Swimming Success Quotes

Actually, I always dreamed about getting a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle in Olympic swimming. I always thought that would be the epic award in sports to get.

After my swims this weekend I think coach realized, you know what, you have to have a good one getting out of this meet. So I put the suit on and had a decent swim.

Popov was double Olympic champion in '92 and '96, and then Gary Hall came along and won in 2000 and 2004, and I would be the next on the list. That's a good goal, to have my name on that list alongside these guys.

I believe now that I've cemented my spot as the best swimmer in the world, and I can't describe how proud that makes me. I just want to keep working hard and hopefully just inspire more youngsters to keep swimming and encourage South Africans to become a winning nation.

There are indeed people with ulterior motives who don't wish Chinese swimming well; they even don't wish Asian swimming well. We cannot let these people's plans succeed.

I got beat real hard and heavy in the Olympic Games in 1968 by a guy who swam an incredible race one time in his whole life, but he did it right at the right time. I'd like to be that guy now. Maybe that's what I'm going to have to pull out of my hat to make the Olympic team.

I was bribed into starting swimming with the promise of sweets and by being told that you can win medals. My mum had given me a bag of medals which she had won when she was young, so the idea of winning medals was very exciting.

Getting to the Olympics was, has always been, my swimming dream since I was 8 or 9 years old. You know, right after I started swimming it was, 'I want to make an Olympic team. That's where I want to be.'

Michael Phelps wouldn't have been on the Wheaties box if I stuck with swimming. I've been swimming since I was a little kid. I still swim. I'm the best.

My whole swimming career was about training to beat Michael Phelps in any race I possibly could.

Adam Peaty is far and away the best swimmer in the world, and he's British. He set a world record - but the day after we were talking about my dress.

Those who know the sport of swimming understand that the grueling practices that fill a pre-Olympic winter lay the base for any success that might come later in the Games, especially if one has it in mind to swim an astonishing eight events.

I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.

I started swimming when I was four because my brother wanted to join a swim team, and I wanted to do what he did. They said I had to be six, but if I could swim a lap, then I could participate. So I swam a lap, and the rest is history.

I can sit back in 10, 15, 20 years, when I'm sitting with my kids, I'll be able to say that I'm sitting in Ravens Stadium during a game, and I'm watching one of the best swimmers ever win a Gold for the U.S. You know, as you get older, you cherish those kinds of moments.

I grew up a competitive swimmer. I wanted to go the Olympics. Both my parents were professional swimmers. I competed internationally quite often, right up until I moved to California to pursue music.

I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer when I was growing up.

I don't linger on the fact that Dawn Fraser was a great swimmer 40 years ago. That was in the past. I did break 41 world records, but I don't live on that today.

I'm trying to focus on the 100 and 200 breaststroke now. There's no point concentrating on the 50 when it's not in the Olympics. I'm not going to quit the 50 but it's not my priority any more. I'll do it but as part of my bid for gold at the other distances.

Both my kids are international swimmers and national champions.

It's always great to see young swimmers and their excitement and the joy that they have in the water.

There's not that many great swimmers from Brooklyn.

I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do. And I want to change the world of swimming.

I grew up in Florida, so you start swimming at the age of 1, really. By 10, I was competitive swimming, and by 12, I had aspirations to be the best in the world.

I've actually medalled in every single swimming meet except for the Olympics, so that's the goal. I want to get on that podium - I really do. But for me, that's not something I can control... so I will be happy with going out there and swimming a race that I'm proud of.