In Pictures: The Olympics in quotes

"I hope that this medal inspires the kids at home to put down guns and knives and pick up a pair of trainers instead," said Erick Barrondo, Guatemala(***)s first-ever Olympic medal winner who claimed silver in the men(***)s 20km race. walk.

"My results come from hard work and training and I would never use any banned drugs. The Chinese people have clean hands." Sixteen-year-old Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen brushes aside doping suspicions after her world record in the women(***)s 400 metres individual medley.

"My mother used to tell us in the mornings, (***)Carl put on your shoes, Oscar you put on your prosthetic legs... So I grew up not really thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes." South Africa’s 400-metre sensation Oscar Pistorius reflects on growing up with carbon fibre prosthetic blades.

"I saw the board with number 31 on it and thought my brother had got a penalty. I thought (***)What an idiot Alistair, you(***)ve got a penalty. Then I looked at my arm and realised I was number 31." British triathlon bronze medallist Jonathan Brownlee received a 15-second penalty for getting on his bike too early. His brother Alistair took gold.

"There are many people who want to start rowing because I have come to the Olympic Games. We will start when I get back. We just have to wait for the boats to arrive." Niger(***)s rower Hamadou Djibo Issaka trained for just three months for the men(***)s single sculls.

"There was no pressure. You should play in my country, then you will see pressure. They throw bricks at you." Croatia(***)s Ivano Balic reacts after his side(***)s handball semi-final defeat by France.

"These were happy and glorious Games." IOC President Jacques Rogges praises the London Games.