Nathan Chen Quotes

When I am very tired, I know when I have to go in hard or slow down. It helps me to play better in the next match.

Training for the Olympics was a lifelong endeavor and took many years.

An Olympic pursuit really takes a full three to four years of Olympic preparation.

Top athletes understand that to play at their best, they must alternate periods of intense performance with periods of strategic renewal.

I think in running, to be honest, that even though athletes are very dedicated and are willing to train and do whatever they need to do to prepare, more often than not they're not in a very professional environment where you've got a high performance director and a coach that are really monitoring your daily activities.

I've found that my athletes run their best races after about 10 weeks of intense training.

Running back-to-back races requires a certain tactical prudence. Going too hard in any one race might jeopardize your performance in another. Maintaining proper hydration and caloric equilibrium also becomes increasingly critical.

You can wish as hard as you like but all that really matters is the shape you're in on the day of the race. I've always felt these really big races aren't necessarily won by whoever is the fastest. They're won by the athlete who is the smartest and in the best shape on the day.

During a packed season, maintaining fitness becomes tough because you can't put too much effort into it. You're constantly monitoring workloads.

A gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics is what I'm looking for. I have to pace my training in such a way that I'm at my best in Rio, and when I'm in form, no opponent can come in my way.

It's not easy, but I play with my body, and I can feel how important it is to get 100 percent fit to play. This is an important thing to play in the Premier League.

As players, it's a thin line. You want to recover, but you also gotta get some practice time in.

If you train 12 months a year, you won't have any strength for the important games.

When it comes to peaking at the right time, I have to thank my coach Mike Holmes: he is a genius.

I've definitely got better over the years at conserving my energy in pre-season - at knowing what to focus on and what to let go.

I think it's crucial for athletes to get plenty of fluids whether their regime is intensive or not. For me, generally, I eat and drink a lot so that I'm always at the top of my game.

Even sleep is part of my job because I need a certain number of hours of sleep to be able to train at the intensity that I do. I'm constantly working to keep my body in the best possible shape.

I train with the best coaches in the world.

Certain players need twice the recovery time of others because they run much more - not because they put in more effort but because they're playing different positions.

I need to practice every day to be at my best for winning the third gold at the Rio Olympics.

My body shape has transformed as sports science research has developed. It used to be thought that footballers needed to be big and do lots of weights and little cardio.

I've taken two weeks off before I've played a major, and I've played two straight weeks before a major as well. I definitely feel it's important, whether I've taken time off or played right before, that I take necessary rest time in the weeks before the tournament.

If I feel great and my body feels great and my knee is fine, I should play 30 minutes or more. I definitely have my opinion on that.

What worries me is to be in the best physical form to score goals.

If you want to improve the football, of course you need to put attention on the academy, on the school, the facility.