Track and field athletes

"The road to the Olympics, leads to no city, no country. It goes far beyond New York or Moscow, ancient Greece or Nazi Germany. The road to the Olympics leads — in the end — to the best within us."

"It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler... You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn't be a plating on the 24-karat friendship I felt for Lutz Long at that moment. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace. The sad part of the story is I never saw Long again. He was killed in World War II."

"When I came back to my native country, after all the stories about Hitler, I couldn't ride in the front of the bus. I had to go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. I wasn't invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I wasn't invited to the White House to shake hands with the President, either."

"Mr. Hitler had to leave the stadium early, but after winning I hurried up to the radio booth. When I passed near the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me and I waved back at him.""

"Hitler didn't snub me; it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram."

"I'm old now. It's all right."

"Another old friend gone!"

"The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself — the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us — that's where it's at."

"People say that it was degrading for an Olympic champion to run against a horse, but what was I supposed to do? I had four gold medals, but you can't eat four gold medals. There was no television, no big advertising, no endorsements then. Not for a black man, anyway."

"I realized now that militancy in the best sense of the word was the only answer where the black man was concerned, that any black man who wasn't a militant in 1970 was either blind or a coward."

"Joe Louis and I were the first modern national sports figures who were black... But neither of us could do national advertising because the South wouldn't buy it. That was the social stigma we lived under."

"We used to have a lot of fun. We never had any problems. We always ate. The fact that we didn't have steak? Who had steak?"

"She was unusual because even though I knew her family was as poor as ours, nothing she said or did seemed touched by that. Or by prejudice. Or by anything the world said or did. It was as if she had something inside her that somehow made all that not count. I fell in love with her some the first time we ever talked, and a little bit more every time after that until I thought I couldn't love her more than I did. And when I felt that way, I asked her to marry me … and she said she would."

"It all goes so fast, and character makes the difference when it's close."

"I wanted no part of politics. And I wasn't in Berlin to compete against any one athlete. The purpose of the Olympics, anyway, was to do your best. As I'd learned long ago... the only victory that counts is the one over yourself."

"To a sprinter, the hundred-yard dash is over in three seconds, not nine or ten. The first "second" is when you come out of the blocks. The next is when you look up and take your first few strides to attain gain position. By that time the race is actually about half over. The final "second" — the longest slice of time in the world for an athlete — is that last half of the race, when you really bear down and see what you're made of. It seems to take an eternity, yet is all over before you can think what's happening."

"I decided I wasn't going to come down. I was going to fly. I was going to stay up in the air forever."

"It dawned on me with blinding brightness. I realized: I had jumped into another rare kind of stratosphere — one that only a handful of people in every generation are lucky enough to know."

"After I came home from the 1936 Olympics with my four medals, it became increasingly apparent that everyone was going to slap me on the back, want to shake my hand or have me up to their suite. But no one was going to offer me a job."

"It was bad enough to have toppled from the Olympic heights to make my living competing with animals. But the competition wasn't even fair. No man could beat a race horse, not even for 100 yards. … The secret is, first, get a thoroughbred horse because they are the most nervous animals on earth. Then get the biggest gun you can find and make sure the starter fires that big gun right by the nervous thoroughbred's ear."

"We'd get into these little towns and tell 'em to get out the fastest guy in town and Jesse Owens would spot him ten yards and beat him."

"People who worked with me or knew me still called me the "world's fastest human" because I almost never stopped. I'd found that I could get more done with no regular job or regular hours at all, but by being on my own, flying to speak here, help with a public relations campaign for some client there, tape my regular jazz radio show one morning at 5:00 a.m. before leaving on a plane for another city or another continent three hours later to preside over a major sporting event."

"It's like having a pet dog for a long time. You get attached to it, and when it dies you miss it."

"The black fist is a meaningless symbol. When you open it, you have nothing but fingers — weak, empty fingers. The only time the black fist has significance is when there's money inside. There's where the power lies."

"Hitler Salutes Jesse Owens"

"The real snub of Owens came from his own president. Even after ticker-tape parades for Owens in New York City and Cleveland, President Franklin D. Roosevelt never publicly acknowledged Owens' achievements. Gold in the 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter relay, and long jump. Owens was never invited to the White House and never even received a letter of congratulations from the president. Almost two decades passed before another American president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, honored Owens by naming him 'Ambassador of Sports'. In 1955."

"You smoke? That's no good. No good!"

"I want to be a millionaire, and I don't ever want a real job."

"In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet. Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet, my weight is under control, I like the way I look. (I know that sounds vain, but all of us want to like the way we look.) I enjoy eating more, and I feel great. … I remember vividly making the decision in July of 1990 to become a vegan. … And I had my best year as an athlete ever! … Your body is your temple. If you nourish it properly, it will be good to you and you will increase its longevity."

"He told me he couldn't wait for the basketball season to end, so he could go back to baseball and get out of shape."

"What do you think of the Chicago Bulls winning three in a row?" -- Russell: "Not much."

"I'm a pretty direct man. You say something I like, I'll tell you so; you say something I don't like, I'll tell you also. A diplomat I'm not. So I'll tell you right out that there are no secret or hidden or financial or philosophical reasons behind this. I just don't feel like playing anymore. As for coaching — that prime incubator of ulcers — no, thank you. I don't want to coach anymore, either. I never considered myself primarily a coach, anyway. Anytime I was ever around a group of coaches I'd feel nervous — all that nonsense about how to "handle" kids, how to "motivate" them! I was a player. Now I'm not a player or a coach anymore."

"If you're really looking for a reason why I feel I've played enough, I'll tell you this. There are professionals and there are mercenaries in sports. The difference between them is that the professional is involved. I was never a mercenary. If I continued to play, I'd become a mercenary because I'm not involved anymore. I have a year to go on my contract with the Celtics. It's one of the most lucrative in sports, and I was very happy with it. A couple of my friends think I should at least stick out that year because of the money. Believe me, I wouldn't mind having all that money. But I'm not going to play basketball for money. I've been paid to play, of course, but I played for a lot of other reasons, too."

"I played because I enjoyed it — but there's more to it than that. I played because I was dedicated to being the best. I was part of a team, and I dedicated myself to making that team the best. To me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a group of men coordinating their efforts toward a common goal — alternately subordinating and asserting themselves to achieve real teamwork in action. I tried to do that — we all tried to do that — on the Celtics. I think we succeeded. Often, in my mind's eye, I stood off and watched that effort. I found it beautiful to watch. It's just as beautiful to watch in things other than sports. Being part of that effort on the Celtics was very important to me. It helped me develop and grow, and I think it has helped prepare me for something other than playing basketball. But so far as the game is concerned, I've lost my competitive urges. If I went out to play now, the other guys would know I didn't really care. That's no way to play — it's no way to do anything."

"People didn't give us credit for being as good as we were last season. Personally, I think we won because we had the best team in the league. Some guys talked about all the stars on the other teams, and they quote statistics to show other teams were better. Let's talk about statistics. The important statistics in basketball are supposed to be points scored, rebounds and assists. But nobody keeps statistics on other important things — the good fake you make that helps your teammate score; the bad pass you force the other team to make; the good long pass you make that sets up another pass that sets up another pass that leads to a score; the way you recognize when one of your teammates has a hot hand that night and you give up your own shot so he can take it. All of those things. Those were some of the things we excelled in that you won't find in the statistics. There was only one statistic that was important to us — won and lost."

"Something everybody else but Bill Russell excelled in was giving the coach good advice. I made the decisions, but I listened an awful lot. Sometimes in practice the other guys would talk for half an hour and I wouldn't say a word. I encouraged them to tell me what they thought."

"Nobody can write a story about the Celtics and not talk about Red Auerbach. Much of my success as a professional is a result of the way he first approached me. A lot of guys said I'd never make it because I couldn't shoot. My first day with Red he told me right out that he didn't care if I never scored a point. He said they had the guys on the Celtics who could score. What he wanted from me was defense and rebounding. That suited me fine. He and I had one big thing in common — the will to win. When he appointed me coach he just said. "The job is yours." He never put pressure on me. He never even came to practice unless I invited him. Of course, I did — often. I would have been crazy not to take advantage of one of the smartest guys the game has seen. In moments of weakness, I almost like Red — a little."

"How much does that guy make a year? It would be to our advantage if we paid him off for five years to get away from us in the rest of this series."

"[The sound of Russell throwing up] is a welcome sound, too, because it means he's keyed up for the game, and around the locker room we grin and say, 'Man, we're going to be all right tonight.'"

"Tony DiNozzo: William Felton Russell, 5-time MVP, greatest basketball champion ever. He used to get so nervous, so pumped, he had to throw up before every game... One night, the Celtics take the court. It's a big game, huge. Red's watching them warm up from the sidelines, but something's not right. He can tell, not clicking. He clears the floor, takes them all back down to the locker room. Why? Because Russell didn't throw up. You know what Red says next? Leroy Jethro Gibbs: "Get in there and puke, we've got a game to win.""

"Don't tell me I cheated the system because that's [expletive]. I didn't get treated fairly by the system. They cast me out and they were jealous because I turned in the fastest time ever run by a human and it was impossible at the time."

"This year I’m planning on hibernating from October until the Olympics next August. It’s that important to me. It drives me. And it’s very addictive. One of the cruellest things about the sport is that you’re never fulfilled or completely happy with your performance. You’re running against a clock so you always want to go faster and think that you can. That becomes an addiction."

"I still haven’t learned to deal with situations like that very well — but I don’t think you should, because then you’re accepting defeat. It’s good to be stubborn, to be hard on yourself."

"Ankier is anxious to avoid what she calls the “Anna Kournikova syndrome” — “I realise that a lot of the media attention I’ve got is because I don’t look horrible, but that can bring attention you don’t want.”"

"The important question is, do we want more women in management positions, or less assholes in general. I lean toward the latter."

"I thought Bolt was amazing, I mean, beating the world record and slowing down at the end, how galling has that got the for the other athletes? I never managed to do anything in 9.69 seconds, it took me ten seconds to watch him do that."

"There was only a single sharpshooter up in the trees to keep the croc away from me."

"I wish I would have had more to do in the film. I hated to get killed so soon."

"I guess the one thing I really learned from participating in sports was to just never say "no", never stop trying, and to always believe that you can do better than the next fellow. I tried to follow this throughout my life, but I always tried to be respectful about it."

"All I knew about shot putting was that my brother could do 44 feet … I decided I wanted to beat him. … So I got a shot and went to work and made up my mind to do 45 feet."

"Herman Brix brought a presence to the screen that many people feel personifies the Tarzan of the books … lean and muscular, articulate and dignified. He moved with the superb athletic grace that my grandfather envisioned."

"Brix's portrayal was the only time between the silents and the 1960s that Tarzan was accurately depicted in films. He was mannered, cultured, soft-spoken, a well-educated English lord who spoke several languages, and didn't grunt."

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

"Essentially, we distinguish ourselves from the rest. If you want to win something, run the 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."

"I was not talented enough to run and smile at the same time."

"It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys."

"It is not gymnastics or ice skating, you know."

"Are you running out of breath? Go faster! (Life credo)"

"Io devo prendermela con qualcuno per ottenere risultati."

"Our entire village of Gobindpur Kot had been massacred, as the elders had taken a collective decision not to convert to Islam as they had been asked to. Among those killed were my parents and two of my sisters. My elder brother survived; a sepoy in the British army, he was posted at Multan. Two of my other sisters were married and lived elsewhere."

"My most enduring memory of that year is not the birth of India and Pakistan. I could not even comprehend what was happening. As a teenager from a backward village in Pakistan, I had never seen a cycle, car or train. I was completely bewildered at the turn of events. All that mattered was how to get my next meal, usually a roti and an onion."

"I would not stop till I had filled up a bucket with my sweat. I would push myself so much that in the end I would collapse and I would have to be admitted to hospital, I would pray to God to save me, promise that I would be more careful in future. And then I would do it all over again."

"The track, to me, was like an open book, in which I could read the meaning and purpose of life. I revered it like I would the sanctum sanctorum in a temple, where the deity resided and before whom I would humbly prostrate myself as a devotee. To keep myself steadfast to my goal, I renounced all pleasures and distractions, to keep myself fit and healthy, and dedicated my life to the ground where I could practice and run. Running had thus become my God, my religion and my beloved,"

"I was moved to tears by the thought that from being nobody the night before, I had become somebody."

"Our American coach, Dr. [Arthur W] Howard, had accompanied the Indian team [to Cardiff] ….Because of Dr. Howard's motivation and advice, I won heat after heat and effortlessly reached the finals."

"He emphasized that I must maintain my speed for the first 300 metres, and then give it my all in the last 100 metres. He said that if I ran the first 300 metres at full speed, Spence would do the same, although that was not his running strategy."

"Discipline, hard work, will power....My experience made me so hard that I wasn't even scared of death." But one story reflects his desire clearest."

"When I reflect upon my life, I can clearly see how my passion for running has dominated my life. The images that flash through my mind are those running....running…running…"

"Sprinting from one shady patch to another to escape the blistering heat of the sun on my journey to school Felling the massacre on that fearsome night when most of my family was slaughtered racing trains for fun outrunning the police when I was caught stealing in Shahdra leaving every one behind in my first race as an army jawan so that I could get an extra glass of milk surging past my competitors in Tokyo when I was declared Asia’s best athlete Running in Pakistan and being hailed as "The Flying Sikh"."

"Each of these moments brings back bitter sweet memories as they represent the different stages of my life, a life that has been kept afloat by my intense determination to triumph in my chosen vocation"

"You can achieve anything in life. It just depends on how desperate you are to achieve it."

"I think, like a lot of people on this issue, I have really changed my thinking here to, ‘I don’t ever want to stand in front of anybody’s happiness.’ That’s not my job, okay? If that word – ‘marriage’ – is really, really that important to you, I can go with it."

"Gay marriage... I'm a traditionalist. I'm older than most people in the audience. I kind of like tradition, and it's always been a man and a woman. I'm thinking, 'I don't quite get it'."

"I have gotten more flak for being a conservative Republican than I have for being trans."

"I think even if I was to go out there and win the Olympics, everyone’s still going to remember the pre-race routine that I do and the video that went viral so, y’know, that’s alright for me, anything that brings attention to athletics is a good thing, we’re a fairly low-profile sport and I’m just doing what I can to try and give us a bit more of a profile."

"My best advice would be to just have fun and enjoy yourself. If you love what you do it doesn't seem like hard work, just passion. Yeah you have to train hard but you're always going to have fun along the way."

"El presidente Hugo Chávez fue un pilar fundamental para el deporte en mi país. Impulsó muchos métodos para que el deporte llegara a los más bajos niveles y para que los niños vieran que el deporte era importante para la salud, para los valores humanos."

"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."

"I am confident that we will qualify for #WorldChamps because we have a very robust team. Come on #TeamBW #WorldRelays"

"A lot of people will go in the races and they’ll think you have to run times. It’s not about times, you’ve just gotta be in front of everybody. That’s the secret."

"A sculpture titled B of the Bang by British designer Thomas Heatherwick takes its name from a quotation by Linford Christie in which he said that he started his races not merely at the "bang" of the starting pistol, but at "the B of the Bang"."

"The race, I`m a little sad. The time, I`m like, Wow. I`m stoked,..I`m really happy about the time. I knew I had it in me. This is a place to pop this kind of PR. I`m really pleased with the time."

"My actual finish down the straightaway is something I`m proud of,...That kick isn`t going anywhere."

"There was nothing wrong, I was in good shape. I felt good. I just ran really poorly. Two days ago (20 July 2012) I scared everyone and I cut it too close (in round 1). I am in good enough shape, but I have to realise there are more components to racing than putting one foot in front of each other."

"She was pretty far back, but she is smart and was on splits that were good for her, and she trusted that there would be victims of the early pace, which there were,...She closed hard and it`s a style that she really enjoys. Her last kilometer was about 3:01, which is really fast. She ‘PRed` by 10 seconds and we are thrilled."

"Our influence in the world around us can be more significant than any of us imagine today – and it could last well beyond our final race, or goal, or jump. Together, we can be a force for good in the world around us. And that can start with the example we set, both on and off the field of play,"

"We are all competitors, but when we compete we should show respect for our sport – for the rules, for our opponents and for the people who cheer us on. Sport is in our hearts, and we should show the world that it is fun and inclusive. Sport has a unique power to speak to young people, and its message should always be a positive one"

"This is a power and a responsibility that is new to our generation. If we see a need for change in our sport or our society, we should speak out. And we must also enact that change ourselves – by using our profile and our platform to engage with the issues closest to our hearts."

"Today, we have the power to change the world in a way that the champions who came before us did not. If we recognize this opportunity and act together, then our achievements as sportswomen and men will only be the beginning of our legacies"

"One of my greatest blessings is seeing athletes who are inspired by me across generations. It has been a blessing to interact with those athletes, and I hope that there is something they can take from this journey"

"I came into this championship with so many odds, but I made the final. And I think that is a huge accomplishment. I remember in 2007 when I started, I was unsure what I wanted to do, but I walked away with so much from the championship. This time around, I came with all those experiences from years of participating in the championships"

"Tonight, I am really grateful that I was able to stand on the track one more time in the 100m finals"

"It has been such a privilege, an honour, and my greatest blessing to stand here tonight"

"I think a have so much fear about speaking out or just having an opinion on something."

"I wanna be the perfect"

"Motherhood is the thing that has touched me the most, really normalizing mothers in sport and women not having to choose between that part of life and staying in their professions"

"Becoming a mother and looking at my daughter and the world she’ll grow up in helped me find my voice and speak on some things I would’ve shied away from before."

"We must see this clearly for what it is—a maternal health crisis. That is why we must continue to fight to protect the lives of every woman and every mother in our nation"

"We believe in empowering and supporting the Namibian girl child, recognizing that access to sanitary products is a fundamental right and a crucial factor in maintaining their dignity, health and education"

"We hope our contribution will help make a difference and lead to better opportunities for Namibian girls"

"I’m happy with my time, breaking the junior record, I broke it in the morning and broke it here again. I’m really happy. It’s crazy."

"This is my first Olympics. I came here to get more experience, I didn’t expect to run a good time or get a medal. I don’t know. I’ll see what I do. I just try my best. I just do my best."

"To bring the gold medal as a mum will also inspire my daughter. It was really something special for me defending my title."

"I dedicated the medal to her, And when I landed in Eldoret, she welcomed me, held the medal and said 'This is my medal' - it was something special."

"I'm proud to be a mum, to be a woman being a woman. I'm proud of my child. Stretch marks are something that come and you can't hide [them]. Just be proud, just be who you are."

"I knew all the athletes were very strong, It was hard. You're stepping there as a mum, running with still-young athletes but your daughter is watching you at home. You just think many things."

"When I'm putting on my sports shoes, I feel something nice"

"Running means a lot to me. It was my passion since I was young and growing up, it has changed my life and my status"

"It's been great being a champion. You must stay at a level where you stay a champion. It all starts from discipline"

"What helps me stay the way I am is the background I'm coming from - a humble family. We always stay humble and love everybody."

"I want to empower women out there that there's a woman called Faith who did her best in her event. I want to motivate them and show them that everything is possible in life."

"She has a unique character"

"When she walks into a group of people, even if the environment is gloomy, within no time you see people laughing. She is gifted in many ways and is a rare type of athlete in the present world."

"I’m not done. You know what I’m capable of. Count me out if you want to."

"Who am I to tell you how to cope when you’re dealing with the pain or you’re dealing with a struggle that you haven’t experienced before or that you thought you never would have to deal with?"

"Don’t judge me because I am human. I’m you, I just happen to run a little faster."

"It’s just irritating because you take away the abilities, you take away the speed, you take away the talent … and we’re still human"

"I’ve seen the world be my friend. I’ve seen the world turn on me. But at the end of the day, I’ve always been with me."

"It’s always been my time, but now it’s my time to actually do it for myself and the people that feel like me, the people that look like me, and the people that know the truth about themselves as well. I represent those people."

"I’m here to say, ‘I’m not back, I’m better ..."

"I’m next to living legends. It feels remarkable."

"My journey has been a journey!"

"Be more understanding of the fact they [athletes] are still humans."

"I just want the world to know that I’m THAT girl"

"How I show myself forgiveness is honestly by acknowledging it first, acknowledging the situation for what it is, acknowledging my responsibilities in it, and talking about it to the people I feel like it impacted besides myself"

"No matter what you were thinking beforehand, no matter what you got going on, when it’s time to get on that line, nothing changes that. The race not gonna be called back; it’s not going to be postponed. When that gun goes off, it’s about getting down there."

"I stay ready from getting ready. So, I'm always ready."

"I just know, like, if I want to be a better person, I have to practice better things."

"My family is my everything, my everything until the day I’m done."

""I surely wish that I could go back and change certain things in my past, on one hand, but then I wouldn't be who I am today, someone who I'm actually really proud of"."

"If I hadn't gone through certain things, and because I had those six months or whatever -- just a lot of quiet time -- if I hadn't gone through it, I don't know if I would ever have that much time to reflect. A lot of people don't."

""My story is unique, in that the first part of my life, my journey, I hit the pinnacle of my career, and it was a very public career, and then I made decisions that cost me all of that"."

""By helping people, it's a form of healing for myself, because I hurt so many people. I know that"."

""I still struggle with knowing that I let a lot of people down. I disappointed a lot of people that love and care for me, worldwide, and when I think about that it kind of gives me the motivation to kind of keep going on"."

""You can remember me winning races, winning medals, breaking records -- but how, then, is that going to help you in your day-to-day life?"."

""I want people to understand everybody makes mistakes … I truly think a person’s character is determined by their admission of their mistakes and beyond that what they do about it … It’s really about looking forward, looking to the future, how can I make this wrong a right"."

""I made a mistake. I made the choice to, at that time, protect myself, to protect my family, and I’ve paid the consequences dearly"."

""The weight and the baggage of many years of knowing that. I’ve been blessed with a super amount of talent but I could not go on any more with this baggage, lying to the world, lying to God"."

""I realized that people might not forgive me but that God forgives, and if He can forgive me I can forgive myself and I will be okay"."

"I am fighting always until the end, Nothing is lost until the finish of the competition. I knew that I would fight and I knew that I would throw more, that's what I knew."

"This is my first medal after the second baby, so it is actually a long time, and it's what I told myself before the sixth throw - that I have to show my boys how to fight,"

"That's what I told myself. And then they ran to me and it was the most beautiful moment in my career, I guess."

"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."

"We’re capable enough to have a seat at the table. And to do great things."

"You can really do it all, You can have it all."

"I am strong,I am powerful. I am explosive."

"It is a pity what is happening to Gloria. If she had known that things will turn out be bad for her...she could just remained in Australia. When her mates over there heard of her condition they were sad. Gloria rejected offers for her to represent Australia and returned to Nigeria. There were too many frustrations and coupled with the death of her father things took a turn for the worst. I’m glad that the AFN is doing something to aid her. It shouldn’t be another PR stunt, but a concrete step towards rehabilitating her. If this is the only thing the AFN can do this year it would mostly gladden my heart."

"She (Gloria) is responding to treatment and I’m hopeful she will be okay. When she is done with treatment, she needs to be constantly in the environment of track and field so that she doesn’t relapse again. I will sure be glad to see Gloria back into her former happy and joyous self, she is such a sweet and loving woman."

"We are overjoyed that she is responding to treatment and getting better. We spoke with her for several minutes, and we are happy that she has started talking about her future already. But, she needs total rehabilitation. The family is most grateful to Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Bayelsa State government and the individuals that played this big role"

"I’m excited and grateful to God. I’m super happy that I was able to make the top three. I’ll say I’m not the best athlete but I’m grateful to God for bringing me this far. I can’t contain my joy no matter the colour of the medal."

"It has been a great season for me right from April when I was injured but I never settled for less no matter the challenges. I keep on pushing and my coach keeps telling me that Ese you can do it. It is not all about the training but the faith I have in God."

"This is one thing I really wanted, to get the Games record. This is special for me because it shows consistency. It shows the hard work of all those that have supported me and my coach, who has been backing me up. Sometimes it's about how you're able to show that what you're doing is not a fluke."

"The Rio Olympics taught me that you should never look down on yourself and stick to what you believe in. I told myself if I'm able to make it to the final with one leg, I should be able to make the podium on two legs."

"To win a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2019 gave me a lot of confidence that, 'OK, so I can actually compete with the top athletes in the world. I could actually do better still because that wasn't my best, you know, so it made me believe that I could get better. And so far, I have been working with that mindset, and it's helping me, and I can see a lot of improvement."

"It's a huge achievement for me and my coach. It was a surprise for us at first and, you know, it was something that we didn't expect to happen at that moment. It just happened. And we're still trying to recover from it. And hopefully...I'm able to back this distance, and hopefully, it should get me a medal."

"Tobi Amusan is my best friend, everybody knows. It was amazing for us because this is what we are trained for. She deserves it so much. Last championships, we just got one medal. Now we are getting out with two medals. It is a wonderful night for Nigeria, for all of us."

"I want to make young girls believe that all things are possible. You know they can do exactly or even better than what I'm doing right now. I'm not any super girl from one unique place. No, I'm a local girl from Ughelli. So if this local girl can do it, can come this far from nothing to become something, then you also can do it."

"Pressure is coming in from different places, from Nigeria, from my team, from Africa as a whole. I try as much as possible not to let that overwhelm me, take it one step at a time, not to rush. I try not to panic at any point in time and I do not see anyone as a rival. It's something that has helped me, and it has really brought me this far. And then the only thing to do is to surpass my personal best. I try to beat myself."

"I know this will be an inspiration for them (young girls). Of course, when you see someone you look up to doing well, you want to definitely be like them. So this is going to motivate and inspire them. I hope it works."

"I told myself that I had to tell the federation and everyone that it was about my run up. I wanted to prove everyone wrong, because everyone was like ‘What was wrong with me?’ I was the world leader and all of a sudden I came last. I had to turn to God and put Him first and He did it."

"My dream is to become the world’s best so I know that for the World Championships, I will be on the medals table because I should be doing much better before then. If not the GOLD, I will be on the medals table."

"I was talking to her (Brume) about education, and I asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. She talked about beauty pageants, they had a beauty pageant in a church that week, and she was going to be part of it. I told her that, you know, you can be in beauty pageants in many things in life. So I encouraged her to go to school, and I encouraged her to step in training."

"Ese Brume has continued to make us proud time and again. From the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games to the Diamond Leagues, Ese has consistently ranked amongst the top athletes in her sports, globally, While it is disappointing that she narrowly missed out on the Diamond League title, I want to state that the country remains proud of her achievements. I am sure that she will bounce back and take her rightful place. I urge her and other athletes likewise to stay focused on the bigger picture as we draw closer to the 2024 Olympic Games."

"I proudly congratulate the duo of Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume, both winning at the Diamond League held in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America. Oluwatobiloba Amusan for winning the 100m Women’s Hurdles in a time of 12.33 to reclaim her Diamond League title while Nigerian long jumper, Ese Brume for her silver medal achievement in the long jump event at the Diamond League. The duo of Tobi and Brume represents strength, mental toughness, and the Nigerian spirit....From the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games to the Diamond Leagues, Ese has consistently ranked among the top athletes in her sport globally. I join millions of Nigerians globally to felicitate with both Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume on their deserved wins at the Diamond League. Both victories are those that will restore their confidence after the difficult ordeal both passed through this year....Brume came close to winning her first Diamond League title after leaping 6.85m, just as Ivana Vuketa, who won gold, I am mostly proud of her for finishing strong, despite missing out on first place by very small margins. I urge Tobi, Brume, and other Nigerian athletes to reflect on this season, applaud themselves for their hard work, and look towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."

"ESE BRUME HAS WON A GOLD MEDAL! It was never in doubt, but Brume after coming under an early pressure, pulled up TWO Games Records, jumping 700 to reclaim her #CommonwealthGames crown. If there's ever an athlete who always delivers for Naija (Nigeria), it is Ese Brume."

"To tell you the truth, as a former Athlete, I am impressed by this initiative (Abuja Youth Games). This is really very noble. This is what the Ministry of Youth and Sports should encourage because this is the only way we can go back to the grass root to discover future Athletes that can represent the Nation in the future."

"What I am bringing on board is facilities others don’t have in their sport parks and I want to use them to groom potential athletes and give them encouragement. It is my desire to move them to the next level. We are starting this project because we need expansion for more activities, we now have the indoor sports arena, basketball, badminton , graded tracks surface area, football field, we have the gymnasium; it’s a one stop shop for sports activities."

"I will say that sports has been or was in my DNA. I started from my primary school days. But I got noticed while I was running for my secondary school during the school inter-house sports competition at Obieziama Secondary School in Imo State. One of the athletics coaches at the then Imo State Sports Council, Chief Leo Ozurumba, just came to me after my race. He said to me, ‘you will run for Imo State and for Nigeria. You have the talent and determination.’ He later took me to the Sports Council and that was when it all started. I was about 12 years then."

"Hard work. Every training session was like my last on earth. There was the target of breaking and setting records before you. The coaches will remind you of getting your personal best time. At times, I even trained with the guys. This propels you to train daily as if your life depends on it. But truly, our lives then depended on athletics. So my strength was diligence. But I must add that once I remembered that I was running for Nigeria, it also drew inner strength for me."

"Fashion is your way of life. It is your statement. It is the way you feel like expressing yourself in all ramifications of life. For me, fashion is not just about dressing or makeup or jewelleries. It is about the way you speak, the way you carry yourself in public and the way you comport yourself among others. I don’t wear heavy makeup nor go crazy about clothes. I try to be as simple as possible. I also love to be very smart in appearance, may be because of my background as a former athlete."

"I am happy with the return of the National Sports Festival, after an absence of six years, because this is is an avenue from where we can spot future talents."

"We made the whole world to focus on just the two of us in the women’s 400m. Charity was in great form and had a 5-0 lead in our first five meetings together. I remember she ran an altitudes aided 49.87 in Johannesburg and I came a distant second in 50.27."

"I lost to Charity by the narrowest of margins in Oslo (50.13 to 50.15) and thought I was getting back to shape but when she scorched to a new 49.29 seconds personal best at the Golden Gala in Rome, I was scared my African record would be gone that year if I didn’t get into shape. I was third in that race that night in 49.89 seconds. It was my first run inside 50 seconds that year but Charity’s performance got me really worried. She was 3-0 up at this stage but my worry and that of my coach, Tony Osheku was that we could lose the African record of 49.10 seconds that got me a bronze medal at the Olympics in 1996. My coach even said if she breaks the record,we would go back to our base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA to train harder. It was that scary"

"In Dakar, Charity was the favourite to win. She was on top of the world ranking at that stage with some quality performances including the 49.29 seconds she ran in Rome which was the second fastest in the African all-time list at the time. I was however unshaken in my resolve to end her dominance over me! In the final, I raced home first in 50.07 seconds with Charity second in 50.13. Wow, I was on top of the world not because it was my second African Championships 400m gold after the win in 1989 in Lagos, but because I was emotionally lifted and I didn’t look back from there, winning the 200m in a new 22.22 seconds personal best. I won our next four encounters in Lausanne, Brussels, Berlin and Moscow at the Grand Prix final before running an altitudes aided 49.52 seconds to win the World Cup in Johannesburg. It was a remarkable turnaround for me and a glorious show by Charity and I that got us ranked 1, 2 in the world. That was the first and so far only time Nigerians would dominate an event in the circuit."

"I have been with you for years and we know ourselves deeply. I think we would make better couple. I have a deep feeling for you. Tried as I did to suppress it, I get more and more troubled."

"Apart from Ogunkoya, only two other Nigerians have been able to go under 50s: Charity Opara & Fatima Yusuf who are members of this exclusive club. In 1998, Opara ran a PB of 49.29s in Rome, while Yusuf ran a PB of 49.43s to win the African Games title in Harare in 1995!"

"As an athlete, I have learnt that it is not really good to keep changing your programme. You need to be consistent as long as you know that it is working for you."

"We need the strength test; as a jumper you need to know what your strength level is."

"There is Olabisi Afolabi, the famed NUGA alumnus from Ilorin, who helped Nigeria to a silver medal in the 4 x 400 meters at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the highlight of a very successful athletic career, which included gold at the World Junior Championships in 1994, silver at the 1999 All-Africa Games, and bronze at the 1995 All-Africa Games."

"Am happy about the whole event as my family and friends are excited too. I am very thankful to God and Mrs Ulaeto, my English teacher who discovered me. She was the one who handed me to coach Effiong Ibok who in inturn left me under the professional training of coach Daniel Umoette. I also appreciate Mrs Janet Bassey, secretary of track and field in Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youths and Sports. I thank all my teammates too as well as everyone that encouraged me."

"It was very tough because of the weather. This is just the beginning of great things in my career. My coach and I really worked hard on this. I’m so excited; it would only get better. Coming here to make so much impact makes me feel so happy. It means more hard work, but the future is so bright."

"I am happy that things are working out well and I thank God for the progress made so far. I come from a riverine area in Ibeno local government area where I used to help my parents to catch crayfish. I am equally grateful to my parents and my coaches who are keeping me on my toes. I look forward to having a successful career in athletics."

"I think that was 2016 during inter-house sports, she was in Yellow House. I just looked at her and said can this one do anything? But she surprised everybody, I gave her the name ‘Kenya’ when I saw her sprinting legs. I told her you are going places."

"Imaobong you have done well, the governor is proud of you, the whole state is proud of you and we are happy that you have not disappointed us. As you are leaving for the United States, please do not lose focus, trust God, work harder and do the best you can at all times."

"I feel so elated, how I wish I could see her with my eyes now, oh how I will hug her. I told her to trust God for everything, and God is with her. Am so elated."

"The duo of Imaobong Nse Uko (400m) and Udodi Onwuzurike (200m) won individual gold medals while the 4x400m mixed and the women’s relay teams also won our first ever relay gold medals at the Championships."

"I started coaching her (Imaobong) in 2017. That was before the National Sports Festival in Abuja. As a matter of fact, she was discovered during the Akwa Ibom Youth Games and I have been coaching her since then. I must appreciate her parents who were gracious enough to release her to us. We were almost strangers then but they allowed her to live with the secretary of Akwa Ibom sports commission who also acted as her godmother. Training her was not easy because she was going to school. While I coached others in the day, I coached her in the evening whenever she returned from school."

"I am fine now and doing much better. I have started my training. I was formerly in South Africa, but presently I am in Akure, Ondo State. But I hope to be in Lagos next week. By October I will be back to start afresh."

"I am so happy to win because four years ago I won a bronze medal but this time around, I am the African champion. This season has been a great one for me as I became national champion, won a bronze at the IAAF World Relays and silver at the Commonwealth Games. I am going to train harder ahead of the Continental Cup."

"Abugan's 'A' sample was found to demonstrate findings consistent with an exogenous origin of endogenous steroids… and indicate an application of testosterone prohormone. She wrote to the CGF waiving her rights to have her 'B' sample analyzed. She also admitted liability."

"The Federation Court has determined that Ms Abugan had committed an anti-doping rule violation. Consequently, she has been disqualified from all events she participated in during the Games, with the results nullified. This includes her silver medal in the women's 400m. As she was also a member of her country's second placed 4 x 400m relay team, that result is also nullified."

"Folashade Abugan returned an adverse analytical finding from a test conducted on October 8, 2010, after competing in the women's 400 meter final."

"Ms Abugan wrote to the CGF waiving her rights to have her "B" sample analyzed and a hearing, as provided for within the CGF Anti-Doping Standard (ADS). She also admitted liability."

"In a situation where everyone trains differently, it doesn’t help in the relay. Another important thing is equipment; if we have standard equipments, we’ll improve in our performance. All what the country (Nigeria) needs to do for us as a team is for them to give us the financial support, make us train together because when you train alongside your team, definitely the spirit of togetherness is present."

"You know in 4×400 meters, you have to work as a team and this was what we did on the track. We had one spirit, one mind and as a result of determination we clinched the gold medal. The next target for the team is numerous. In Africa, Nigeria is number one in 4x400m and we are grateful to God for making us return the gold medal to Nigeria ones more. Back in 2016, the South African female team defeated us in Durban and right now the gold medal has returned to its rightful owners."

"I wanted to run faster, but in the end, I am happy with my timing. It is a good course with good weather conditions which made it easier for me."

"“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.’”"

"Our parents brought us up in a deep Catholic faith. This faith is very important in my life. I think that everything happens according to God's plan. I pray before every competition."

"I was not excited, because I came here to set a pv that is what is on my mind. But I still thank God because this is my first time coming to an international competition like this. For making it to be fifth I know next year or any world championship later, I'm going to work hard. So I'm going to better my time and I'm going to work better than this..."

"I am very excited because this is my first appearance in the Commonwealth Games. The time I returned didn’t really matter and all I wanted was to win, which I have been able to achieve. I feel good with the way I ended the season. I am surprised at winning the gold medal but it’s late in the season and anything can happen. I would say it was my best race, my best finish to a season."

"I am the only person to represent my country without a coach here. I am really proud of myself."

"it will be wrong for anyone to say we have reached our full potentials in sports."

"“For Greece, damn it.”"

"I don’t usually allow challenges to affect my performance, I have to look out for the positive side of everything."

"Anything is possible."

"I have started light training with the advice of my coach. I feel no pain in the angle now but I will take it slowly as per the program."

"The injury has affected my year activities as I missed on international competitions and representing my country. However, it’s part of the sport, I aim to come a better person and take off where I left."

"Obviously I want to compete in the Diamond League. It is the crème de la crème in athletics and having one Motswana (Montsho) competing there has given us hope. We have to work harder and stay disciplined to achieve it"

"Records are meant to be broken."

"I still have to focus because this was just a start of what will happen in the next 10 years, looking at my age."

"This is my first title, and it feels crazy. I'm proud of our progress as a nation and as a continent."

"The semi-final showed me that anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself. Today, I came out here to do just that. I’m forever grateful!"

"Without sport I believe I’d also be behind bars because that was the only way we knew of."

"We believed that football was the only way to survive."

"Running a new world record was not the plan, but it just came naturally."

"I was scared, I didn’t know what to expect. Nobody knew who Letsile was back in 2023."

"That transition was what I’d been dreaming of since I started athletics—that was the validation of the potential I didn’t see growing up."

"I felt like it was over for me—it was over for athletics. I just needed to hand in the boots. I didn’t have the confidence to go out there and do what I have to do."

"There’s a lot of pain that is inside that needs to go out, and the only way I can do that is through running."

"I’ll always carry her as an inspiration—it’s not every day that you get a supportive parent behind your back in every decision that you make. She was able to show us the right path."

"If I don’t stumble, I can win this race."

"That 19 seconds felt so peaceful."

"The moment you talk about the world record is the moment you mess up your training programme."

"Without sports in my life, I don’t even want to think where I would be."

"I’m happy sport came in because there are a lot of youngsters who I know now are behind bars. Those are the same people that I used to hang around with."

"The Olympic gold, it means a lot to the country, it means a lot to the African continent, because Africa is no longer known for the long-distance races."

"It’s a reminder that you carry more than just a flag when you compete abroad, you carry the dreams of the people you grew up with and the pride of your countrymen watching you at home."

"The value that shaped me is Botho."

"Botho means never to undermine anyone, just do your thing and learn how to congratulate others if they've done better than you on the day."

"The children that I inspire across the world, sometimes are less privileged and cannot do sports because of their situations."

"I’m just an ordinary person."

"Only when I get on to the track, I become somebody different."

"I dream of an all-African lineup at the Olympics one day."

"All I can say is that Botswana will take care of a gem perfectly, more than the US can."

"What I'm most excited about, though, is the impact I have made on aspiring athletes."

"I have proved that by staying on the right track and working hard, it is possible to achieve your dreams no matter which part of the world you're from."

"Wherever you are, whatever you have, just make sure you put in enough effort and dedication."

"It's different in every country. When you get to my country, they understand, they know and they feel when to just let me be."

"Africans are stepping up and we see an increased number of African athletes in global competitions."

"That's always been my goal, to snap their dominance."

"It was sad to see only two nations rule the sport for decades."

"I wanted to make a breakthrough for African athletes."

"I aspired to be the one to make it happen and then take in the world's response. And that reaction has been heartwarming."

"Athletics has given me so many opportunities, and I want young people to believe in themselves, dream big and enjoy the sport."

"It's basically showing them direction, because if we have plenty of free time, we tend to do unlawful stuff."

"I go to the flashbacks that I came from here and now I'm a global star."

"You just have to capitalise on the little you have and make sure you pursue your goals."

"The Olympic gold has opened a lot of doors for the team, because I can't do this alone."

"When you get on to the track, it's all about business."

"When we finish, we become friends and then life goes on."

"This is a dream come true, not just for me, but for all of Botswana. We've shown the world what we're capable of, and this is just the beginning."

"The support has been overwhelming. I believe this has changed my life and also impacted many lives in my home country."

""I’ll probably rent out those two houses because I’m not leaving my mother’s place!"

"I’ve had such a huge blow that affected me deeply, so I’m still trying to get the confidence back into the body. It’s not about injuries; it is all about my mum."

"I now have multiple opportunities to support myself as multiple brands want to be associated with my name."

"I like having an element of mystery and want to leave people wondering: where is he, what’s he doing?"

"Once the governments are on board, it makes a massive difference to the sport."

"Africans can be sprinters, too."

"I always think about her but I just try not to let it get into me that much and then just block it out and move forward."

"I believe there is a medal in these legs and it only needs the determination and the willpower to do it."

"If somebody took it as disrespect, I'm really sorry."

"I used to train without shoes."

"Shoes were more expensive and we couldn’t afford that because we lived with our extended family, so it was difficult for us to get things."

"So I used to train without shoes in both football and athletics. I would wear a pair of old pants that one of my uncles used to wear back when he was in school. It was just a generational thing."

"I’m the Olympic champion."

"It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take inside the field."

"She’s watching up there, and she’s really, really happy."

"Great achievement looking at the Olympics, looking at the age, first Olympics, national record. Not everybody makes it to the final, I am grateful for what happened today."

"What I learned tonight is that, make sure you perfect everything according to the race and don't leave out anything."

"I think, for me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not arrogant or loud like Noah (Lyles). So, I believe Noah is the face of athletics."

"I'm really grateful for the team around me. They really pushed me through thick and thin."

"I have unfinished business with the World Championships."

"I vomited once and they decided that I was sick."

"Everything came crumbling down! It was my first time crying."

"I don't want to retire when I'm depressed."

"I want to retire in top shape. That's what I'm planning to do."

"I feel good when I see all these athletes in Botswana doing well, because most of them have seen me do it - so that's why they are doing this now."

"It wasn't a smooth journey because to be successful, I had to jump many hurdles, but the one thing I told myself was that I was never going to give up on this."

"It doesn't matter whether I run good or I ran bad, it's my last season so I have to enjoy it."

"I have always made it clear that I provide for my family through athletics and I won’t retire, especially that I still feel energetic and fit to compete. I want people to understand this and get it right so that they are not confused when they see me competing abroad."

"I don’t know why people are so surprised by my return because I have never said I has retired from athletics. What I said was that I was retiring from international athletics which concern national team events."

"My retirement is not different from that of football players who always announce their retirement from international events but keep playing for their individual clubs at home."

"I’m satisfied, but I know I can run faster."

"I don’t like to judge others. Most of the times, I try and look at the fact that we are different and have different reaction, thinking, and reasons for doing things our own way."

"How do I describe my feelings? How does anyone describe these emotions? It is like a big emptiness. Perhaps, it is same emotion-filled empty feeling a father experiences the day after the marriage of his daughter"

"Being a man who loves to be in the midst of sporting activities, I am suddenly in a vacuum after all the hurly-burly of the past 10 days. It will take a few days to return to normal life."

"There will be some who will say that outsiders have played a big role in winning the medals, but let me clarify that it is only partially true. I would also like to add that there is nothing wrong in hiring good people. What it has done is that it has given our boys the necessary confidence to compete with the best and believe in themselves."

"There is no harm in dreaming. After all, the National Games at one point of time was also a dream. We have made it happen. We can all raise a toast for a job accomplished."

"We've never been short of sportspersons with the potential to shine on a global platform. In fact, I would say, the northeast can produce world-beaters, and this has been proved in some areas. In Assam, too, there are several talented players and they have achieved glory, but only due to their individual effort. The system needs to be changed to help these players reach their goals."

"The authorities should scout for young talent in rural areas and groom them into world-class players. I think it is quite possible given the pool of potential star players we have here."

"Only a sportsperson can understand the potential talent, constraints and feelings of a fellow sportsperson. In such a case, former players should be enlisted as consultants in the sports department so upcoming sportspersons can benefit from their experience."

"Facing hurdles is part of an athlete's life"

"Officials' indifference and selection bias have been the biggest issues in our country."

"I didn't know what to say as I was engulfed by incredible sadness. It was too little, too late"

"But something changed when the final started. I led from start to finish to win with a new Asian Games record (1.49.4). I was an Asian champion. It really was an unbelievable moment as I came from a state not many Indians knew much about those days."

"Hima is the future star and age is with her. So she should focus on the training only."

"Definitely, it's a happy feeling for me. I hope the school will help in nurturing a host of young talents who will be able to represent the country in the long run."

"It is sad to say there is no production of sportspersons anywhere in Assam. Earlier, we used to organise camps to attract new talent, but it is not happening anymore."

"If there is no coaching, how will we produce sports persons? If any sports event takes place, the kids are just taken there to participate. If there is no training or camp, how will our children progress? If there is any tournament, children are called and taken to participate - this is Assam's sports policy."

"Has the government made anyone a sports person? Government is not identifying and picking up talents from the ground. When someone shines, only then the government comes into the picture. That is what is happening nowadays."

"All sportspersons are in the villages. We have to search and nurture them. Rural sports is the only way to find real talents, otherwise we won't get it"

"He remains an inspiration for many aspiring athletes and his contribution to Assam’s sports scenario is unparalleled. (Source)"

"His legacy will always shine in Assam's sports arena, inspiring every athlete to bring unity and pride to our state."

"Many young students today may not have seen Baruah in his prime, but this celebration allows them to witness and draw inspiration from his journey"

"His legacy continues to inspire our athletes."

"His dedication to sports remains an everlasting beacon for Assam's youth."

"His insightful guidance within the realm of athletics will undoubtedly be a valuable asset for us."

"His trailblazing spirit inspires generations of athletes."

"The legacy of Shri Bhogeswar Baruah will continue to inspire every Indian to dream big, play with passion and bring glory to the nation."

"Today, we celebrate State Sports Day, in honour of an exceptional sportsman and Assam's first Arjuna Awardee, Shri Bhogeswar Baruah. He started off as a torch bearer of sports in Assam which has inspired many athletes over the years"

"I don’t like sprinting."

"I will sprint but I don’t like it. It’s so difficult, I tell people every day I give sprinters a lot of credit because whenever I sprint I feel so much pain."

"I am not scared to say I go for help when I want help, because I think that should be on top of everybody’s list."

"If you want the help, go get the help."

"I don’t put pressure on myself."

"Worldwide Olympian associations have long been formed; this is a great move by Botswana as it had been behind"

"the establishment of the association will bring former and current Olympians together, so that they take part in national duties varying from officiating, coaches as well as the technical aspect"

"It is good that former Olympians will not be forgotten because once upon a time they raised the national flag high as such they should be recognised whilst giving back what they have learned back to the sports community"

"If I am given a chance to contribute, I will do that wholeheartedly although one has to consider giving first priority to young and upcoming individuals"

"Sometimes it is all about discipline. I believe that most of us could be making a lot money but the way we handle ourselves lets us down"

"Agents would only be associated with you because they want to make money out of you"

"Most athletes do not take their time to seek for advice hence they fall prey to some agents who do not want the best for the careers"

"I want to thank the people of Poland and especially Bydgoszcz for cheering me up as I was racing"

"I had to fight a war to get into the Kenya team"

"The whole of the Kenyan team was training foot of mount Kenya which is as chilly as Bydgoszcz"

"I was not certain I would win because I had not raced before with the one who was following [Mehdin], but when I opened up a 10m gap, I started praying as I was racing, and I thank God that he has given me this win that I have dedicated to the Kenyans"

"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"

"Training has been going very well. I feel very strong, very confident and I’m very motivated to do my best to defend the title I won in Punta Umbria two years ago"

"Last summer was a disappointment. I had some slight injuries in July and lost my chance to go to the Olympics, but since November I have been steadily improving"

"There is no need to worry. I had been training really hard in February and even did a tough session the day before the race. I just felt tired"

"I have been training hard after the track campaign and this proves that I have recovered well"

"My aim this season is to defend my title in the World Cross and win a medal in Moscow"

"My athletes don't just see me as a coach. I run alongside them. They learn from how I train, rest, and carry myself. That's leadership through presence"

"If I am not training, I choose to sleep. That is why people rarely see me except during practice. I prefer to use my free time to sleep"

"I have run for long, from World Championships and World Indoors to the Olympics"

"With all that experience, I saw it wise to share my expertise — not just with young athletes, but with anyone willing to train with discipline"

"Our routes weave through Mau Forest"

"These aren’t just trails. They’re tests of character"

"No one else had thought of supporting athletes this way — giving them both a place to grow athletically and financially"

"My athletes know I’m strict"

"There’s no shortcut in this sport. I do not support doping, and I never will. If you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you must do it right"

"I’m not just training runners"

"I’m building people. Strong, disciplined people who will take Kenyan running to the next level."

"Running gave me everything"

"Now, I give back — through sweat, through sacrifice, and through the soil we farm together"

"My career on the track—my Olympic bronze in the 5,000m—was built on the fast finish"

"But the marathon is completely different in the final 5km. You can’t just turn your legs over like on the track; the fuel is nearly gone. The biggest adjustment is shifting from raw speed to relentless endurance"

"The tropical heat and especially the humidity were the biggest challenges"

"Even with the early start, the air felt heavy and thick as the sun rose. For us, training in the altitude and cooler air of Kenya, it required immense discipline with hydration from the first kilometer"

"I had to run more conservatively in the first half to save energy for the inevitable struggle after 25km. But the scenery, the villages, the people cheering… it is one of the most beautiful races I’ve experienced"

"This has been a year of deepening purpose"

"My reflection is less about my personal stopwatch and more about the impact I can have on the future of Kenyan running"

"Running competitively keeps me sharp and helps me understand the sacrifices my young athletes are making. Every morning, I run alongside them—I’m not just a coach shouting instructions; I am a competitor in the pain cave with them"

"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"

"As a kid I remember being fearless. Back then I didn’t worry about expectations. I was unafraid. I was wild and free but also very driven and I played many different sports: cricket, basketball and soccer"

"I lived in a very disciplined, strict household, where we may not have had everything we wanted but we had everything we needed"

"We weren’t a rich family but growing up in that environment taught me life lessons about how to work hard and be grateful for what I have"

"Since I was young, I was never afraid of a challenge. I always wanted to test myself. I’d run against the older guys. At church I wanted to sing the most challenging songs. I was always keen to be around elders at bible studies because I wanted to learn more"

"In the streets I used to lay down buckets and cans to jump over in races. Sometimes I used to put one bucket on top of another just for the challenge. I was a crazy, wild kid and that fearlessness has grown with me as my track career has developed"

"I had injuries and I was becoming consumed by track and field"

"To fix this, I had to do some serious soul searching and ask what works for me. It was less a case of giving advice to my younger self; it was more about what I could learn as an adult from my younger self. How could I reconnect with that feeling of fearlessness? I realised to rediscover a happy Omar, I needed to be in a happy environment. This would help me become a healthy Omar which translates to a fast Omar"

"I am stunned at the turn of events because I have always conducted myself with the highest level of integrity in the sport, which I love dearly and would never seek to gain an unfair advantage I intend to defend my integrity during this process because I am certain I did not knowingly breach the rules. Out of respect for the process I will not comment further until the process is concluded"

"Early last month, I was tested out of season. I expected to be negative on that test like I have been on every test I have ever taken throughout my career. I was surprised to receive a letter on Tuesday (November 2, 2023) by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission of an adverse analytical finding. I have decided to take the option to have my B-sample tested, of which I await the results"

"To get under 13 seconds, I just have to keep doing what I have been doing in training. I just want to put what I am doing in training on the track. Once I do what I am doing in training, then sub-13 seconds would be pretty easy"

"I think I can get below 12.90 seconds. I just have to put the race together, and I intend to do that before the end of the season"

"I have really worked hard to get where I am at now, but it feels normal"

"I just want to focus on what I have to do and don't get distracted by anything right now"

"I think I've had a lot of speed in my legs lately. My coach has been implementing over-speeding again in training. I haven't done it for about four years. I need to control the speed between hurdles and not run into them then I should be fine"

"3,04 away, I think if I run a clean race I have a good start, I should get it. The next race would be in Europe. I'm not sure when but I think I might race on the 24th. Then I'm on the waiting list for Rabat Diamond League"

"I think it's one of my best seasons at the National Champs. I didn't run 13.3 I think for the past four years. At the National Champs, I did it in the heat and the final, both very messy races. Where the last time I did 13.3 was in clean races"

"This is a great competition because it’s the best athletes in the world going up against each other. I’m looking forward to competing against the athletes from the seven countries and to going out there and giving my all"

"My European performances thus far haven’t been great but I’m still happy with the outcome of my races. I’m working on a few technical things and hopefully, it can work out and my times will start dropping. It was my first Commonwealth Games and I was satisfied with my results there. In January I tore my hamstring so my build-up to the Commonwealth Games wasn’t that smooth"

"All the hard work at training sessions over the years has finally paid off. I never gave up and knew one day I would reach my dream of competing on the international stage"

"I didn’t perform as well as I would have liked, but I have been a bit inconsistent, so the main goal is to be more consistent, and that experience will help me going forward. But most important is that I really enjoyed the experience of going up against the best in the world in Rio, and look forward to doing it again"

"My coach and I worked hard to get where I am now. We worked on speed for a few years, and then focused on technique, but there is still room for improvement"

"Training is a lot of hard work, but I have the hunger to improve every year, even if it’s just 0.01 seconds. It’s still an improvement, and I trust my coach and his guidance to get me there"

"To be honest, it didn’t come as a surprise at all. I could feel it in the warm-up, and I had been running times like that in training, so I just had to perform on the day. My coach had told me I was going to be the one to break the record, and in training you could see I was a lot stronger than last year, so we knew it would come this year"

"My long-term goal is to work towards podium finishes and medals at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympics. That would be amazing, and it won’t come easy, but with hard work, belief and trust, I think it can happen"

"I can always look back at my races, see what I did wrong, and work on how to perfect it, then get better. I just want to make it into the final of a major competition and whatever happens, happens, because it is so unpredictable in a final, and anything can happen in a technical race like the 110m hurdles"

"My inspiration came mostly during the national schools championship itself as when you see other athletes celebrating their wins, you also want to bask in that feeling. So I trained harder to get the wins. International competitions have also been a huge motivator for me as I have always wanted to get to the highest level"

"Well, obviously there were those that looked at me like I did not belong, but most of them were okay as all over the world there are young athletes who have achieved extraordinary things, so I managed to blend in easily"

"Uhm… Judo. Judo has always been the first sport that truly lifted and helped me get to where I am."

"It was very tough. I spent three years at SIT and during my first year I struggled a lot as there were many international tournaments, so in my second year I put my feet down and decided not to travel to every tournament. Then when I did travel I took my school notes with me. I actually owe a lot to my classmates at that time as they helped me a lot, by sending me notes and assignments when I was away"

"It doubles the training as for sprint you are only running and learning the techniques, but for hurdles you have to jump as well and also learn proper technique to time your jumps. So it is more demanding"

"Yes. I mean, I set this record at a young age, so now I have to always live up to it and it is quite a burden for me if I can’t get near this record again, so I will keep giving my best to continue to lower it"

"I was really happy as it was not something I had expected to achieve, but it is something that showed all my hard work was worth it"

"I will say that it is very difficult to succeed nowadays, so I want to urge all the youths to work hard and never give up. You should always bet on yourself to succeed and in the end you will"

"I'm planning on coming back stronger, win conference, go to regionals, go to nationals, go all the way"

"It was great. This one was a little bit different. I didn’t have two great rounds, and had to rely on my experience to get me through the final"

"But I knew what I had to do, I knew what I was missing. With that being said, a big shout-out to the sports staff. Everybody was telling me, ’You’ve done this a million times before, you’ve just got to do it again"

"It’s a world championships, you’ll always have nerves for the world championships wherever you’re at"

"I think I can put grace in it and hang up the 60m hurdles and try out a new event next year"

"To win three indoors and three outdoors, I think I’m the first person in history to ever do that. That’s an amazing stat"

"But I’m young, I’ve got a lot of races under my belt, so I’ll take this with a grain of salt and I keep moving forward"

"This was not the outcome that I wanted but it enables me to say I’m an Olympic medalist"

"I put myself in these high-pressure situations. I just wanted to just make sure that when the gun went off, I took care of my lane, my space. So I put enough of a gap to where I kind of had it squared away. I just had to make sure I didn't knock down any hurdles"

"It's a lot of mental work"

"You need a lot of mental fortitude. I say, ‘Alright, if I don't do this, let's do some push-ups.' It's like a punishment. You put yourself through those situations so that you know exactly what you need to do to win"

"And you know, my coach calls me crazy sometimes because I kept saying, ‘Again, again, again, again.’ I just want to make sure that practice makes permanent. And as I always say, ‘Permanent makes paper"

"I’ve accomplished all my lifetime goals"

"I turned pro in 2019, so in almost five years I accomplished everything that I wanted to do in track and field. So this is the tough part, I have to continue to find ways to get motivated"

"I didn’t get a medal but at the same time, it’s still a great year for me, that means I still have a lot of potential to actually compete with these guys so it’s pretty amazing to come out here to compete"

"I’m Nigerian so there is nothing that actually surprises me anymore…coming out here doing my best, running a new PR [Personal Record] that’s something big for me"

"It’s a fair call. He put in a lot of work to get that medal, and if they are trying to rip that away, I don’t think that’s fair. He didn’t deliberately knock over the hurdle — that could happen to anyone"

"Everyone came out here to put in a lot of work, and that man deserves it. I’m also extremely proud of myself for being able to make it to the world finals"

"I’m always confident, but at the same time, I do not underrate my fellow competitors, because anyone could virtually run fast at any time"

"I just go in there, and I try to execute what I’ve learnt. I was fully ready for this race. I’m going to talk to my coach, and we’ll make the right adjustments"

"I’m also happy with the presence of my partner with me in Tokyo. She’s been supporting me all through the whole year. She was at the NCAA with me and in Nigeria"

"It’s really amazing to have her around, and after my race, it’s good to see someone I know looking at me and picking my odds"

"My son is my biggest motivation, honestly. He is my biggest, biggest motivation. Most times I’ll call him and I say ‘Hey, I’m going to run today’ and he says to me ‘Okay daddy, run, run, run, run!’ The fact that he says those stuff to me and he understands, I’m very grateful because it tells me I am building a path that he can be better than I was"

"Honestly, when I was at university, it was going good at first but I didn’t have the financial support to really carry me through"

"I was not really focused because I had just left high school, I was young and was just finding myself"

"When COVID hit, I literally gave up because I thought it didn’t make any sense but then after, I said I was going to try again. It wasn’t really going good but I started to find myself little by little. It is very heartwarming knowing that every time I step out there, I have someone that I have to get this job done for"

"Knowing that I have a great support team behind me with my agent, my coach, my girlfriend and my mom, it is a good feeling to know that you have people in your corner that really believe in you"

"Sometimes it’s hard and just that extra push, that extra call really goes a far way, mentally. A lot of people don’t understand it, but once you’re good mentally then you’ll perform a lot better"

"It’s more about hard work, mostly listening to my coach and taking as much instruction. But this season, everything is going well so far"

"I gave it my all"

"despite we weren’t a contender, but I gave my best"

"I’m just trying my best so that I can medal at the Olympic Games, stay in good condition, good health"

"Just train hard, work hard, stay healthy, put God first"

"We’re working on a lot of things, you know, most of the weak areas,"

"It was manageable for me. I just had to get out and try to maintain (my form). I didn't get really much to do. There was a lot of pressure because, as you know, people thought I would drop out at first, so I got to prove them wrong, and now I came here and made it to the semi-finals. I am grateful for that moving forward"

"Jamaica has the talent. This is our best quarter-mile programme in a long while. All of us are performing very well, running sub-45 seconds. We give God thanks. I hope all of us are injury free going forward"

"It was very shocking to go sub-45 this season. It was very mind-blowing, but I continue putting in the work and listening to my coach's instructions"

"I didn’t expect this fast an opening time because running sub-45 this early in the season, I am really surprised by it"

"This is going to give me a lot more confidence, and I just want to stay injury-free and stay healthy throughout the season"

"Last season was a rough one but this year I am back stronger, and today was an indication that I really overcame what happened last season"

"It felt pretty good. I mean, it’s a bittersweet feeling because usually we’re one of the last events at the championship and now we’re one of the first. I was like, ‘Okay, this is different, but I like it.’ Got it out of the way, got the rust off, the dust off, and, you know, did what I came out here to do"

"It felt good, the start felt really good. I definitely would like to get hurdles eight, nine and 10 a little bit more efficient in the next round, because everybody’s coming all guns blazing in the semis and so if I want to make it to the final, I have to be as sharp as possible"

"You know, I try to keep a clear mind and a loose body, I try to focus on what I can control. I know I can do all the hard work that’s possible but it’s God who gives me the strength to keep going and provides the opportunities and I’m just really grateful, and I keep that in mind and just enjoy the process. I mean, it’s not going to last forever, so while I’m in it, I enjoy what I’m doing"

"The younger girls are running really fast. I’d like to think I have a lot of experience under my belt, and so if I need to call on that experience, I feel like I can, but at the end of the day, you know, it’s just to do my best every time and let the chips fall where they may"

"Process is training hard and trusting in God. That’s all it is. Trusting in God, trusting in the training that I put in, trusting in the abilities that I have, and believing without a doubt that everything will work out for the good of those who love the Lord and were called for his purpose. If that’s me, that’s me"

"I know Usain (Bolt) has won Laureus awards before, so to bring this trophy back home to the Caribbean, also in Jamaica, is very special"

"I would say I am very, very proud, but I cannot dwell on the past. Even though it’s very special, it’s memories. I cannot just sit and say ‘OK, I’m a double Olympic champion, I’m a five-time Olympic gold medallist’. I have to continue working because my motivation is to be even better"

"I told myself that I want to be the greatest female sprinter, so I am just going to focus on what the future holds for me."

"Every champion has struggles that they’ve been through. There will always be obstacles and you have to learn to hurdle them – you’re never too old to learn new stuff. I think I’ve learned a lot over the past year, and the main thing is that I’ve learned to listen to my body. Like any athlete who wants to be a champion, you tend to want to train through your pain, but sometimes it’s better to rest and listen to your body, which will help you in the long run. That’s one of the mistakes I’ve made in the past; I’d try to push through the pain"

"Even though the achilles injury was challenging and meant I was unable to sprint or even walk at times, I continued to work. To come back from that and achieve what I did is a surreal feeling and I’m happy and proud"

"You get a lot of motivation when you achieve your first victory of the season"

"The season was a tough one, but we went out there with our heart and our soul and we put on a show"

"It’s an honour to win this award and I’m humbled to accept it. It will keep me motivated as I continue to work towards my targets"

"Many people love to offer advice and change many things about their life, but for me I’d just say, “stay the course”. I’d not change anything because every setback you experience always serves a purpose. I honestly don’t feel that had I started the sport earlier or maybe gone to a different university is something I desire. I love the path I walked down, so I would tell myself to hang in there and stay the course"

"Of course, when I was younger I made mistakes. We all do. As guys we are slow to mature and I did some stupid things. At Howard University I performed well as a hurdler. I won races and conference championships but at homecoming time I decided to hang out with friends and I missed two practises in my sophomore year. My coach was furious and kicked me off the team only for a colleague to talk him out of it and give me a two-meet suspension instead"

"The suspension actually ran from October through to January because I was waiting to serve the two-meet ban. I was sat on the bus in street clothes fetching snacks for the team. It was embarrassing. To me, this was a huge wake-up call and made me realise how close I’d been to letting everything slip and returning back to Denver to live in my mom’s basement. It was a reminder of how fleeting your career can be and as my coach reminded me - Howard University was here way before me and would be here way after me – and I have only the interim period to leave a legacy"

"I would also say I have no regrets or advice to give because if you have never been through setbacks, how does that teach resilience? Going through challenges teaches you coping strategies fo the future"

"I used concrete blocks and sandbags for weights. I'd do an hour of weight training at home in the morning. My uncle, in whose house I was living in Auckland, had built a sort of gym in the spare room, so I'd spend an hour doing callisthenics before I went to work."

"At lunchtime I'd train at the Domain. I ran in army boots for 30-45 minutes. The theory was that when I didn't have the boots on, I'd feel like I was flying. It certainly did feel good without them!"

"Then after work I'd be back at the Domain, or at one of the other parks. I'd be watched by Jim Bellwood, my coach. He'd supervise my jumping technique, or my throwing. This session would last a couple of hours."