Gymnastics Quotes - Page 4

Gymnastics has made me strong. I feel like it broke me down to my lowest point, but at the same time, it has given me the greatest strength anyone could ask for.

[Alexei Nemov] has the best feel for the aesthetics of the sport. He doesn't just do a skill; he makes it look gorgeous. Some gymnasts think if their arm is bent a little it doesn't matter, but Nemov understands it matters.

Mistakes, obviously, show us what needs improving. Without mistakes, how would we know what we had to work on?

It's nice to have a medal, but we were hoping for a gold.

Years ago I sang on a track using that voice and someone asked, 'Who is that terribly depressed man?' But Patrick loved it. He said, 'You sound like a young boy, like a child, like an old woman, like an old man,' and really, we all have all of those things inside of us. I don't do any vocal gymnastics to make the voice better as I age. If it comes out rougher, then it's true to what's happening. Singing is who I am. I didn't train for it, any more than I trained for anything else I did. I probably should take better care of myself physically, but it goes against the grain.

Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing.

It's human nature to be timid in the face of obstacles, but I have learned to believe that challenges are opportunities for genius to shine. In order to feel alive, we have to accomplish things that we once believed we could not.

The Olympics shows the community what gymnastics is all about.

If you lose the nerves, you lose the sport.

Mentally there's no question about whether I still like the sport and love doing it. I think it's pretty clear to everyone here that I love the sport. I love doing gymnastics and I love performing. So that's not really a question.

Competing in gymnastics is the greatest reminder of being alive as a human being.

When you are on the podium nobody is asking you if you are 15 or 30 years old. What matters is who can do great gymnastics.

I have had a few turning points, the first day I entered a gymnastics school at age 6.

I love watching gymnastics, swimming, and track and field.

There is always tension in women's gymnastics between athleticism, grace, performance, and eros.

I was a gymnast my whole life. I mean, I'd go to Starbucks and people would be like, 'Are you going to the next Olympics?' And when I'd say no, they'd literally look sad. So it was very hard for me to get excited about anything else. I thought that I had to do gymnastics forever.

I would love to learn popping, locking and robotics, gymnastics and acrobatics; it is amazing to learn these things.

It’s called the pursuit of perfection. The pursuit is the idea that you’ll never be perfect in gymnastics but you can continue to pursue it as long as you’re doing it. I don’t think it’s possible to be perfect in gymnastics. It’s just one of those sports that you’re always trying to improve and pursue that perfection.

[Dmitry Bilozerchev] is a genius of gymnastics.

I just want to continue with gymnastics because I'm still young and fresh. I think can get some more titles under my belt.

You want to picture yourself being on top and doing amazing gymnastics.

I can put my legs behind my head and sing 'Happy Birthday.' Because that's something that me and my friends used to do when we were in gymnastics class as kids, and I can still do it. I was doing it since I was 8 and 9. They used to call me Gumby. Very bendy.

The harder we work now, the easier it will be later.

By continually increasing the difficulty of the sport, we are discouraging younger athletes from starting and continuing in the sport. But most importantly, we are losing the beauty of our sport. We do not want gymnastics to lose what makes it so great - its artistic beauty.

I don't think many people will remember me when I retire.