Say what?

Here are some of the quotes from the Beijing Olympics:

"Do you see any haze? There's no haze in here."
Cornel Marculuescu, the executive director of world swimming governing body FINA, responds to queries about the air quality inside the Water Cube.


"It's emotional. I've lived in the USA half my life. I can't lose my accent and change where I was born and English is my second language, but I feel so blessed that another country has adopted me. My heart is in the US."
South Africa-born tennis player Liezel Huber on her change of
allegiance.


"In Athens I was 19-years-old, an immature snot and grumpy. My head was spinning around. I wasn't a great guy to be around, so it's exciting to be back now."
Australian basketball player Andrew Bogut explains how the passage
of time has made him a nicer person.


"It's kind of weird because when you are little and you dream of being that person up there al! l famous, it's weird to become that person, you don't expect it to happen to you."
Britain's still rather small teenage diving star Tom Daley, gets all
reflective at the age of 14.


"For the glory of the motherland, I will, during the Beijing Olympics, doggedly struggle, summon all courage and energy to be first, compete with fairness and friendship, win without pride, and lose without losing spirit."
Vow taken by all Chinese team members at the Olympics.


"I think for me the Olympics is the biggest show on earth. They say once an Olympian, always an Olympian. It's just like winning a Nobel Peace Prize."
Four-time world taekwondo champion Steven Lopez of the United States, bidding for a third gold medal, sumps up what the Games mean to him.


"We look small, but we're actually very big."
New Zealand rower Glen Chadwick on why size isn't everything.


"I thought about it in training the ot! her day, a gold medal would be the icing on the cake. I have a! lready g ot the base, the icing and all I need now is the cherry. If I don't get it, I won't be too disappointed, the cake is pretty good as it is."
Australian swimmer Liesel Jones on why she won't be too upset if she doesn't finish first in the either the women's 100 or 200 metres breaststroke.


"It was a shock for Robles to set the world record. It was like Picasso. At the start you use a lot of strokes. At the end you use fewer strokes and paint from experience."
The United States's David Oliver turns art critic when discussing
Cuba's Dayron Robles, one of his rivals for the 110 metres hurdles gold
medal.