’t know what the result will be, I want to be a gold medalist in 2020"

"Determination and courage are the best friends of the future"

"I will take this opportunity to visit the University of Ngozi as it promised to award me for my silver medal"

"There isn’t much money in athletics. We just win and receive something that allows us to survive with the main objective of avoiding depending on others. On the contrary, it is the country which should honor its athletes"

"Burundi government should adopt laws that promote athletes in Burundi for instance"

"It is very sad and disappointing for turn of this events. I’m heartbroken by the fact that I will not compete in the 800m race which I was very much looking forward to. I have prepared well for this moment for the whole season"

"When you have trained all through and worked hard to qualify for the world championships, it is certainly difficult to accept such a situation"

"My target was to lower my personal best in this competition"

"There is nothing much I can do at the moment because it is out of my control. I hope to be back soon much stronger ad healthier."

"To the rest of the ladies in the race, I wish you all the best as you represent Kenya. I want to thank my management and Athletics Kenya medical staff for the assistance they have given me during this difficult time"

"In 2015, just before the World Championships in Beijing and I was honest with myself, I was getting old. I told myself, ‘Janeth, you do Beijing, and then it is time to step out of track"

"So when I transitioned out of that track, I moved into coaching immediately"

"I always felt like what he did to my life from hurdling to being a 800m star was amazing. And I also always wanted to start with an athlete from zero. By identifying a talent and giving an opportunity to young people to experience the sport"

"I never got discouraged or felt shy, knowing that in Kenya we have more men as coaches and very few or no women coaches"

"Coaching is enjoyable and life changing. I think when you have more female coaches, the sport also changes positively. And we don’t all have to be [technical] coaches, there are so many spheres of coaching like mental, safeguarding"

"I see more women coming up, and it’s encouraging to see more federations enrolling the services of female coaches compared to my time when I was an athlete. There's a big difference in how we female coaches handle athletes. When you have more female coaches, you also have people who safeguard athletes from abuse. Sometimes we assume the roles of mothers, and when a mother sits down with their kids, it is sometimes easier for them to speak out"

"I am doing this because of the love I have for running and for the athletes. Running changed my life in a big way. I find great joy in nurturing and guiding young runners and in seeing them begin to excel in their careers as well"

"I am so motivated (by my family)"

"I hope I can run my personal best and get a good result there"

"Yes all I can do is try my best. I don't have any information about Toronto"

"I didn’t expect these conditions but I can run in hot conditions"

"I am getting that desire in me to win everything."

"I want to win no matter what happens."

"Many kids have started running in Debremarkos after watching me."

"I was really angry to not bring back two medals from the World Championships, but I knew from our training I had a lot of potential to do something with my fitness"

"Being there to represent my country brings immense feelings. Our people always expect us to win. Our seniors are known for bringing gold medals to Ethiopia."

"Being a medallist isn’t the goal, getting the gold medal is. I feel a great responsibility when I represent my country."

"The Olympics is a big stage, and it’s my dream. I’ve succeeded in everything else, and the only thing left is the Olympic (gold)."

"I’ve been a two-time world champion, and the Olympics is my next goal."

"It’s the first time winning a medal for my country"

"It’s a huge honour for me"

"I was sick at home just before coming to Nanjing,” she told the World Athletics flash quotes team. “So, I stayed at the back to conserve myself before making my push"

"I’m healthy now, and I came here to win,” Hailu continued. “Last year I won the 1500m, now I’ve won the 3000m, and I’m so happy about that. I try my best, and God helped me with the rest. I don’t know how I will celebrate; my happiness is beyond me"

"To win this event, I prepared myself strongly, and I feel very happy that I won the race"

"We need to set up relay camps because we’ve been getting away… We haven’t been doing no handoffs and no training, nothing. We just kind of come to competition and just kind of wing based on talent."

"I’ve never been African champion in the 100m, so it’s something I’ve always wanted to accomplish"

"I think it’s consistent, I have no special objective as I’m just working on the first 60m of my 100m for this summer."

"I'm going back to prepare in the United States and I'll come back stronger. This isn't the end of my career."

"Even if someone say, ‘you will not make it!’, just show them that you can make it because life is not about always giving up. It's about working hard, sacrifice, and making yourself available to push your body to achieve your dreams."

"I just want to enjoy every competition and not pressure myself with thoughts like, ‘Oh, I need to run because I need the money or something else."

"I am just here trying to beat my personal best, and the rest will come."

"I am trying to think of me a lot this year, take care of myself and enjoy the moment…So one more race in New York and then I am off finally for honeymoon."

"And the next day you see me smiling, you don't know what I'm going through because I tell myself, ‘People have other bigger problems than me."

"I have been [through] ups and downs in my career, but this year has been harder because I hard to work really hard to be here."

"I have been struggling after the Olympics. I didn't want to continue my season. But I did. It’s not always about winning, it's about not giving up, about giving your best every day, every time you pursue your dreams."

"I want to be the greatest sprinter in Africa."

"I want to leave a big legacy. Not only for Ivorian girls, but for all African girls. I want to show that they can do something big if they believe in themselves."

"My older brother did not want me to carry on with football, fearing that I would become a tomboy."

"When I started, my mother didn't want me to do it."

"And people around me said, 'You are from Africa, I don't think you will become someone. I want you to continue your studies, to work in an office'. But I felt it, because I like to run so much. This is my way."

"My results at the 2012 African Championships had made me realise that I had the potential to become an elite sprinter. Things did not work out for me [at the University] and I decided to return to Cote d'Ivoire."

"It gives me so much confidence. I didn’t know that doing what I’m doing could be an example for other people. You don’t need much to become a star."

"It’s nice to see people who want to take a picture with me, who want to become like me. But I tell them they should not want to become like me, rather greater than me."

"Athletics is who I am today. Before, I didn’t love myself like that. With athletics, I see another part of me. It’s the only way to show what I can do."

"Young people sometimes like an easy life. But there are two things. Either you just want to do athletics or you want to leave a legacy. If you want to leave a legacy, you have to make sacrifices in your life."

"I wake up every morning and I am in good health, so I’m not going to complain about money."

"Sometimes I’m in doubt, but my coach reminds me that I can do something good. So I believe in myself."

"Rio gave me self-confidence, experience and motivation to return to training and work hard."

"I am happy that I improved my personal best from last year"

"At 40 kilometres I saw that I could improve my personal best. I hope to return here next year and improve my record"

"I have big hopes for Venice. Hopefully I will be able to lower my personal best"

"I will now fight for a place in the team to World Cross Country because I feel I am in good form"

"I was to make my marathon debut in 2016 at the same marathon event, but an injury derailed my plans. Since then, it has not been a smooth journey for me as I have had a lot of ups and downs with injuries. I would train up to a point, and then get injured again"

"I am so excited to finally announce my debut"

"I have trained well. But, being my debut, I don’t have enough experience to be able to say the exact time I will be aiming for in this race. I will not be running against anyone or going to be under any pressure. I am just going to run my race"

"My coach has been so supportive all through my training and has never ever lost hope in me, even when I was injured. On Saturday, part of the reasons why I will be pushing hard to run a good race will be to appreciate my coach for all the support he has been giving me and to make him happy. Another person that I am grateful to for making it possible for me to emerge out of my injury woes is my physiotherapist, Shadrack Kochong"

"The highest moment in my running career was when I won the world cross country title in 2006, in Fukuoka. I believe that, whether it is a junior or a senior title, the fact remains that you are the best in the whole world. A gold medal is a gold medal"

"I appreciate the schools that I got to pass through in my education as I tried to balance between my running career and school work. Teachers from my former primary school in my home village of Kaptabuk and those at the Riruta Girls High School in Nairobi were always so supportive. They would take me through what other students learned while I was out of school to compete"

"In athletics, it reaches a time when one will want to move on to a different distance, and I believe that my time to move on to the marathon is now"

"I am lucky to be working with the best manager in the world; the Demadonna Athletics Promotions. Gianni has been so good to me, he has been calling personally to offer support and encouragement whenever I have been having challenges in my training"

"That injury has kept me off but am back, ready to take on any race ahead of me. This is my first race after injury and a win means a lot to me. The race was too slow and I decided to take the battle by myself"

"I am very disappointed. I was very much looking forward to returning to the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, especially after how well I ran there last year. But a series of small niggles have prevented me from getting in the training block I require to be at my best and I have had to make the difficult decision to withdraw. I wish everyone who is running the TCS London Marathon on Sunday the very best of luck"

"It’s greater than my Olympic victory in Athens"

"It’s more significant because of what has happened. Joy comes frequently in life, but grief of this level is something you encounter only rarely. I have grief in my heart and I have joy"

"Running neck and neck with Kipchoge was a very difficult part of the race, but I believed my finish would be strong enough to win"

"These victories are more significant in my eyes than my previous ones, because in the past I had my fiancée with me, encouraging me"

"I never achieved my maximum effort in the marathon"

"I train hard, but I’ve been struggling for a long time with injury–I’ve never finished my [marathon] training in a good way"

"My mind tells me that I can still do better in the marathon. The Olympics is in front of us…maybe [Paris] will be my last Olympics"

"I know that Valencia is very fast. And [on the entry list] there are many strong competitors from different countries, so the expectations are very high"

"From an early stage of your athletics development, you acknowledged the importance of discipline. Continue to listen to your coaches, remain focused, and this will help you enjoy many great successes"

"you do not always train perfectly. Sometimes you will undertrain and you may not always have access to the best physiotherapy. These may prove crucial in achieving your career goals"

"Oh, and on the subject of physio. Try to look after your body. You may feel bulletproof – especially during some of your greatest triumphs – but ignoring physiotherapy will create problems in the aftermath, especially during your marathon career. Injuries can – and will – cause huge frustration"

"During times when you struggle with injury, you may feel despondent and demotivated. You may not always be fully committed to carrying out the correct rehab exercises. But this will only make the marathon an even more difficult event to master"

"Maintaining fitness levels and full health as an athlete in your mid-30s will be hard. But don’t give up. Stick with it and aim to sign off your career on a high."

"Listen to your body and make the necessary sacrifices. If you do that, you can fulfil your marathon potential and finish your career with a flourish"