by Larry EderThree of our most competitive athletes, on the US team, Sanya Richards-Ross, Jesse Williams, and Ashton Eaton, spoke to a full room of global press in the MPC. The excerpts are courtesy of USA Track & Field’s Katie Branham.
Ross, Williams, Eaton, photo courtesy of USA Track & Field
London Press Conference Excerpts – July 30
7/30/2012
LONDON – Sanya Richards-Ross, Jesse Williams and Ashton Eaton met with members of the press during the first official track & field press conference for Team USA at the
2012 Olympic Games on Monday morning.
Below are excerpts from each of the participants:
Sanya Richards-Ross, photo by PhotoRun.net
“I am feeling really good. They say the third time is the charm,
so I’m hoping that holds true for me. I’m feeling very good. My training
is exactly where I want it to be, so I’m hoping to have my best race of
the season here at the Olympics.”
Regarding her double in the 200m/400m:
“I’m really looking forward to it. Of course my priority is the 400, and it
comes first so it is easy to keep my focus on that. I want to go out and
execute really well in the 400 and hopefully win the gold medal. Then I’ll
give it all I have in the 200. I think it is going to be a phenomenal field.
I’m excited I made the team; that was a challenge in itself. I hope I can grab
a medal in the 200m as well, that would be the icing on the cake; for me the
400 is the cake.”
Jesse Williams, by PhotoRun.net
“I am a different person now [compared to 2008] as an athlete mentally and
physically. I am just really strong right now. I had a great year last year,
and I feel like the momentum for me has been building up. I had a little scare
at the U.S. Trials, but I got through it. I’m back on track, I’m 100 percent
health and I’m strong mentally and physically. I’m ready to take these games
on for sure.”
Ashton Eaton, by PhotoRun.net
“I’m feeling really good of course. I’m confident in my abilities because there
were really good performances [at the U.S. Trails] but then there were
performances that weren’t so good, but that is the decathlon. . This being
my first Olympic Games, and having just gotten in recently, I think it’s
overwhelming at first seeing all of the Olympic athletes from all the
different countries. I’m taking it all in and I’m ready for track to start.”
I think because of what I did in Eugene, it helped me mentally, my chances are
good here. I’m definitely not going to try for a [personal best], I think it
is unrealistic to think I’m going to get another world record, especially at
the Olympic games, there are a lot of things that happen mentally and
physically that I don’t even know about yet because I’ve never been.
That’s just what people tell me.
