Shani Davis Quotations

Shakes my hand when I lose. Typical Chad.

No one loves you more than your mother. It's like on the Discovery Channel where you see a bald eagle do everything it can to protect its young. People can say whatever they want, but it's a sticks-and-stones thing.

I couldn't hold it together mentally. I couldn't finish the race the way I needed to physically.

I always wanted to be on the Olympic medal dias. It's a great feeling. It's a reward for all the hard work I have done, I don't think I will have any sleep tonight.

I am upset because I didn't take advantage of the opportunity of being in the last pair and being able to really go for it.

I have a lot of respect for Chad. I want to see Chad do well. We're competitive but it's not about being competitive with Chad right now. It's just going out there and doing the best that you can as an individual and being able to accomplish the dream that you set.

I have a lot of respect for Chad. For someone to come over (from in-line skating) and do what he's done for the sport is unfathomable. You wouldn't expect someone to be so versatile, especially at his age (28). I want to see Chad do well. But we're all fighting for the same thing. It's normal to have hard feelings sometimes.

I did my best, but fell a little short. To me, that's more important than the handshake.

If what I do creates a common interest among certain people to try something different, great. Whatever comes from what I do is a bonus. But I'm just trying to win. People will make their own choices, anyway.

If someone wanted to put on a celebrity boxing match, I think I could take him. I know he's from Texas, so he's gotta be tough, but I used to have a pretty nice jab until I retired it in high school.

Whatever happens, happens. I'm open to anything. It's just too bad that things got blown out of proportion the way they did. It shows that we're not perfect as human beings. None of us are perfect.

He skated a beautiful race. He was the best today ... I am very proud of him, he's a champion.

Joey almost gave me a heart attack when I saw how fast he was going.

Last man standing -- that's what it is.

I respect her and, honestly, if she wasn't the way she was, I wouldn't be able to handle some of the things that I go through with the sport.

I'm still rooting for him. He is an American.

I was not focused on trying to beat Chad. Chad is one person in the field. There are lots of others out there trying to win medals besides me and Chad.

Michael Jordan's sport is done everywhere in the world.

We've got skaters who are just here for the pursuit. It wouldn't be fair to them to take away their Olympic dreams.

To me, this is bigger than the Olympics. This medal is prestigious. Not only do you have to skate 500 meters, but you have to skate 10,000, you have to skate a 1,500 and a 5,000 and you only have two days to do it.

We're a very competitive country. We want the best of the best. But as an athlete, you can't allow that to put pressure on you. You just have to be your own person and do what you can to find success for you.

I've been training all year for the 1,000 meters. I want to give myself the best opportunity in the 1,000. Skating the pursuit would take away from that. It's not a difficult decision.

I've trained all my life for this. If it's meant to be, I'll make the team. If not, I'll know I tried my best.

This is awesome. After all the controversy and tension at the Olympics, I wanted to show people at home that my priority is skating.

This is where you do it. This is once every four years. and there's no telling if you'll ever have the opportunity, because there's always going to be somebody else coming. So, I did what I had to do.

They have no idea how to prepare the ice. It changes every day and no one knows what will happen once the venue is full of spectators. It's the same for everyone though, so it's an open game.

It's not like we're going to fight each other and roll around in the snow. We're adults.

It started to become a soap opera in there, so I decided to leave.

It showed that all the hard work and all the sacrifice paid off. Kids in general, if you put your mind to it and you believe it, you can achieve it.

It's tough, but I knew what I was getting myself into before I took the challenge. I'm happy that I didn't back down from the challenge of trying to chase my dreams and goals.

Things have been really tough for me. . . . It's been a really, really rough road. But I always knew, deep down inside, that I was a good skater.

I love my city. I love baseball. I love the White Sox. That's a lot of patriotic things.

I'm not a team player. The team pursuit was the race before the 1000 meters, so it's silly. People do what's best for them. I had the opportunity to win the 1,000 meters and I was focused on that. You have to ask Chad Hedrick if he would have run the team pursuit if it was the day before the 5,000 meters.

I knew what I was getting myself into before I started this. I knew it was going to be fierce competition. If it's meant to be, I'll make the team. If not, I tried my best.

I'm just throwing it out there. It would have been nice if after the 1,000-meter he could have been a good teammate and shook my hand, just like I shook his hand and hugged him after he won the 5,000.

I'm pretty satisfied. But all together I'm kind of disappointed with it because technically I'm failing to do certain things.

I'm one of a kind. I'm a different type of person. I have a different charisma. A lot of people don't understand me.

I'm just just happy about my race. More than anything, the things that I've trained for, I was right about.

I'm trying not to get too emotional because I have more events. I'll be emotional in the closing ceremony, but I've got a job to do. I've got to stay focused.

I'm not trying to beat Chad. I'm trying to beat everyone.

I'll be honest with you. Sure, Chad and I are fighting for the same thing. But it would have been kind of nice after I won the 1,000 if he would have been a good teammate and shook my hand.

I really don't consider this a defeat because I am skating better and better every race.

I guess it was not meant for me to do it. I tried my best. My hat's off to the guys who made the team.

Because it's an improvement. As long as I'm improving, I'm pretty happy if it's a world record or a rink record.

He's on the top floor and I'm on the first floor. I mind my business and he minds his business and whatever's whatever.

I didn't expect anything less from Chad. He is very experienced and he has been in this position thousands and thousands of times.

Chad's awesome. I hope he does great in all his races.

If he would have done it, I don't think there would have been anybody more deserving.

You've got to be tough. People are skating really well, and you've got to go out there and know you're a tough dude.

The Dutch fans are really passionate about speed skating. They bring a lot of energy and atmosphere to our sport.

I have two hands. I can hold two medals.

I’m already happy with who I am. My job is just to get on the podium.

I don't want to be a celebrity athlete. When you are, there's this pressure on you. It's like you have this halo over your head and have to walk on eggshells. That's not for me. All that glamour builds up a false sense of ego. It's not needed. I'm already happy with who I am. My job is just to get on the podium.

I never dreamed of being a flagbearer. Every athlete has a wish to get to the Olympic Games. I had that wish, but to carry the flag of your country is doubly thrilling.

I declare the 22nd Olympic Winter Games open.

I did not want to be a Champion growing up, just a fast skater.

I can be really fast, but other people are in the race. So you've got to be able to maneuver around those guys, and you have to be a little more versatile out there on the ice. I bring my fitness that I gained from the long track over to here. Hopefully, I'll be able to put it to good use.

To me, personally, it doesn't matter what color I am. Black or white, Asian or Hispanic, it doesn't matter to me as long as the message I'm portraying to people that watch me on TV is positive and it shows that they can do things that are different besides catching a football, hitting a baseball or shooting a basketball. I'm just showing them that stepping outside the bubble is OK and they can be successful at it.