The Beijing Olympics close on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on over two weeks of sporting — and other — drama.
Here are some of the best quotes from the last few days:
“Why did you let it go? Why did you let it go? Tell me.”
— Kamila Valieva’s coach Eteri Tutberidze after the Russian teenager fell multiple times in the figure skating final.
“It was chilling to see this.”
— International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Tutberidze’s reaction.
“Right now, I just feel like a joke.”
— US star skier Mikaela Shiffrin after her third crash of the Games.
“I had a glass of wine before the super-G.”
— Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin on the secret to winning gold.
“From zero to 10, my physical condition is about a five.”
— Italy’s Sofia Goggia on winning silver in the downhill three weeks after a horror crash.
“It has changed my life forever.”
— China’s 18-year-old Eileen Gu on a debut Olympics in which she won three medals.
“The most important thing is all about love. Snowboarding is not just about competition.”
— Chinese teenager Su Yiming after winning snowboard Big Air gold.
“A halfpipe is a skier’s canvas… It’s our art form.”
— New Zealand’s Nico Porteous after winning freeski gold.
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like their heart’s in the right place, it feels like it’s a greed game.”
— British freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy criticises the International Olympic Committee.
“I only know attack mode.”
— US bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who won silver and bronze.
“Apparently the whole town is in the pub and they’ll be cheering pretty loud.”
— Australian bobsledder Kiara Reddingius on how her small hometown is supporting her.
“I was lucky not to land on my head and maybe got a little cushion from the camera guy.”
— Finnish freeskier Jon Sallinen after crashing into a cameraman by the halfpipe.
“We say that Nordic combined is the game of the maniac.”
— Dual bronze medallist Akito Watabe.
“We just finished our second puzzle today. Both of them were pizza cats — cats in space with pizza.”
— Canada’s Cynthia Appiah on amusing herself in the confines of Covid restrictions.
“It was really a lot of draining days, mentally especially. I don’t wish it on anyone.”
— German figure skater Nolan Seegert on being in isolation after testing positive for Covid.
“Game-time mode, baby. Turn the beast on.”
— US freestyle skier Aaron Blunck psyches himself up in the halfpipe.
“It’s kind of like in a shark tank.”
— Skier Joana Haehlen on the fight for one of Switzerland’s three spots in women’s downhill.
“I thought it was an absolutely ridiculous decision.”
— British cross-country skier Andrew Musgrave after his race was shortened by 20km because of strong winds.