Olympic quotes that pierce the heart! Words of tears and inspiration
Have you ever felt your heart swell at words spoken on the Olympic stage? The words of athletes who have overcome extreme tension and pressure have the power to move us beyond the realm of sport.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of memorable Olympic quotes.
In words steeped in effort, setbacks, and feelings for teammates, you may find yourself reflecting on your own daily life.
By the time you finish reading, you’ll surely feel a fresh surge of energy.
Find the words that resonate with you!
Olympic quotes that pierce the heart! Words of tears and inspiration (1–10)
Life’s only failure is not to try.NEW!Lindsey Vonn
Despite suffering an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, skier Lindsey Vonn competed in the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
She entered the race with strong determination, but fell and was taken to the hospital—ending with a complex fracture of her shin.
While facing that reality, she left these words.
Looking at the result, anyone would probably say it was a failure.
But Lindsey Vonn sees it differently.
She stood on the stage where victories are won and chose to compete, no matter her condition… For her, simply standing in the start gate was already a victory.
I feel like the sky looked the most beautiful it ever has at the Olympics this time.NEW!Yuki Ito
Yuki Ito competed in the women’s individual large hill in Nordic ski jumping.
She is 31, and Milan–Cortina marks her fourth Olympics.
Although she finished 14th and missed the podium, she left these words at the Games: The view you see while jumping is something only the athletes get to witness.
Even though she had regained her form after a slump, the pressure of the big stage is immeasurable.
Still, the view she saw was more beautiful than any she’d ever seen before.
From these words alone, it feels as though her Olympic challenge was fulfilling, and that she truly gave it her all.
I’m glad we were able to make it back alive like this.NEW!Ayumu Hirano
Ayumu Hirano, who won gold at the Beijing Olympics, competed in the men’s snowboard halfpipe final at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
He finished 7th and missed out on a medal, but the words he spoke have moved many people.
In fact, twenty days before the Olympics began, Hirano suffered multiple fractures in a fall… Under those circumstances, simply making it to the Olympics can only be described as a miracle.
Even with that condition, he raised the difficulty of his tricks from the qualifiers in the final; although he fell once, he landed a high-difficulty routine.
That run was truly a life-on-the-line effort for him—a testament to his unwavering resolve.
If there’s even a 1% chance, I want to slide.NEW!Ayumu Hirano
These are the words spoken by Ayumu Hirano, a men’s snowboard halfpipe athlete, when he decided to compete after overcoming injury.
In January, right before the event, he suffered a pelvic fracture—a situation that could have led anyone to give up—yet he expressed his determination to aim for participation nonetheless.
From a state where he needed a wheelchair and crutches, he trained relentlessly with astounding resilience and mental strength, entered the qualifiers, and even advanced to the finals.
His words convey a powerful will to face challenges with everything he has, even when the chances are slim.
I cried tears of joy for the first time.NEW!Yuto Totsuka
These are words from Yuto Totsuka, who won the gold medal in the men’s snowboard halfpipe, expressing the emotion of finally delivering results.
You can also sense him looking back on the hardships he’s faced—overcoming setbacks, battling through, and at last capturing gold on his third Olympic attempt.
The fact that he says it’s his first time shedding tears of joy is a key point, conveying just how moving the experience was.
It paints an image of breaking through a wall and moving forward, as if the view before him has opened up and expanded.
Because Nari-chan was there, we were able to come.NEW!Ryuichi Kihara
These are the words that Ryuichi Kihara conveyed to his former pairs partner, Narumi Takahashi, after winning a medal.
In the pairs free skate at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Olympics, Japan’s Ryuichi Kihara and Riku Miura won the gold medal.
Because they had mistakes in the short program and a medal seemed unlikely, their dramatic comeback in the free was thrilling, wasn’t it? Commentator Narumi Takahashi felt the same way and was moved throughout.
In the midst of that, hearing these words of gratitude would make it even more emotional—enough to bring one to tears.
It was a wonderful, memorable quote that showed us that the bond remains unchanged even after they’re no longer skating as a pair.
It’s so heavy, and everything up to now is crammed in.NEW!Mari Fukada
These are the words of Mari Fukada, who won the gold medal in women’s snowboard slopestyle, conveying her emotions as she looks back on her hard work.
The key point is the “weight” of the gold medal—not a simple physical weight, but the weight of all her experiences and the gratitude she feels for those who supported her, all packed into that medal.
You can also feel the sense of release that comes from finally turning all her effort into results.
It’s a message that seems to express emotions welling up little by little, as she gradually realizes that it was precisely that weight that led to her achievement.