"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"

"Everyday is a new day, and ultimately, I have to figure out what works each day."

"It's not always an upward journey; there are always ups and downs. But in order to maintain that passion, you have to maintain that dream and that drive, and the Olympics for me was that dream and drive. I'm certain that will be the same case for many other young athletes."

"Never give up. There are always tough times, regardless of what you do in anything in life. Be able to push through those times and maintain your ultimate goal."

"I enjoy watching other sports, like tennis and golf. I’ve only played golf once, but I like it very much. I want to distract myself from diving and learn what great athletes mean to be great. Like Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and the others."

"I don’t want to waste time thinking about the result."

"I have to really take care of my mental state and make sure I don't get into a depression. I have worked with a psychiatrist or psychologist who helped me quite a bit with some of the mental stresses of being a competitive diver and dealing with depression and things like that."

"There are two of me in my mental state that actually fight with one another. Part of me says ‘you’re a gold medallist, you can take a break, you can be done’. Another part of me says ‘you can’t give this up, you love diving’."

"Every dive was a fear for me and I had to face all those fears one by one. I was terribly afraid that I could not dive and I could not eat and sleep well during those days. But I was very lucky, I had a great and strong team with me. Everyone in the team helped me, motivated me and encouraged me to tackle the difficulties. That is the reason why I give myself full marks for 2019, because I overcame my fears and weaknesses from the previous season and had an enlightened 2019. I am proud of myself."

"It is not the gold medal that makes you stronger. It is your courage to face up difficulties and then overcome them on the road leading to the podium. It is easy for one to believe in himself in favorable circumstances, but hard in times of adversity. This might be the difference between excellence and greatness."

"I will definitely continue diving if my body allows me, so I will keep training hard, keep competing and hopefully represent China more and win more titles for China."

"One year ago I was not doing that well. I'm very thankful that I didn't give up."

"I should be grateful for the difficulties and challenges I experienced. I felt I am stronger and tougher in mind. And that is why I want to praise myself."

"I really love diving and I realised that there was no way that I could give it up."

"I feel that if we could give 100 percent effort, that is the what the Olympics are about. We cannot predict the results, but I'm happy if we could just enjoy the process."

"I began to feel like I’d failed if I didn’t win a medal, and I lost that feeling of excitement I felt when I first began."

"As an athlete, you’re only focused on yourself and it’s mainly about physical exertion, whereas as a mother I have to think not only about myself but also my child. Everything is new to me as a mother. In a way, I also feel like a baby because I’m learning bit by bit. Nobody really understands what being a mother is like until they actually become one. It changes the way you think about everything."

"I don't like discussing my private life in public. It feels strange."

"When I realised it wasn’t swimming I signed up for, I just went with it because I liked the challenge. It wasn’t a hobby, but I grew to enjoy it and become good at it through my training. Eventually I developed the goal of competing and winning a gold medal. Little did I know that raising my hand would lead me to where I am now"

"I don't care about my public figure, or gossip; It doesn't have an impact on my training or competitions."

"In the ’80s and ’90s, not a lot of people knew what diving was and I didn’t actually know what it meant. When I heard the word ‘water’ in the Chinese pronunciation of ‘diving,’ I had an image of families swimming happily together during the summer—and I wanted to have that."

"Just treat every day as a new day to swim. When it's used up, recharge it, and when it's used up, recharge it again."

"At the beginning, I thought I was an ordinary athlete, and I didn't think too much about it. But as people asked me for a lot of things, I also felt that I should pay attention to my words and deeds. No longer. Can't let my temper anymore."

"Diving is relatively niche and not so market-oriented. It is one aspect that audiences like to watch, but in terms of participation, there will be fewer people participating."

"After I finished school, I started to get in touch with the referee's work. After all, I grew up in this circle and felt that the referee's job was more interesting, so I slowly decided that the referee's work was my future direction."

"But I just want to say if I cannot win the gold eventually, I will not let my rivals win easily. We need to fight for it. I can accept not standing on the highest podium, but I will never give up."

"In the end, I can have today's achievements, and it is inseparable from the coach and team leader of the national team."

"Nowadays, many people are not focusing on gold medals, but sportsmanship, the positive energy in sportspeople."

"I didn't even want to train, I was just playing, but I was persuaded to come back by the coach at the time. He said that you can't train like this. Everyone has a low point. Why can't you persist?"

"I am already considered an elderly player on the platform during the Rio Olympics cycle. In general, my state is quite poor, and my abilities in all aspects are going down. Therefore, I can't participate in single-player competitions and continue to write new gold medal records, which is a little regretful."

"There was always just that challenge of getting better, and every year having a new goal and getting a step closer to the ultimate dream. I really didn’t have the dream of the Olympics until I was maybe in middle school. And, at that point, it started to get a little harder. My life centered around skating—training before and after school. It was a huge time commitment for me and my family."

"I’d never skated just to win a gold medal before; I’d never put that kind of pressure on myself."

"Even as an athlete, I am constantly inspired and awed by the stories of Olympians. I was honored to have been asked to exchange ideas in the first charrette."

"The reward of putting a smile on a child’s face, who has to deal with so many challenges in life, is just beyond words. It's incredible."

"Together with the Spotlight Initiative, we will expand the contribution of sport to ending violence against women and girls through joint advocacy, training and direct support to community programmes. To truly make a difference, we need strong partnerships, political will and continued investment, because we know that investing in sport works"

"We’ve had a wonderful tour this morning, earlier at what will be the home of ice hockey at the Games, where it was wonderful to see the fast pace and progress of work"

"This is what Italy is known for, blending history, culture and passion"

"Every step, every game, every movement saves lives — and saves money. Physical inactivity already costs healthcare systems an estimated 27 billion dollars every year to treat preventable diseases"

"The Olympic Games showcase the best of humanity (...) I want to ensure the Games remain relevant and a space of inspiration, especially in a very divided world"

"Italy is known for its landscapes, right, the beautiful landscapes, the family feel, the passion that Italians have for sport. They’re ready to put on a show. It’s going to be a beautiful show"

"Studies show that every dollar invested in sport and physical activity can deliver a fourfold return in health and economic benefits — from lower healthcare costs to longer, healthier lives. In other words, investing in sport is a long-term investment in stronger, more resilient communities"

"This venue is going to be beautiful, and in a few months’ time will be welcoming athletes from all around the world. And you must be proud because it really is a stunning Village. We’re truly grateful to have been here and are now looking forward to walking back in, in a few months, seeing all the countries’ flags out of the windows"

"Going to Auburn played a huge role in my life in giving me a platform"

"My teammates became friends and family for life"

"Like everyone interested in peace for the region, we follow the current diplomatic developments very closely and hope that they can soon lead to a pathway to peace. Our deepest sympathy continues to go out to all those affected by this conflict, and we naturally stand in solidarity with the Olympic community in the region"

"It was incredible seeing how powerful sport can be to break down barriers and bring people together"

"Standing on the podium was quite surreal"

"With so many wars and conflicts affecting millions of innocent people all around the world, sport has the ability to bring the whole world together in peaceful competition"

"To be standing there and thinking about when I was 9 years old and now nearly 21, I had finally achieved my goal and my dream"

"The most successful African Olympian in history!"