Soundbites on Phelps' Olympic performance

Comments from the world of sports and beyond on Michael Phelps' record-setting Games.
previous
next
Image 8 of 11
Katie Hoff poses with the bronze medal during the medal ceremony for the women's 400-meter individual medley held at the National Aquatics Center at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Hoff, who finished with a silver and two bronze medals, said the experience made her respect Michael Phelps' success and ability more deeply.<br> <br> "The mental energy and emotional energy and physical energy that it takes to go out there and get up every time, even for a prelim, you have to put in some kind of effort, even Michael, it's just incredible," Hoff said. "He's swimming even more than I swam. He's doing it in world-record time, gold medals. It definitely gives me a lot more respect, even more than I already had for him."

Katie Hoff

(Getty Images / August 10, 2008)

Katie Hoff poses with the bronze medal during the medal ceremony for the women's 400-meter individual medley held at the National Aquatics Center at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Hoff, who finished with a silver and two bronze medals, said the experience made her respect Michael Phelps' success and ability more deeply.

"The mental energy and emotional energy and physical energy that it takes to go out there and get up every time, even for a prelim, you have to put in some kind of effort, even Michael, it's just incredible," Hoff said. "He's swimming even more than I swam. He's doing it in world-record time, gold medals. It definitely gives me a lot more respect, even more than I already had for him."