Scott Hamilton

“So as an amateur Olympic competitor I loved criticism, because it made me better. But now as a professional I don't really know how to channel it or where to take it, so I don't take it quite as well.”

“From the fall of October, 1980 to March, 1984 I never lost a competition.”

“Fame is a very confusing thing, because you are recognized by a lot of people that you've never seen before, and they're at a great advantage.”

“And so figure skating was a great vehicle for me to kind of be competitive at something, without having to be big.”

“I started skating and I kind of liked it because I could run circles around the guys that wouldn't pick me to play baseball.”

“I was more interested in skating and the girls and traveling than I was in calculus.”

“But I never really thought that I would be extraordinarily successful at skating, it's just something that happened, you know.”

“I don't think most teachers realize how much impact they have.”

“I didn't want to be the sissy figure skater, you know.”

“I'm very accessible. I don't get into this ego thing.”

“The high road is always respected. Honesty and integrity are always rewarded.”

“I graduated a the top of my class in the '84 Olympic Games; I won a gold medal.”

“What was really funny is that as I got older all those guys who called me a sissy in junior high school wanted me to be their best friend because they wanted to meet all the girls that I knew in figure skating.”

“Always try to maintain complete tolerance and always make an effort to give people more than they expect.”

“I had a ninth grade teacher who told me I was much smarter and much better than I was allowing myself to be.”

“I was nine-years-old when I first put on skates.”

“Most other competitions are individual achievements, but the Olympic Games is something that belongs to everybody.”

“Adversity, and perseverance and all these things can shape you. They can give you a value and a self-esteem that is priceless.”

“Everything that I've ever been able to accomplish in skating and in life has come out of adversity and perseverance.”

“When you're expected to win and you have the press saying that you are going to win the Olympic gold medal, and you're the only sure thing in the Olympics, it can undermine your confidence.”