Life

11 Funny Olympic Athlete Quotes

by Chelsey Grasso

Sometimes all you really need is a good laugh. If there's one thing these funny Olympic athlete quotes will do, it's get you chuckling. That's right, even the greatest competitors of our time have a sense of humor (and it's a good one too!). As they say, laughter is the best medicine, and who needs a good chuckle more than an Olympian during their struggle to the top?

While these quotations are hilarious in and of themselves, they also hold within them small kernels of knowledge that can come in pretty handy in the game of life. Aren't these athletes amazing? They can make a joke and provide wisdom at the same time. There's no doubt that the future Olympic athletes that will be partaking in this summer's 2016 Olympics are hoping to glean as much helpful information from past athletes as they can, and there's no reason we all can't do the same as well. Words can be transferable, and these ones certainly are.

Take a read through these Olympian quotes below, and see how many strike a chord with you. I have a feeling quite a few will, but if not, at the very least, I know they'll put a smile on your face.

1. “I just tried to keep my cool and continue with my race plan: to win.” — Mark Spitz

2. “When anyone tells me I can’t do anything, I’m just not listening any more.” — Florence Griffith Joyner

3. “I was not talented enough to run and smile at the same time” — Emil Zatopek

4. “My competition isn’t resting!” — Kim Rhode

5. “I don’t think you’re human if you don’t get nervous.” — Sidney Crosby

6. “All I’ve done is run fast. I don’t see why people should make much fuss about that.” — Fanny Blankers-Koen

7. “If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win.” — Carl Lewis

8. “If you think you’re done, you always have at least 40 percent more.” — Lauren Crandall

9. “I have been dubbed 'the girl who puts the glamour into hammer.'" — Sophie Hitchon

10. “If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.” — Mark Spitz

11. “If you don’t try to win you might as well hold the Olympics in somebody’s back yard.” — Jesse Owens

Images: Giphy