From an athlete's perspective, to cancel the Olympics in regards to the threats would be absolutely devastating - especially since the Olympics - it's really about people meeting together through sports and putting aside their countries' differences for that time.

Brian Boitano

Categorized in : Sports Leadership Wisdom

If I had never won a single medal, I'd still be skating in a rink somewhere. There wouldn't be an audience or camera flashes or autograph seekers, but I'd still be skating.

Brian Boitano

skating flash cameras

I love skating. I love the speed, the power, the excitement, the feeling that --- even for just a moment --- I can defy gravity and fly through the air. And I love the way that a great skating performance, like any work of art, can move an audience to laughter or tears.

Brian Boitano

laughter art moving

A really important part of competition is coming back, trying to do it better the second time than you did the first.

Brian Boitano

competition important trying

When a skater steps on the ice to compete, the nerves, the tension, and sheer suspense of that moment make for great drama.

Brian Boitano

ice steps drama

I have to consider my greatest accomplishments winning the Olympics because everything that Ive done after that is really because of the Olympics.

Brian Boitano

accomplishment winning sports

Plus the public's attention span is so short right now, if a skater doesn't strike while the iron is hot... well it's not like people will forget you, but they just won't care anymore.

Brian Boitano

iron hot people

Kids don't know the language of figure skating. If you ask them to do a compulsory figure, they don't know how to, and that's so important for the edge quality. I think that's why the older skaters are still as popular as they are - because they have that quality that people are missing in this generation.

Brian Boitano

sports kids thinking

Yeah, I am a little bit, and I think it is a natural progression of the sport, of going upwards in technical ability and everything like that.

Brian Boitano

littles sports thinking

Sasha gets a raw deal from the press. She makes one mistake in her program and people rip her for not pulling it off when it counts. But she never falls apart. She never just completely folds and misses everything. Usually it's just one mistake.

Brian Boitano

rip mistake sports

On the lip of the Grand Canyon. I've always wanted to do that. My very first TV special out of the Olympics was on a glacier in Alaska. Right after that one, I went and pitched this idea to skate in three National Parks. Like Voyageurs National Park, because it freezes over and you have these little islands that you can skate around. [The networks] were like, 'Way too expensive.'

Brian Boitano

alaska sports ideas

Kat and I were in our 20s when we won in '88. Our personalities were already established. We were ready to move on to a life of professional skating.

Brian Boitano

personality sports moving

The Olympics are great for notoriety right off the bat, but your body of work is what people remember you for.

Brian Boitano

remembers-you remember-you sports

That's what amateur skating is about, technical expertise, and it should always stay that way.

Brian Boitano

skating should way

The U.S. Olympic spirit award is an award that is given to an athlete who embodies the Olympic spirit in more ways than just on the playing field, in showing incredible perseverance, in overcoming obstacles, and what we wanted to do is have everybody can vote on-line.

Brian Boitano

perseverance athlete motivational

As an athlete, I hope we can remain focused on the Olympic spirit which celebrates achievement in sport by peoples of all nations.

Brian Boitano

achievement athlete sports

First and foremost I am an American athlete and I am proud to live in a country that encourages diversity, openness and tolerance.

Brian Boitano

diversity athlete country

Its an honor to be chosen to represent the best hockey game in the world,... Hockey fans are looking for the most authentic experience and NHL 2K6 delivers it.

Brian Boitano

nhl hockey sports

So the programs all start to all look the same. I watched one free skating competition, and I thought I was watching a short program. Everyone was doing exactly the same elements.

Brian Boitano

competition sports looks