"There is no point in going to the Olympics if you are not in a position to do yourself justice and right now the appetite and the will to run is just not there."

Hampered by injury, Catherina McKiernan makes the difficult decision of withdrawing from the Irish team for Sydney.

"I just want to go out there and quiet all my critics because there are a lot of them." Marion Jones on those who feel her long-jump talents won't see her through this week's US Olympic trials.

"My ex-wife left me again. She's also a tennis player. Love means nothing to her." Passing comment overheard at Wimbledon last week.