A few quick comments and stats, then for the most part, I'm going to let the rowers speak for themselves today; the athletes are the point after all, right?
LW2x:
Angela Alupei: I feel great. It wasn't a very difficult race. We didn't start very well, we went slow. I dedicate this medal to my family and I am very happy because I have won every time I have met these competitors.
Constanta Burcica (ROM): On how she became an Olympic champion: By working hard, giving up private life, and by believing in yourself.
On retiring: I thought about retiring after Sydney as I didn't believe I could manage to continue. I worked hard for the Games. I will probably not go to the next Olympics as I have a six-year-old son and I want to be a wife and mother.
On her future: We will see; I need some rest now.
Claudia Blasberg (GER): It was a difficult race. Today we couldn't have done any more.
Reimer (GER): Everyone was so close to each other. The race was very difficult.
Kirsten van Der Kolk (NED): The medal was a dream, because I am always unlucky. Last night I dreamed I won a medal but I didn't see its color. We knew Romania would win, so we followed this boat and we were going faster and faster.
LM2x:
Tomasz Kucharski (POL): I'm too tired to talk, but Robert can read my mind and do it for me.
Robert Syxz (POL): The race was harder than Sydney. Tomasz had a bad injury and for a long time we couldn't train together. Many people did not believe we could win. It's a great satisfaction to prove to them that they were wrong.
Pascal TOURON (FRA) – silver medallist
About the race: "We had a close start with all the other boats, but Poland was already in front. We didn’t know if they could win, because they didn’t make any international appearances this year. I'm happy because we beat the Italians."
Frederic DUFOUR (FRA) – silver medallist
About his feelings: "It’s my first Olympic Games and I’m happy to won the silver medal. However, I want to do more in Beijing."
Vasileios POLYMEROS (GRE) – bronze medallist
About the medal: "It’s the first medal for Greece after 20 years and it is a very big success. We are very tired because we gave it all in the last 500m. To beat the Danes, even our technique wasn’t what we wanted. The fans were fantastic, they helped us a lot. I dedicate the medal half to my girlfriend and half to all they helped us to win it."
Nikolaos SKIATHITIS (GRE) – bronze medallist
About his feelings: "I cannot believe we won a medal, maybe I will do next week. It was a fantastic race, especially at the end. I dedicate the medal to all they help us all this time."
Tomasz KUCHARSKI (POL) - gold medallist
On why they did not compete in many international races this season: "Robert and I had injuries in the beginning of the season. That is why we could not compete and started later."
On the race: "I was tired. I have never been that tired before. In the last 200m I was so tired I was worried that we might lose the gold medal. We practiced four years to get here."
Robert SYCZ (POL) - gold medallist
On the race plan: "We had a very fast finish. Our plan was to go fast in the middle of the race."
On entering the event as current Olympic champions: "We were in the shadow of the Italian team. This gold medal was much more difficult to win than the one in Sydney."
On winning the gold medal: "This medal will be good for the marketing and popularity of the sport in Poland."
Pascal TOURON (FRA) - silver medallist
On winning the silver medal: "We would have wanted to win the gold medal. We came here to win the gold. First, we were disappointed but it has to sink in. Silver is not bad."
Vasileios POLYMEROS (GRE) - bronze medallist
On winning the bronze medal: "I want to thank all those who helped to reach this medal. My family, my girlfriend, who helped me a lot, and our coach who told us that we were capable of reaching a medal."
On the support of the crowd: "In the last 1500m we were fourth. The people helped us a lot to come third. We want to thank them from the bottoms of our souls."
Nikolaos SKIATHITIS (GRE) - bronze medallist
On winning the bronze medal: "I want to thank the Federation who helped and supported us. Also, I want to thank our coach who made us believe that we can win a medal. Both allowed us to reach such a good result."
Women's 4x:
Kerstin EL QALQILI (GER) - gold medallist
On the race: "We had a good start and let the boat glide. It was just excellent."
Meike EVERS (GER) – gold medallist
On the race: "It worked and we won. It doesn't matter which seat we were in."
Kathrin BORON (GER) – gold medallist
On winning gold: "I can’t believe it. It is my fourth (Olympic) gold. It was a good race from the beginning. Thanks to our coach. Now we have to celebrate."
On pressure: "We put the pressure on ourselves. I said in the beginning that anything other than gold will be a disappointment."
Alison MOWBRAY (GBR) – silver medallist
On the race: "It was a fantastic but hard race. Our first target was to reach the final, the next to win a medal and we made it. The next level is to win the gold in the Olympic Games."
On her feelings: "My feelings are mixed. I wanted the gold medal, but I'm satisfied. All this last period we were very stressed, now I feel amazing."
Debbie FLOOD (GBR) – silver medallist
On her team’s performance: "We did the best we could. We tried very hard to make this. It's amazing to win a medal in the Olympic Games."
On her future: "It was my last race. I'm happy because it was a good one."
Olena MOROZOVA (UKR) – bronze medallist
On her team's performance: "We were really in maximum condition. We had no stress."
Yana DEMENTYEVA (UKR) – bronze medallist
On her feelings: "It was my first Olympic Games, I gave a lot of adrenaline, but I felt a big release during the race. The experience of Olena really helped us to take this medal."
Tetyana KOLESNIKOVA (UKR) – bronze medallist
On the race: "When the race finished I didn't know which was our place. It was a great release when I saw the scoreboard."
Alison MOWBRAY (GBR) - silver medallist
On the German start: "Nothing surprised us in the race. I don't think any of us knew what happened in the race. We were concentrating on our boat. We have ultimate respect for the Germans."
Frances HOUGHTON (GBR) - silver medallist
On the race: "We knew we could go for gold. If we got it right we could win gold but if it didn't go right we may get silver, or bronze or nothing. We didn't end up in that position."
Men's 4x:
Alekseij SVIRIN (RUS) – gold medallist
On his feelings: "We believed ourselves, but we didn’t believe we could win the gold medal. It was the perfect race, the result was a surprise for us."
Igor KRAVTSOV (RUS) – gold medallist
On winning the gold medal: "It's my second participation in the Olympic Games and my first medal. There are no words to describe this feeling."
Tomas KARAS (CZE) – silver medallist
On the race: "It was a difficult and tough race, especially at the last 50 metres."
On his feelings: "I am very happy, it is my first Olympic medal. I dedicate it to my friends, my coach, my parents and my girlfriend."
On his future: "Now I will rest. Later I will decide about Beijing."
Leonid SHAPOSHNIKOV (UKR) – bronze medallist
On the race: "We were thirsty for the medal. We didn't start well, but we managed to finish third."
Women's 8
Elisabeta LIPA (ROM) – gold medallist
On her retirement: "It was my last race. I am very happy because I won five medals in six participation in Olympic Games. I dedicate the medal to me."
Georgetta DAMIAN (ROM) – gold medallist
On the race: "It was a hard race. We worked for four years to do this. We are very satisfied. I dedicate the medal to Romania."
Anna Mickelson (USA) - Silver medallist
On the race: "It was the toughest race of our life. We had a good clean start but we felt pressure from everybody. Everybody was pushing and pushing. So we had to fight our utmost to secure the silver."
Lianne Nelson (-Benninon) (USA) - Silver medallist
On the race: "In the preparations we decided to relax, to have fun and to really enjoy every stroke."
Elisabeta LIPA (ROM) - gold medallist
On her future: "I am going to rest after putting myself through the last two years of practice."
On her comeback after retirement: "It was my third comeback as I have given up three times. This has been the most difficult time to adapt my life to the training for the Olympic Games."
On keeping motivated: "It has been very good to combine experience with the energy of the younger ones."
Alison COX (USA) - silver medallist
On the end of the race: "Our coach always says look left and look right so you can appreciate the opposition you have raced."
Kate JOHNSON (USA) - silver medallist
On whether any of the team will be racing in 20 years time: "We made history for US rowing today. Success is contagious so I am sure you will see these faces in the future."
On what she would say to the Men's Eight: "We are really #$%&$%# proud of you guys. Seeing the flag being raised was awesome. You came in as underdogs and you did it."
Anna MICKELSON (USA) - silver medallist
On the gold for the men and the silver for the women: "It was a perfect end to the Olympic Games. See the flag go up and hearing the national anthem to end the racing made us happy to share that moment with them (the USA Men's Eight). Its a great moment for US Rowing."
Ester WORKEL (NED) - bronze medallist
On the race: "It wasn't our plan to start the race last. But after 400m we had the rhythm. We all realised it. We knew that if we would continue and follow the race plan, we would go well. It must have been an exciting match for the audience."
On whether their team practiced a fast finish: "Not really. We pushed and pushed to see where we were ending."
On racing against five-time gold medallist Elisabeta LIPA (ROM): "When going into the race and knowing you are racing against her, it gives you an extra impulse."
"It's a great feeling to race against her. But a race is a race. You want to beat everyone."
Hurnet DEKKERS (NED) - bronze medallist
On Elisabeta LIPA (ROM) who won her fifth gold medal: "It is really great. It must be special for her to do this again."
Men's Eight
Mike MCKAY (AUS) - bronze medallist
On winning the bronze medal: "I am very disappointed. We didn't come here to end up third."
Stuart WELCH (AUS) - bronze medallist
On the race: "We wanted more in Athens. We wanted to set a new standard for Australian Rowing. It is very disappointing that we did not succeed in that."
Jason READ (USA) – gold medallist
On the medal: "It's the first gold medal for USA after 40 years. We are exciting, it is amazing."
On the race: "It was a very difficult race, with good opponents. We tried for the best and we did it."
Michiel BARTMAN (NED) – silver medallist
On his feelings: "I feel so happy, as at Atlanta when I won the gold medal. There, we are the favourites, but this team begun training together only last year. It is unbelievable that we won the silver medal. It was unexpected."
Pete CIPOLLONE (USA) - gold medallist
On whether he expected to win the race: "We raced before and had a very fast race. Then (before the Games), we split up to race in different crews. However, I knew that the crew had what it takes to win gold."
On the tactics: "The coach told us to go fast in the first and second 500m."
Jason READ (USA) - gold medallist
On winning the gold medal for the United States of America: "I think that my colleagues (fire fighters who worked with him at ground zero, NYC) will be happy for the country and my boat mates. There is no greater privilege than to represent America during this time. It's a privilege to be up here and to be part of the Olympic spirit."
Bryan VOLPENHEIN (USA) - gold medallist
On the Dutch opponents: "We knew that they were coming and that they would have a good sprint."
Mike TETI - coach
On how the team was assembled: "When the team crossed the finish line last year, we knew that the Men's Eight would be our priority. But we also had the pairs and the fours. We assembled a couple of fours and let them race. The fastest four were put in the eight and so we had the fastest trial ever."
On whether he expected the result: "We knew we had to end a 40 year drought in this race."
On the race plan: "Today the conditions were more suited to the crew. They had a good start. The plan was to have a clean good start and to hold everyone in the first 200m. We planned to attack after 600m."
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