As we say farewell to Beijing, here are some of the notable, quotable words of wisdom – and otherwise – from the second week of the 2008 Olympics.
"I was going to kiss it because everyone else bites it." - American wrestler Clarissa Chun is talking about what she would have done had she won a medal. We think she might have been getting ahead of herself, planning the photo op before winning.
"It was pretty much garbage." - American discus thrower Ian Waltz doesn't dance around the issue of his performance.
"A man behind me pushed my back and I fell. Then the man put his cleats into my leg, which cut it, and I couldn't jump over the hurdle. I started to run but my ankle went. I've run too fast this year for this to happen. I'm very angry." - Italian steeplechaser Matteo Villani says there was another villain out there (and then the dog ate his homework).
"The rim is small. The ball can't get in." - The dog's been busy. Apparently it ate Croatian basketballer Zoran Planinic's homework, too.
"When his opponent (did not) fight in the way that he was supposed to, he got lost and forgot our game plan." - Brazilian coach Luiz Barreto blames the other boxer for beating his man, Robenilson Vieira. Shame on you, Anvar Yunusov!
"Well, there's the food, and there's a couple of Brazilian women around and all that." - We think British boxer James Degale may have been a little distracted in the Olympic Village.
"Our girls are not going to go down without getting real bloody." - Canadian softball coach Lori Sippel sends a friendly warning to the Japanese team ahead of their match. Japan won 6-0. No band-aids were needed.
"Italians are so cute and that's why the Chinese fans cheered for us." - We think Italian fencer Luigi Tarantino may have spent too much time looking in the mirror.
"They are a tough team. They are physical and dirty and also smart, so it's exhausting playing against them." - Dutch water polo player Gillian van den Berg talking about the Italians.
"One year ago we needed one or two eyes to play against China. Now we need three eyes to play against them." - We think we know what Italy's women's water polo coach, Mauro Maugeri, is trying to say.
"I am retiring. I hope to one day open an ice-cream shop." - At least Italian track cyclist Vera Carrara still has hopes and dreams.
"At first he was not quite a good horse. He was not very careful. Now he is my second wife." - Ukrainian equestrian Jean-Claude van Geenberghe reveals a little too much about his relationship with Quintus.
"He could be a 400 metre runner as well, but he's just lazy." - American Wallace Spearmon thinks 100 and 200 metre champ and new world record holder Usain Bolt needs a bit more motivation.
"Right now I'm about to go pee in a cup. The celebrations will be after that. I'm going to call up my fiancée." - At least American gymnast Jonathan Horton has his priorities right after winning a silver medal on the horizontal bars.
"We won because of our togetherness, hard work and because the music our fans were playing in the stadium gave us power from God." - Nigerian footballer Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi