1. On his 4 x 100 medley relay leg, “When Aaron Peirsol gives you that kind of lead, it’s easy to beat everybody. I wasn’t sharp all week. It was tough for me to get up for my individual events. But walking out with these three guys, it didn’t matter how I felt in warm-up. It didn’t matter how I felt all week. I can’t tell you enough how this is such a good note for us to end on.”
2. On receiving an Olympic medal, “It’s like the heaviest thing you ever put around your neck. Then you’re singing the national anthem, then the place goes crazy ... and you realize you’ve finally reached that moment."
3. On breaking Mike Barrowman’s record in 200 Breast, “It's amazing. I'm still in shock. He was an idol of mine growing up. To break his record has been a goal of mine. My teammates said I've been a man on a mission. I think the mission is complete. I paced this morning's race just to get into the finals. I knew I was comfortable with how fast I was swimming. I couldn't believe how fast he (Denniston) was swimming. After conference we became a team. This is the most united team I've ever been on my life."
4. On how Austin suits him, “You can drive 10 minutes and be in the city or 15 minutes the other way and be in the middle of nowhere. You can go camping on the lake and be in solitude or you can go downtown and be shoulder to shoulder with people watching a concert."
5. On his 100 Breast Semi at 2005 World Champs, "I’m just trying to get used to the pool now versus this morning. It is a lot different, especially being outside. I felt smooth, nice and confident, relaxed. I just went through the motions. The more time I swim under the one minute point, the better I am going to be. I still held off a little bit for tomorrow night. It is going to be a dog race but I've got a lot left in me, a lot in the back of my mind about that race. I am hitting my champer right on, I am swimming well so if I keep riding this wave I should be able to go faster tomorrow night.”
6. “As far as getting up for the meet and getting excited, Mutual of Omaha did a great job of setting up the venue, so the atmosphere around the pool and from the people in the stands didn't reflect that we were up by so much. Their energy really carried us through.”
7. “It was nice to be swimming next to (Canada’s) Mike Brown, because I knew the crowd was screaming for him, but I took some of the energy like it was for me. It was fun swimming tonight, and tomorrow looks to be even better.”
8. “I think if [the score] was closer, you would have seen faster times, ... Our men's team is so strong. I think it has to do with leadership. Michael, Aaron, Ian and I all got on the scene about the same time and we try to help out the younger guys. We're young, but you're going to see some younger guys coming up. The U.S. is going to continue to dominate. You'll start to see a dynasty.”
9. “I love the support from the crowd. I just felt driven when every time I came out of the water the crowd was shouting and cheering me on.”
10. “The last 50 wasn't there like I was hoping it would be, ... I'll take the win.”
11. “Following last night's race I think this was a classic case of seeing what you did wrong and fixing it for the next time in the pool.”
12. “I walked away from 2004 knowing I didn't swim my own race. This time, I didn't look around and panic. I kept my blinders on. . . . Overall, it went really well. The Texas guys started swimming fast and then everyone did.”
13. “I will be close to my record tomorrow night,”
14. "I didn’t know to what extent people back here fully supported me and the U.S. team until I got home. The media did a great job covering the Olympics."
15. "I grew up with a dream to reach the Olympic team and win a gold medal.”
16. "If I had to give one piece of advice it would be to never limit yourself. Never let someone tell you that you can’t do something.”
17. "There is nothing better than standing up on the blocks with USA on your suit and your cap."
18. "For me, the big thing is to go out and set a world record on an international stage."
19. "I've raised the bar and now it's time to look higher and see what I can do. It's time to put a stamp that I'm not going anywhere."
20. "I know going to Athens (that) there's a big bull's-eye on my chest"
21. "I feel like I put myself in a special category. The whole Olympic experience was amazing. It’s still hard to swallow. The entire year was a way of becoming one of the greatest breaststrokers ever."
22. "I think I can lower my times. I’ve always said there’s no such thing as the perfect race. My fire is still burning."
23. "It’s not my style to sit back. I’m always at the drawing board. I want to win at World Championships, and not have it be close."
24. "I enjoy talking to kids and seeing their eyes light up when you hang an Olympic medal around their neck."
25. "I can tell those kids that I was in their place once and there’s nothing stopping them from accomplishing their dreams."
26. "If I moved [away from Austin], I'd like to have a house here so I could always come back. Austin is a tough place to leave."
27. "I love the competitive spirit that brews between the U.S. and Australia whenever we compete against each other."
28. "I have a chip on my shoulder from the [2004] Olympics"
29. "Now, when the plane lands in Austin, I feel like I'm at home, and that's a good feeling."
30. "There are a lot of things that drive me."