From the heat of the competition to moments of reflection, here are some of our favourite quotes from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

"These were truly exceptional Games." — Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee president, at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

"The geezer bit me!" — James Degale, British middleweight boxing champion, complaining about final opponent, Cuban Emilio Correa.

"In 2004, I won a bronze. This is a silver. Maybe in 2012, it will be a gold. Slowly, slowly." — Eliud Kipchoge, Kenyan runner-up in the 5,000 behind the great Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.

"He's from another planet, I think … He's from a whole other league. He could do a cartwheel and win this thing." — Jared Connaughton, 200-metre sprinter from New Haven, P.E.I., on Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt.

"The gold medal has confirmed the fact that I am an outstanding sportsman." — Lin Dan, Chinese badminton gold medallist, affectionately nicknamed "Super Dan."

"Obviously, this is the best of times and the worst of times." — Hugh McCutcheon, U.S. volleyball coach whose team won gold two weeks after his father-in-law was killed in a bizarre attack in Beijing.

"I felt like a famous singer. The whole stage was only for me. It was so cool." — Yelena Isinbayeva, unrivalled Russian pole vaulter, who set a world record in her win.

"In my mind, I felt good, but my legs didn't have enough running behind them … I felt like I was just running on one leg." — Paula Radcliffe, British marathoner and current world record holder, after finishing the race.

"It's like I imagine being a man. It's like being kicked in the nuts repeatedly, that's how bad it feels. You feel like you want to curl up and die." — Sherraine Schalm, Canadian fencer, describing how she felt after losing her round of 16 bout to a rival Hungarian opponent.

"I'm going home and getting something to eat and then straight to bed." — Bryan Clay, exhausted American decathlete after winning the gold medal.

"I've never been so angry in all my life. I saw a team that didn't show any will to win. …It's shameful to lose this way to Argentina.'' — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president, after his country's 3-0 semifinal loss in men's soccer.

"I just didn't have it today. It's a hell of a time not to have it. That's the worst 1,000 (metres) I've put together in years. I was a spectator." — Adam van Koeverden, Canadian kayaker, after finishing eighth in the K1 1,000 final, an event he won bronze in four years ago in Athens.

"I'm very good at knowing where to push the line. If I ever disrespect a ref, it's because they really screwed up." — Todd Rogers, U.S. beach volleyballer.

"He can barely walk, he was in tears and he is very depressed," — Sun Haiping, personal coach of injured Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang.

"I have been cheering for the Canucks for how long and they still haven't won a Stanley Cup. I still love them. I hope Canadians can think of us the same way." — Brent Hayden, Canadian swimmer, when asked if Canadians would be frustrated with the swim team's performance in Beijing.

"It was beyond skills almost, it was so primeval ... It was just auto-pilot. We were flying blind, rowing blind, we rowed from the heart." — Steve Williams on how his British teammates caught Australian rowers for gold in a razor-close final in the men's four.

"As a girl, she never cried for injuries or bleeding. She would just cry for losses." — Lu Hai, coach of 20-year-old Chinese gold medal wrestler Wang Jiao.

"I'm pretty angry. I'm going to write a nasty letter. This is the Olympics. It's not that difficult to organize a three-kilometre run. We've never run like this before." — Monica Pinette, Canadian pentathlete, on the organization of the modern pentathlon competition in Beijing.

"I understand the joy. He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was 'Catch me if you can.' You don't do that. But he'll learn. He's still a young man." — Jacques Rogge, IOC president, on Usain Bolt's celebration after his 100-metre win.

"Come on…when you're running, if you see you're going to win, you're going to celebrate. You're going to be Olympic champion, you're just happy." — Bolt told CBC Sports.

"Oh Lord. The second place stepped out. The third place stepped out. Hopefully Usain stepped out, too so I'm going home with the gold!" — Shawn Crawford, eventual silver medallist from the U.S., who was originally fourth in the 200-metre sprint before a pair of disqualifications.

"I'm looking forward to not doing anything, just sitting and not moving." — Michael Phelps on what the American swimmer will do after winning eight gold medals in Beijing.