Zitat des Tages von Ashton Eaton:
There's never going to be a decathlon that you're going to have 10 events that your satisfied with. You're always, always going to be dissatisfied in something, and that always draws you back to try to retry that the next time you do a decathlon. It's like you go for the perfect 10.
Now that I'm older, I see the benefits of having free time to release energy.
I had a dream, my dream came true, and my mom was there for me every step of the way. We didn't do this for any other reason. I am so happy she is here to experience this with me. This would not be the same if she were not by my side.
When I see my mom in the stands, it always pushes me to succeed.
The thing I like about decathlon is also the thing I dislike: It's the maximum challenge, but also the maximum frustration.
I am not the one who has to try to beat me.
I'm a 'what's next?' guy. I don't know what that is, but I'm excited to find out and put the same kind of energy into it as I put into track.
That is when the crowd really lifted me. That last 600 meters I was not running with my own legs. It was incredible.
I'm not much of a gym rat; I'd rather be running, but if it enables me to run faster, then I guess I can tough it out.
My goal in Korea is to win. There's no timetable when to set the American record.
When I was growing up, I used to watch 'Power Rangers' and 'Ninja Turtles.' It seemed like every movie had someone doing martial arts in it, so I would go around punching and kicking trees.
In our marriage, the success of our athletic dreams comes before everything. 'Hey do you want to watch a movie?' 'No, I have a hard workout tomorrow.'
The opportunity to represent your country at the Olympic Games is earned, not given.
I always try to do better than I have before, so I think it would be good to break the world record.
I think a challenge for myself is to see how many times I can get above 9,000. That would be a good challenge.
As athletes, we love to say, 'Just one more; I'm going to figure it out on this next one.' It's tough to pull back the reins and do what is smart physically, listening to your body and always ending a workout or session feeling like I could have done more.
I think when the competitions come, I am always ready to go. I don't think I ever have not been.
That's what has always been good about track. The goal is very clearly defined: Try to win. Get the gold medal. And I'm able to put my energy toward that.
I'm not maximized yet.
I thought it'd be cool to start my own university, in a way.
You try to figure out the best way to throw the shot put, or the perfect way to long jump, and you don't ever get it. You just chip away, chip away, chip away as time goes on.
I remember growing up, having sports to go to, having recess, those were the things I looked forward to. Yes, I'm an athlete, but I had buddies who weren't, and they looked forward to it, too.
I wouldn't have gone to a Division I school if I didn't have scholarship help. We couldn't afford it.
The great thing about this is, and not to pump my own tires, but I feel like I'm not maximized yet. I feel like I can still run faster, jump higher, which I think makes it special. Hopefully, going to London, I'll be welcomed into the decathlon community.
I won't back down. I get a satisfaction from being tested and defeating the test.
The first sport I played was baseball. I remember being on the Little League team and someone pitching the ball to me for the first time. I was ready to no longer hit the ball off the tee, and an adult pitched it to me underhand.
Rather than realizing immediate physiological gain, the challenge is more about reducing the mental attrition from the two days to maximize each event.
The desire definitely comes from within. There are only a few people who make it to this level and those are the ones who have that innate desire.
I want to see where I measure up against everyone in the world and everyone who has ever competed in the sport, and there's that innate sense of wanting to challenge myself. I'm competitive in all aspects.
To be with the other two-time gold medalists is great, but it's great to just be a decathlete.
From the age of seven, I basically started practicing my hand-eye and foot coordination, balance, strength, endurance, discipline, and mental toughness three days a week until I was about 15.
The more you do, the more attrition you experience.
I actually like indoor track and field more than outdoor.
In high school, I had a gold 1992 Ford Explorer. It was a gift. I used to have a terrible habit of locking the keys in the car when I used leave the car running to help it start on a cold morning. I think the local locksmith became used to me calling him.
I do the whole 10-event thing, but at the end of the day, it's still track and field.
I don't have one specific person that I think is the most athletic person.