Once you're a medalist, you always want to be a medalist. Regardless of how you're feeling, you want to put it altogether. I think I held together pretty well. But physically, it just wasn't there. |
Right now, it's just sort of congratulations for making the team. You'll see from here where they go. |
Some of them don't make it. Everybody thinks you can be Chad Hedrick in six months or a year. |
Tattooing isn't about money. It's about freedom, really. Freedom to work for yourself; express yourself. I leave a piece of myself wherever I go. |
That's all I had. Once you win a medal, you always want to be medalist, and that's why it's disappointing. |
There are ghosts that will follow you your whole life. I think I've met a few of those ghosts head-on. |
There were definitely days when I was concerned. At the last Olympic trials, I was a half-second faster. |
They appreciate the effort from anybody. Even if you're from another country, if you put in a great effort out there, they'll still cheer for you. |
To me, it's a big accomplishment. It's an accomplishment as big as winning a gold medal. I feel like a new person. Emotionally I'm in the right place. |
We don't have the home crowd this time. But we have a great team, a bonded team. |
What a great opportunity to come to my fifth Olympics, be flag bearer and also be a returning medalist so I have a platform to talk about something and hopefully do some good in this world. |
Why did I come back? I mean, I was really satisfied with the gold medal in Salt Lake City, but at the same time, I thought I was too young to retire. Cycling didn't go well for me in 2003 so I went back to speed skating full time. |
You go back to your country and then a few months later, nobody remembers your name. Sometimes, it's hard. |