Quotes from Bonnie Blair

It's just so overwhelming to think, 'OK, the whole world is watching this!'

I was really happy with my race, though. I beat my personal best by 1.2 seconds.

A lot of people think I'm under a lot of pressure with my family and friends spending all that money to follow me around

Winning doesn't always mean being first. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before.

My legs tightened up pretty much, and it was a hard last corner for me.

It's sad to know I'm done. But looking back, I've got a lot of great memories.

I wasn't really expecting me to win the gold in this race. To get another medal for myself and for the U.S. was a pretty good thing to happen, I'd say.

I never could have achieved the success that I have without setting physical activity and health goals.

Even though I enjoy that head-to-head competition part, one of the things that drove me to long track was if I won or if I lost I want to know it's all on my shoulders and it didn't have anything to do with anybody else.

What's really hard is when you're having those more difficult days, you've got to be able to dig down deep and be able to go out there and do what it takes to be the best you can be, even on the hardest days.

I love short track. I competed in short track, I was a world champion in 1986 but at that point in time it wasn't in the Olympic Games so I moved into long track. Short track is a blast to skate and it's a blast to watch.

Four key words--helped make my dreams come true. They are: dedication, balance, risk, and love.

I don't remember the first time I skated on ice, I was too young. I do remember falling in love with that wind-in-my-face feeling while speed skating.

It's sad to know I'm done. But looking back, I've got a lot of great memories.

I never could have achieved the success that I have without setting physical activity and health goals.

This Olympics is almost a little sad. It is my final Olympics. There are a lot of good memories.

My parents put skates on me at age 2, the way it should be if you're serious, and I've always liked it.

Apolo is going to have to keep skating so he can add more gold to his entourage.

It doesn't matter what anybody thinks of what I do. The clock doesn't lie.

I'm definitely going to miss hearing the sound of that gun.

There is no man in any rank who is always at liberty to act as he would incline. In some quarter or other he is limited by circumstances.

When you're in a sport like speed skating where the clock gives you the results, there is always a faster goal or a personal best to beat.

What I've learned from my own journey, and from my family's experience with cancer, is how important it is to stay positive and move forward. Not every day is going to be perfect; that's life. But staying positive is going to get you to the next day.

There's probably nothing quite like crossing the finish line and seeing the clock read numbers that you have never seen before.