Athlete Quotes - Day 2 (Saturday 8/4)

Mens shot put final

John Godina: Im very, very happy. This is better than any of the other titles Ive ever won, I think. I was training and throwing so well all year, I couldnt help but be super confident. I just was very comfortable being on top.

Adam Nelson: You know what, John Godina came out and through an awesome throw on his first throw. Anytime somebody does that in one of the first three throws, everybody in the competition seems to tighten up just a little bit. He came out and laid it to us right at the very beginning and its really tough to respond to something like that. Hes been doing that all year round and you know hes got something in reserves if somebody pushes it. Hes just been in a position this year where nobodys pushed him yet. I was definitely hoping to do that today. I did a few things technically wrong. I think I was so relieved I made it to the finals that I maybe expended a little too much energy this morning. (Nelson was the 12th and final qualifier into the finals) My heart didnt stop racing until 3 oclock this afternoon, and thats when I started warming up for the final. Technically, its some of the issues Ive been battling all year a little off-balance, a little hasty out in back. I havent been very patient about waiting for the throw to develop instead of forcing the throw. Im making some progress, and Im looking good for the Goodwill Games. As much as I hate to lose, if Im going to lose to somebody in the world championships, it better be somebody from the United States, because we love to come into these things and go 1-2, 1-2-3 if possible.

Mens 100m 2nd round

Maurice Greene: Ive got something special for tomorrow. Youll have to wait until tomorrow to find out. Will he get the world record Sunday? You just have to run the world record race. Maybe it will come, maybe it wont. In the last 15 meters, maybe, I started shutting it off. I just wanted to coast through. (The track) is fast. Its fast.

Bernard Williams: Thats a PR (9.95). I just wanted to get through the rounds pretty easy. Im pleased with the time, but I have a lot to do. (His previous PR was 9.96.) I wanted to shut it down at 85 to 90 meters. All I wanted to do was win the heat, and as you can see, thats what it took to win the heat. Those guys are running very fast also, so I had to run fast to put myself in a position to get in a good heat. Win the gold medal, thats what I plan to do.

Womens 1,500m first round

Sarah Schwald: This was a lot different than just running a straight race like a Golden League race, or even our championships. Everybody has some kind of game plan, and this is a lot more people. There was a lot of pushing, a lot of shoving. I was going to pick it up going down the backstraight, but I felt good and I thought Im just going to wait until the final 100 meters, and I was able to pass a few girls.

Womens heptathlon Day 1

Shelia Burrell: That 200 was a PR. Im psyched about it. Im having a really good, easy, nonstressful day. Usually, I figure if Ive got a decent high jump and shot put, Im doing well. Im pretty excited right now. My goal is to finish in the top 5.

DeDee Nathan: It was a mediocre day, at best, but Im looking for a big today tomorrow. I need to get a big long jump and javelin tomorrow. The high jump was OK, shot put was good, 200 was bad, real bad. This is not one of my better first days, but I am definitely in striking distance.

Mens triple jump qualifying

Walter Davis: I qualified for the next day, so Im pleased. My run was much better than before. I just worked on my run, and it is paying off.

LaMark Carter: It was horrible. It just wasnt my day. Ive been jumping great all year but Im not coming through in the major championships. Ive got to go research a few things and figure out whats going on.

Robert Howard: Im just happy this year is over with. This year has been totally chaotic for me. Im a mental athlete. If Im not mentally in it, its not going to happen.

Mens 800m 1st round

David Krummenacker: I felt really great out there. I knew the last lap was going to be a burner, so I said on that backstretch, I want to make a move and get something going in the race, since everyone was bunched up. Im really excited, Im happy.

Derrick Peterson: Its my first time out, so its a good experience, but I definitely wanted to go out here and run well. I feel like I ran a pretty mediocre race and I let my country down. I felt a little tightness at the start of the race. I dont know if I didnt stretch adequately, or what happened.

Khadevis Robinson: I didnt run aggressively. I didnt run well, when you come down to it. My coach was telling me to go out fast, the way we train. I have to run the way I train. We came through in 52 (seconds for the first 400), thats too slow. those guys ran their hearts out, I ran like crap.

Mens shot put qualifying

John Davis: This was a good experience. I didnt realize how slippery a shot could be when its brand new. I had a tough time out there, but Im not going to be too upset about it. I had a good year, and Ive been throwing far and Im going to keep throwing far. Today wasnt my day.

Adam Nelson on advancing to the final: Thats all I wanted to accomplish today. I didnt want to do it in that fashion (qualifying 12th). I think I lost four years off my life, maybe more. But Im going on and thats all that matters. I was a little stiff this morning and I was trying to keep it low-key, and when the pressure was finally put on me with that third throw, I knew I had to get focused and throw one over the line. But I got a little too hyped up and fouled. I feel good going into tonight.

John Godina: I wasnt worried at all, compared to previous years when Id be freakin. I knew I could just slow down and go half-speed and push one over that line, and I did. It was no big deal. I felt fine. I had a little slip on the first one, and the second one was a little bit rushed and on the third one I just cruised through and got through it. I cant wait for tonight. I wanted to get through this in one throw, but when it slips like that what are you gonna do?

Mens 400m 1st round

Jerome Young: Its kind of tough early in the morning, so I just did my best to stay in the mix because I had two fast guys in there. All I did was try to hold on, but Ill just go on to the next round and well see what happens there. This was a quick heat and they made me have to run a little bit, but I didnt want to have to run too hard. I felt pretty good, although its early in the morning. Most athletes cant run that early and my engine isnt even on. Im okay though.

Antonio Pettigrew: Easy race. I just went off with the two people in front of me and relaxed the whole time. Going into the last half of the race I was in position, and I started to shut it down the last 50 meters so I can start getting ready for tomorrow. I felt real good. I didnt feel any pressure, I just felt relaxed. It surprised me that the time was 45.7. I thought it might be a little slower than that. I wanted to make sure I won my heat so I can get a good lane for tomorrow. To win Im going to have to be smart and patient. Ill have to run a smart race and not do anything crazy and I think I can win.

Leonard Byrd: This is very gratifying. Ive been waiting all week just to run this first round and it felt good. Im just going to keep going and make it through the rounds, nice and easy. This is my first race in about a month and a half, and basically I just wanted to see what I could do.

Womens pole vault qualifying

Stacy Dragila: It went really well. I was very pleased with my performance. We weeded out the people who werent ready to jump and now were down to the top-12, and Im ready to go for Monday. The runway was fast. I had to move my steps back a little bit because the Mondo surface is faster, and I think its nice to go through prelims to give you a chance to figure that out now so that going into the finals Ill be ready for that adjustment. Im running well right now, and if I can put everything else together I should clear high bars. I woke up with a stiff neck the other day and our trainers and physicians have been working on me and I jumped fine out there. I kinda just blocked it out of my mind and took care of what I needed to do. I dont know what caused it. Sometimes those things happen in coming home from overseas and traveling. I had some problems overseas on my left side and now its on my right side. I think its just going to get better as the days go on. Its nothing to worry about. Things are ready to go. I put some good and consistent marks up in Europe and I think youre going to see some high bars not just from me, but from my other competitors.

Tracy OHara: Basically it didnt go so well. It was nice to be here and it was fun.

Mary Sauer: It was pretty good today. My warm-ups were a little shaky, but I got through and thats all that counts. This will give me more confidence going into the final. I had a little hamstring problem about three weeks ago and its still healing, so Im just happy to get through to the final where I can just relax and just jump. To make it through to the finals is such a great feeling.

Mens 100m 1st round

Bernard Williams: It was good out there. I just wanted to relax and make it through the round and then take it to the next level. I was very pleased with my start. It was okay, it wasnt the best but it wasnt the worst. It doesnt really matter right now anyway. Im happy to finally get my feet wet and live to fight another day.

Maurice Greene: It went good. Im having a lot of fun now. Im glad things have started. A lot of things have been said, and its time to put it all on the line now and see whats happening. I believe my start was very good and I ran a nice relaxed race. Its mine to lose. If I run my best, the whole world is going to be impressed. On possibly lowering the world record: The chances are very good. The track is very fast, but you have to run the world record race to break the world record. Well see what happens.

Tim Montgomery: It felt great. With all the pressure everyones putting on me I loved it, and it made me perform at a better level. Once you run a 9.84 you step on the track with a sense of arrogance about you, and thats the way my run went today. It went so easy that I couldnt even believe it. Do you think with some of things you said at yesterdays press conference that youve put some of that pressure on yourself? Yes, I think so (laughter). But I had fun, and Im going to still have fun throughout the whole championships.

Mens Hammer Throw

Kevin McMahon: It was my best performance at the World Championships. Ive been to three other world champs and thats just the way it goes. You give it everything you can on a given day and thats where you end up. Some days you end up at the top of the heap, and now it looks like Ill be in the upper half. It was my second farthest throw this year and Ive really trained hard. Im happy to be out here and throw pretty close to my seasonal best. All in all Im pretty satisfied.