Anja Paerson Quotations

She won again today. OK, I won, too, but I think she is the favorite at the Olympics.

She motivates me. I think I motivate her, too.

My knee is better today and I felt more comfortable today and I wasn't as scared as I was yesterday. But it still hurts when I land that last jump here and I have to be careful and really take each day at a time. I have six more runs to do and I really hope that my knee is strong enough for all six.

My first leg was really good. I have never seen myself ski so tight. I was very lucky with the number (start position two in the first leg) because the snow really got bad in the first leg.

My goal is to go there and have fun. I want to be Olympic champion.

People were saying this was the most difficult slope on the women's circuit ? I was surprised at how easy it was. It was very technical.

I was attacking as much as I could because I knew I had to do my best after having no luck in the combined slalom.

I was risking a lot and made a lot of mistakes because the visibility was terrible.

I'd been a bit frustrated in the beginning of the week when I felt the conditions were against me a bit.

I crossed my skis really bad. I was waiting for the crash ... for my head to hit the snow.

I don't think anyone really understands my mental ups and downs.

Today it felt like I skied, compared to the last two days.

Last year it felt like something very difficult, but this year I'm more proud because it shows consistency.

It feels pretty good to end this season by winning a Cup.

I think I beat her in only one place today - the start. She beat the heck out of me everywhere else.

It didn't bother me a lot today. It's hard to say about my knees' condition because it's going up and down every day. When I came here I felt pain in my knees.

I think this week was not meant to be.

Today was a better day for me, the conditions were much better.

When you see the Austrians leading at home it kind of hurts. I'm going to come back in Zagreb and push for it.

We were fighting hard. These two days were difficult with the snow conditions. I needed a lot of energy for these races.

What am I second? I am so focused on the Olympics, I don't know where I am in the standings. I will skip some World Cups if I have to -- I want to be in good shape for all five events at the Olympics. I will do a lot for that.

When I stood up there before the second run I was tired. But I thought this could be the last race in a long time so I just wanted to enjoy it and have fun and I did.

Every time at the Olympic games it's always something. Today, in the second run it was smooth but first run, people who should not be allowed at the start are at the start trying to do something, I don't know what. This isn't right. I needed them. It shouldn't be this way.

It was unbelievably close. I can't believe I won. I have been fighting the downhill all year and I didn't come here with a positive attitude ? I was hoping to finish top 10.

I wanted to come here to be Olympic champion, but today I lost one of my opportunities.

Now I feel the joy of winning again.

Coming into this week was pretty hard because Lake Louise was not so good for me. I just had so much bad luck.

Any kind of combined is cool. I think the super combined is pretty good because it's just a one-run slalom and it gives the speed skiers a better chance. I think the super-combined is something that will stay. For me, it's better than the normal combined with the two-run slalom.

This (medal) takes away a lot of pressure and I will be able to go for it in the other events now.

It makes it hard to enjoy the fight for the individual races. I was really trying to win today but I just made mistakes because the course was so tough.

It matters. The red bib always matters. It gives me self confidence and more strength at the start. I hope I can keep having the red bib.

It's perfect for me that she's the favorite. She's skiing great right now and skied a hell of a lot better than me. She can take the favorite role. I don't mind.

It's not an easy downhill, that's for sure. There's something happening all the time. It's almost a two-minute downhill at high altitude.

Everyone has been going on about the overall World Cup and the situation with the points,

It was pretty sad that it ended so early. I feel kind of empty. You have to go all out if you're going to win. It was pretty tough in that steep part.

It's totally stupid to say that. We all train very hard to get to the top in a clean way and in the fight against doping.

I'm glad to be back to being my old self, where I'm risking it all. I'm making a lot of mistakes, but still doing well overall.

I'm not giving up because I never had it as a goal for myself. I'm here to ski, have fun every day, try to find the perfect turn, the perfect harmony. If I go out, I go out. Sometimes it (ticks) me of, sometimes I'm fine with it. But I'm looking for something that is beyond results.

I'm feeling good about my racing. Right now I'm trying to get in a rhythm.

I hurt my hip bone and there is bleeding around it. I didn't know if I could race today.

I knew coming here I felt good, I knew if I got down I was going to be fast.

I'm not very comfortable in my downhill, but with this snow you never know what is going to happen. I would like to be a little closer than I am right now.

I'm happy. This has been a good Olympics. It was always a tough fight with the snow. I really wanted a medal today, but you can't have it all.

In Norway my knees were OK, but right now I feel a little pain. I'm going to fight through this World Cup season and I'm quite confident about this weekend's races.

I hope she's healthy. But I have to start thinking about myself and not anyone else.

I didn't know she had a back problem.

I come from a very small village with only small mountains and for us to get a medal in downhill was not even a dream three years ago.