Carly, In her own words:

"I have worked really hard all my life just to be here. I don't think about the pressure. I try to be as prepared as I can and hit all my routines." 2004 American Cup

"I have this big trophy case that my grandpa built me and I have all my important things that I’ve won on the mantle. Sometimes I look at it and I think, ‘Wow, that’s cool.’" Inside Gymnastics, May 2004

"I was nervous for this competition but I thought I'd prepared really well. My coach said, 'You can do it.' And I believed in myself and said that I could do it." 2004 Olympic Games

"I don't even know what to say right now. I'm just so excited and happy. You dream about this your whole life, and then you win the gold medal. And it's just amazing." 2004 Olympic Games

“That night, I couldn’t even fall asleep. I was lying in bed thinking ‘What just happened tonight?’ It was kind of a surreal feeling. The all-around medal was definitely a goal of mine. To win the Olympic title has been a goal of mine since I was little." 2004 Olympic Games

"I don't know what I'd change into. I'm going to stay the same Carly. It seems to be working." After winning the Olympic title

“I love to perform for people. That’s the most exciting. That’s what I’d miss.” 2005

Carly's friends and teammates:

"She always works hard and has a good attitude at gym. She is a great friend and is always supportive." teammate Hollie Vise, 2002

"Carly is a great gymnast with great talents. She works very hard, and she always has a smile on her face." teammate Lindsey Vanden Eykel, 2003

"She is a really awesome gymnast and has an awesome personality! Plus she always gives 110 percent everyday!" former teammate Susan Jackson, 2002

Coach Evgeny Marchenko:

"I believe she can be one of the top gymnasts in the world in 2003/2004... I believe in that." Evgeny Marchenko, 2001

"At a certain moment, when I saw [2001] Goodwill Games and others, I started to think, ‘Carly can be the best.’" Evgeny Marchenko, International Gymnast 2003

"I feel really, really happy for this girl. She’s worked so hard. She’s really determined. She’ll do anything necessary to be the best. There are a lot of skills in her program and she’s still trying to work on her form so much. She wants to be a real world class gymnast." Evgeny Marchenko, International Gymnast 2003

"There are a lot of World Champions in practice, but it’s another story when you raise your arms, in front of the crowd. That’s what makes Carly so unique. She can do it, under this kind of pressure. That’s what’s really good for us. I think that next year she can do it. We’re hungry now for gold." Evgeny Marchenko, International Gymnast 2003

"She loves big competitions. She really loves the crowd." Evgeny Marchenko, 2004

Excerpt from the Kansas City Star, 2004 Olympic Games:
"You've got to compete with yourself," Evgeny Marchenko told Patterson. "Not with Svetlana, not with anybody."
Patterson responded succinctly. "I can do it," she assured.

“She’s achieved her ultimate dream. It was an amazing journey. It was hard. I lost a lot of hair the last four years (laughs) but there is a lot of joy. Everything I’ve been through with Carly, that [my fellow coach] Natasha (Boyarskaya) and I have been through, through all the ups and downs, we never lost our trust in Carly and what we were doing. Those years will be in my heart the rest of my life.” Evgeny Marchenko, Inside Gymnastics 2004

Other athletes and coaches:

"I have three words to describe the meet. 'Carly Patterson.....Wow!' My mouth dropped watching her work on the beam. She seems to have a great future and so does the US if they keep showing this much promise." Vanessa Atler, 2001 American Team Cup

"To be able to play to the crowd and also be in the zone to do tumbling runs like that... It's what sets apart good from great." Tim Dagget, 2002 USA vs. the World

"In '76, it was Nadia. In '84, it was Mary Lou. And now we have this wonderful, new, young, exciting star that is rising, and that star is Carly Patterson." Bela Karolyi, 2003

"Right now I'm really excited to see what Carly is going to do. I really think she's the girl with the potential to do something big." Nadia Comaneci, 2003

"I have been waiting 20 years. Do you hear me? I have been waiting for 20 years. The crown has been sitting and waiting for the next all-around champion. Carly Patterson, it's yours." 1984 Olympic Champion Mary Lou Retton, August 2004