Justin Gatlin

“I respect my competitors, you know, I get respect back from them. I respect people out there who pay for their tickets to come watch us compete. And I respect the reporters because they've got to come out here and tell a good story. That's what it is. It's just a cycle of respect.”

“I want to go out there and show the world I can stretch my legs even more and exhibit more talent.”

“Usually in the off season, when you're done, you're just done. You eat hamburgers and pizza. You're partying and having a good time.”

“As a kid, I thought if I could move my feet fast enough, I could run on water.”

“If I hadn't have become a runner I would definitely be a zoologist now.”

“I needed a break from track, the media and the world. I wanted to just be me.”

“All I really want to do is race and get into meets and run.”

“I wanted to see what sports were like... I went out for the track team. And then I got a D on my report card and my mom pulled me off the track team; I was very upset.”

“I don't put limits on myself.”

“I'm a big believer in the notion that to know where you are going, you have to know where everything has been.”

“I was jogging in the grass while on a warm-up and there was a sprinkler hole. I rolled my ankle, and it was really bad.”

“I think a lot of athletes when they get in their mid and late 30s, they focus more on kids, on family.”

“That's just the mystery in the air of the Olympics. It's full of dreams, and sometimes dreams don't come true.”

“Critics are just what they are. They're going to pick at the positivity of things.”

“In Brooklyn, the block wasn't very long or very wide, and not that many kids were out there, either. But when I got to Florida, there were a lot of kids on my block, young kids, older kids, and they could play outside until the sun went down and have fun.”

“At the top, I was flying high. I didn't understand what it meant to be down and out.”

“I really don't feel anything for the jaded fans if they don't feel anything for me. My fans who love me and care about me and support me - those are the ones I run for.”

“The performance that we put out there as athletes is our heart, our heart.”

“ADD sucks during training, but coming into finals I actually feel such an energy burst because when I step out on to the track, and I hear so much and I see so many people and my mind gets distracted, I kind of just feel at home actually.”

“Life is fun. And it's beautiful. But it's cold. Cutthroat. Nasty.”