If you're not in it you can't win it.

If you work hard in real life, people tend to get in your way - either from inertia or prejudice - and they stop you achieving things. It's the worst thing about real life compared with sports, where you generally get what you deserve: if you're the fastest guy, you win; there are no other games being played.

You can be an Olympic champion in 9.5 secs, but to be the greatest, there's more to it. It takes a bit of forethought and a lot of mental application.

Being a decathlete is like having ten girlfriends. You have to love them all, and you can't afford losing one.

People tend to like an athlete's performance, but if you don't get a feeling for the individual, you're not very emotive about them.

There are lots of women tennis players, for instance, but because not many of them seem to have much personality, they're interchangeable. You don't have a feeling about them.