“In gymnastics, smaller will always be better in many ways. The stress in the head, that will be the same for all. But the stress on the body and the concussions it must endure, that will always be easier for the little ones.”

I took him like the major challenge of my life, and pretty soon I’m beating him and we are pushing each other so hard, so fierce. But out of the arena, we are friends.

The rest of the world laughed at American gymnastics before I came.

A good 80 percent of the vault is still physical and another percentage of it, 20, 25 percent is mental.

Mental is always the mental strength, the confidence building up to that contest or repetition, practice, practice, and practice.

This team just wasn’t good enough today, but they had the unity I always wanted. To have an American team like this has always been a dream of mine.

I believe in playing with your heart, with every fiber in your body-fairly, squarely, by the rules-to win. And I believe that any man’s finest moment.

The crowd sometimes plays a tremendous role to give you wings and carry you to victory.

I still love to find and develop the young athletes in traditional ways. I like to watch the physical and mental growth. That has always been very exciting.

I am very familiar with Hungary, because I grew up in Romania, which borders it.

My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never.

Back in Romania, always I was struggling to compete with Vladislav Rastorotsky, the great Russian coach of Lyudmila Turishcheva. He was a powerful coach, internationally.

I consider myself very lucky that I could live my life through all the ups and downs.

Success depends on how much you are willing to sacrifice, how much you are willing to alter your everyday life for a particular goal.

The Olympics shows the community what gymnastics is all about.

I know gymnastics. It’s always been a subjective appreciation.

The greatest fulfillment of all he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out and lies exhausted on the floor of battle-victorious.

[on BBC’s Sherlock] It’s a rare challenge, both for the audience and an actor, to take part in something with this level of intelligence and wit. You have to really enjoy it. It’s a form of mental and physical gymnastics.

We want and expect to win the silver or gold. A bronze would be a step back. In fact, we think it would be a put-down if we don’t win the silver or gold.

The rest of the world laughed at American gymnastics before I came.

The Olympics shows the community what gymnastics is all about.

You have to have competent people evaluating the athlete, not the housewives!

The gymnasiacs of Venice, in California, are so addicted to these practices that there has arisen a nation of men who can no longer put their arms against their sides

I was lucky enough, when I was younger, to have the chance to do as much as possible, and I found what I wanted to do. I did swimming, gymnastics, kickboxing and the one that took off more than the others was acting.