quotes by famous athletes

A good hockey player plays where the puck is.
A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.

Wayne Gretzky

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Muhammad Ali

Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain.
It's not something you learn in school.
But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.
Muhammad Ali

The man who has no imagination has no wings.
Muhammad Ali

If you can react the same way to winning and losing, that's a big accomplishment... quality is important because it stays with you the rest of your life, and there's going to be a life after tennis
that's a lot longer than your tennis life.
Chris Evert

I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot...when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.
Michael Jordan

I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying.
Michael Jordan

If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them.
But obstacles don't have to stop you.
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up.
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquillity.
Billie Jean King

Life is about timing.
Carl Lewis

I'll let the racket do the talking.
John McEnroe

A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.
Jesse Owens

Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men.
Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps.
Tiger Woods

MARK SPITZ

U.S. Swimmer Mark Spitz had brashly predicted that he would win six gold medals at the 1968 Olympics. Although he did take home two gold medals from the relays, he performed well below expectations in individual races. He was third in the 100m freestyle, second in the 100m butterfly, where he lost to fellow American Doug Russell for the first time in ten encounters, and last in the final of the 200m butterfly. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Spitz tried again. He began where he left off four years earlier: with the 200m butterfly. This time he won and set a world record. Later that evening, he anchored the U.S. 4x100m freestyle relay team to earn his second gold medal of the Games and his second world record. The next day, Spitz won the 200m freestyle with another world record. Two days later, he competed in the 100m butterfly and the 4x200m freestyle relay: two more gold medals and two more world records. Next, in the event in which he was considered most vulnerable, he won the 100m freestyle, setting another world record. Finally, Spitz swam the butterfly leg for the U.S. medley relay team: gold medal and world record. Over a period of eight days, Mark Spitz had entered seven events, won all seven and set a world record in every one. Spitz is the only person to win seven gold medals at one Olympics and he is one of only four athletes to earn nine career gold medals.

Sergei Bubka

Sergei Bubka is a former Ukrainian pole vaulter who represented the Soviet Union till the time it collapsed in the year 1991. He is considered as the best pole vaulter in the whole world and one of the best athletes of modern times. He has also won 6 consecutive IAAF World Championships and an Olympic gold medal as well. He also holds the distinction of breaking the world record for men's vaulting 35 times. Sergei Nazarovych Bubka was born on December 4, 1963 in Luhansk, Ukraine. His father was a soldier while his mother was a medical assistant. Neither of his parents were interested in sports. He also has an elder brother, named, Vasiliy Bubka, who is also a pole vaulter. Since childhood, Bubka had a very high interest level in sports. He had a ferocious and competitive spirit and he played many sports till he was 10 years old. His interest in sports came from playing in the streets around his house, along with his brother and friends. His favorite games were street hockey and football.

In 1981, Sergei Bubka entered the world of international athletics, when he participated in the European Junior Championships and stood 7th. But it was the 1983 World Championships that was held in Helsinki which proved to be his actual entry into the athletics. He won a gold medal when he cleared 5.70 metres (18 feet 8 inches). The next year, he continued to create records in pole vaulting.

Bubka earned his first world record on 26 May, 1984 when he cleared 5.85 metres, and then went on to clear 5.90 metres a month later. On 13 July, 1985, he created another world record by clearing 6.00 metres (19feet 8 inches), in Paris. He further went on to improve his own record during the next 10 years and did his career best when he cleared 6.14 metres in 1994. To this day, Sergei Bubka remains the only athlete ever to jump over 6.10 metres. He cleared the height of 6.00 metres more than 44 times, which was considered virtually impossible.

Professional Career

Sergei Bubka broke the world record for pole vaulting a total 35 times, in his career. He also broke the outdoor pole vault world record 17 times and the indoor world record 18 times. He worked really hard at his game; this is proved by the fact that inspite of having virtually no competition at all, he improved his own scores time and again.

Although he was the most dominant pole vaulter during his time, he was not so lucky when it came to Olympic Games. The first Olympic that was held after his introduction into the international arena was in 1984. But unfortunately, it was boycotted by the U.S.S.R along with other Eastern countries. Just two months before the Olympic Games were to be held, he had vaulted 12cm higher than the Olympic gold medal winner Pierre Quinnon.

Emil Zatopek

(1922-2000)

One of the greatest runners of the 20th Century, Emil Zátopek achieved legendary status when he won the 5,000, the 10,000 and the marathon at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.

"The Locomotive" or the "Bouncing Czech" as he came to be known, dominated long distance running from 1948 until 1954 when he won a remarkable 38 consecutive 10,000 meter races, including 11 in 1949 alone. He set 18 world records over various distances including every record from 5K to 30K, and won four Olympic gold medals and one silver.

He was the first to run a 10K under 29 minutes and the first to run 20K in one hour.

The Olympics

The 5-foot-8, 145 pound athlete made his Olympic debut at the 1948 London Games. He was 26 years old with little international racing experience, yet he won the 10,000 and was second in the 5,000.

Emil married Dana Ingrova, fellow Czech team member shortly after the Olympics. Dana and Emil shared the same birthday, September 19th, and they married on that day in 1948. Dana competed in the javelin and won gold in 1952 and silver in 1960.

Five fun facts about Emil Zatopek

1. Emil and his wife were born on the same day: September 19, 1922!
2. Emil's wife, Dana, also won a gold medal in 1952. She set an Olympic record in the javelin!
3. Emil didn't start running until he was 19. He finished second out of 100 boys in his first race!
4. Emil did workouts no one had ever conceived before. In one training period he ran a workout of 50 x 400 meters, in the morning AND the afternoon!
5. Emil was able to make friends with anyone, including his competitors. It helped that he was fluent in seven languages!

Quotes by Emil Zatopek

"Men, today we die a little."
Emil Zatopek at the start of the 1956 Olympic Marathon.

"A runner must run with dreams in his heart, not money in his pocket."

"There are three things worth living for:
American luxury, Japanese women and Chinese food,"
Emil Zatopek said, joking.