A list of Olympic quotes

To celebrate the Olympic Games I've collected together a list of Olympic themed quotes by various commentators, competitors and others over the years.

The true meaning of the Olympics?

Please note, however, in accordance with official Olympic legislation, visitors to this website must not wear Nike garments or consume Pepsi drink products while reading the following quotes. Only officially endorsed products from official Olympic sponsors, such as Adidas and Coca Cola, are allowed to be worn or drank while reading this Olympic themed blog post. Thank you for your co-operation.

1) “The 2012 Olympics is going to cost £8 billion which is a lot of money. It’ll probably bankrupt London. But you can't put a price on two bronze medals in cycling.”
…Jimmy Carr


2) "You won’t win silver medals at the Olympic Games unless you’re the very best.”
…Pat Glenn, weight-lifting commentator.


3) “He is the world number one and has been the poster boy for our sport. It's like Barcelona not taking Messi, in fact he is the Lionel Messi of our sport and must go.”
…John Cullen, former British champion referring to Aaron Cook not being selected for the GB Tae Kwon Do team.


4) “McDonald’s being the official restaurant of the Olympics is like smoking being the official medicine of cancer.”
…numerous tweeters on twitter.

* In the interests of a balanced article I feel I should point out that when talking about the day he broke the 100 metres record, Usain Bolt mentioned that he had chicken nuggets for lunch, so the analogy doesn’t really stand up to close scrutiny, but it nevertheless brought a smirk to my face.


5) “I just want a hamburger and fries.”
…Rebecca Adlington after winning gold in Beijing.

Dusting, now an Olympic sport
in the eyes of Charles Barkley.

6) “Curling is not a sport. I called my grandmother and told her she could win a gold medal because they have dusting in the Olympics now.”
…Charles Barkley (American basketball player) being a bit harsh on curling.


7) Interviewer: “If the monarchy suddenly disbanded, which song would you want played at your gold medal ceremony instead of the National Anthem?”
Holly Lam-Moores: “Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot.”
…Holly Lam-Moores, Team GB handball player.


8) “Although they only give gold medals in the field of athletics, I encourage everyone to look into themselves and find their own personal dream, whatever that may be … sports, medicine, whatever. The same principles apply.”
…John Naber, former swimmer. Actually, he probably still swims now. What I meant though, is that he used to be a world class swimmer, whereas now I presume he only swims for a hobby, although presumably still at a very high level.


9) “Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them … a desire, a dream, a vision.
...Muhammad Ali


10) “Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them have been serious.”
…Alan Minter, former boxer and Olympic boxing commentator.


11) “In the coming days, over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 nations will be undertaking their final preparations after years of dedication, hard work and personal sacrifice. We send our warm wishes to them for a rewarding and enjoyable Games.”
…Her Majesty The Queen

North Korea, hosting this year's Olympic Games
if Seb Coe's statement is anything to go by.

12) Reporter: “Would someone wearing a Pepsi t-shirt would be allowed in to the Games?”
Sebastian Coe: “No, you probably wouldn’t be walking in with a Pepsi t-shirt because Coca Cola are our sponsors and they have put millions of pounds into this project but also millions of pounds into grassroots sport. It is important to protect those sponsors.”
...Sebastian Coe, under the mistaken impression that the Olympics are being staged in North Korea.


13) “If you want to stick five doughnuts in your window and call them Olympic rings, then be my guest.”
...Boris Johnson, Mayor Of London, taking a more chilled out approach.


14) “Sebastian Coe was a brilliant runner and until now I’ve always had total respect for him as a person, but on this occasion you could argue that his comments have done more to harm Olympic sponsors like Adidas and Coca Cola than any baker hanging a few doughnuts in their window.”
…Charles Fudgemuffin


15) “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”
…Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, reminding us what the Olympics should actually be about.


I would certainly agree with the positive benefits of getting involved. I was lucky enough to see the Olympic Torch travelling on its journey around the country and can confirm that the atmosphere on the day was excellent, with everyone excitedly and enthusiastically cheering on the torch bearer as he jogged down the street carrying the torch.

This is a short video of the occasion:



Finally, some people have claimed that the Olympic organisers have lost sight of the true meaning of the Olympics and have ‘sold out’ for the corporate buck. I would have to strongly disagree with these claims. The Olympic spirit burns as bright and as true as it ever did and the involvement of corporate sponsors doesn’t dilute that spirit at all.

And on that closing note I’m off to enjoy a pint of Heineken, the official beer of the Olympic Games. **shifty eyes**


P.S. Good luck to all the Team GB athletes taking part in the Olympic Games. Hopefully over the next seventeen days we'll be celebrating some amazing sporting achievements.

P.P.S. Commiserations to world number one Aaron Cook on not being selected for the Olympics, despite a run of form which has earned him 9 gold medals and 2 bronze medals in his last eleven tournaments.

You can find a follow-up list of memorable quotes from the London Olympics below:
More Olympic quotes