Team USA Head Coaches quotes

Jeanette Bolden, Team USA women's head coach: "They wanted to go out of the Olympic Games with a bang and make a statement. I think overall our team had been a little down until we had a meeting with them and told them they had eight medals - more than any team since 1992. Once we told them that, you could see the light bulbs go off. We felt very good about going out there and hearing the national anthem on that podium." On the 4x40m relay: "They worked so hard. Sanya was disappointed with her open 400, and for her to bear down and do what she did today was amazing. It was an incredible race. All our young ladies did an excellent job. It just shows the heard and soul they have. I was proud of them. They ran with so much heart. They wanted to show American we're doing fine, and we have more medals than we have had in a while." Bubba Thornton, Team USA men's head coach: "It's been a great performance. We've had a couple things happen but it wasn't that we weren't performing. Look at the 100 meters. We were expected to get a medal. Walter Dix gets a bronze, he has to beat the American record holder, a former world record holder and the present world record holder and he gets a bronze. We go to the hurdles and get a silver and a bronze, who do we have to beat, the world record holder. The 200 meters, we get a silver and a bronze. Who do we have to beat? The world record holder. One, two, three in the intermediate hurdles, where's that joy? We get one, two, three (and we) weren't expected to in the 400, where's that joy? A gold medal in the decathlon. I'm proud of this bunch. They've worked hard, trained hard and have done an incredible job."

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Day 9Team USA quotes - Evening session

Women's 4x400m final Mary Wineberg (Cincinnati, Ohio): "I felt really good. Our goal was to come together as a team, and for me to run the first leg, get our team out there and pass the baton to Allyson. We're happy, we're excited and we're gold medalists. I wasn't nervous at all because I knew Sanya would run a really strong leg for us. She passed the Russian and she kept her composure." Monique Henderson (Chula Vista, Calif.): "It's an amazing feeling to win a gold medal. It was really touch-and-go there for a while. Thankfully, Sanya ran a great anchor leg and brought us back to win the gold." "Allyson gave me a great lead and I was out there to hold it. I held them off the best I could, but unfortunately the Russian girl went by me at the end. It was great to see us be able to come back and pull out the win." Allyson Felix (Santa Clarita, Calif.): "We wanted it to end on a high note. We've had our ups and downs. We came out with a new attitude tonight - men and women - and it worked out. We had confidence in Sanya." Men's 4X400m final David Neville (Valencia, Calif.): "I feel pretty good. It's been a long Olympics and I ran a lot of races, but we did well. I came out and did my job in the relay. I had three other great guys to run with, and we have the Olympic record. I wasn't trying to relax at all because our goal was to win the gold and run the best we could. That's exactly what we did." Angelo Taylor (Decatur, Ga.): "It feels great to win my second gold medal. I couldn't be any happier. It doesn't get any sweeter than this - I'm overjoyed. We definitely went out there to break the World record. We still came away with the Olympic record and the win, so we're real pleased with that." "Everyone ran a great leg. LaShawn gave me a comfortable lead and I just tried to open it up even more. We have the best 400 runners in the World in the U.S. and we proved it again tonight. It's a great combination." LaShawn Merritt (Suffolk, Va.): "We have four of the top quarter-milers in the world. We swept the 400 and we swept the 400m hurdles. I told Neville that all he had to do was run his race. This was our first championship with him on a major level. My first Games with two gold medals, a PR and an Olympic record. You couldn't ask for anything better than that." "I wanted to run well for the U.S., and we ended it with an Olympic record. I came into the Games with something I wanted to do. I did what I came to do. It's the Olympic Games. You have to show up. If you don't show up all year, this is the time to do it. I showed up and I was victorious." Jeremy Wariner (Waco, Texas): "This is great. Coming into the relay, we all came together and wanted to run as a team. We all ran our hardest and ended up getting an Olympic record. A lot of things happened in this Olympics that we weren't expecting. We use that to build on." "This was a great way to finish the Olympics. It could have been a World record with a close race, but we all ran comfortable out there." Women's high jump final Chaunte Howard (Snellville, Ga.): "I think that there's more to the Olympics than just winning medals. I think it's about friendship, working hard and doing your best. That's what I came out here to do today." Men's 5,000m final Bernard Lagat (Tucson, Ariz.): "They ran a tough race today. My body didn't respond. I went there with one mindset. I wanted to stay up with the leaders. But I couldn't go. I got slower and slower. I developed a virus infection in my throat. During the race, my throat was burning like crazy." Matt Tegenkamp (Madison, Wisc.): "I just didn't have it tonight. I have a lot of work to do and I know I need to get stronger. I need to figure out how to stay relaxed and stay with the leaders in the most important part of the race." Women's 1,500m final Shannon Rowbury (San Francisco): "It's hard to explain, but sometimes when you want to go, it's just not there. I tried to stay with them as much as I could. I was trying to go with them, but I didn't have my legs today."

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