Read what the top performers during Day 14 at the World Aquatics Championships had to say immediately after the swimming finals, high diving action and the men's water polo play moving into the semi final stage in the Qatari capital.
"Winning this gold medal doesn’t mean it’s over. I still need to practice hard for the Paris Olympics. I will try my best, and I believe I will swim faster than 46.80. Today is just the beginning, it is a part of the process. I can’t wait to celebrate winning this gold medal today."
- Gold, Pan Zhanle (CHN), Swimming, Men’s 100m Freestyle
"I would not say you need to like the pain but you need to be prepared to go for dives even if it hurts. And when it hurts, sometimes you just need to push through and keep going."
- Silver, Gary Hunt (FRA), High Diving, Men's Final
"Doha has been super special – it’s great to be back and representing the US. It’s awesome to hear the national anthem play and it keeps getting better every time."
- Gold, Claire Curzan (USA), Swimming, Women’s 50m Backstroke
"It was a good performance. To lose under penalties is very cruel, but it is part of our sport, it is the rules and we have to work with that."
- Florian Bruzzo (FRA), Water Polo, Men’s Semi Finals
"I am very happy to be in the spotlight tonight, but at the back of my mind, I know there are some faster swimmers out there and that keeps me hungry."
- Gold, Finlay Knox (CAN), Swimming, Men’s 200m Individual Medley
"This is my fourth world championships and my third final. Every championships I have been in I have felt like I underperformed, or things haven’t gone quite right, and I have come out disappointed. But every championships is just a matter of taking it in your stride, believing that at some point it is all going to come together, and that moment has happened for me today."
- Gold, Laura Stephens (GBR), Swimming, Women’s 200m Butterfly
"Italy today was better. We will fight to win the bronze medal."
- David Martin (ESP), Water Polo, Men’s Semi Finals
"Competing with Pan, he is just a human like us so it is possible to beat him, but he is in a very good shape now. Maybe we will catch him at the Olympic Games. I am working on it."
- Bronze, Nandor Nemeth (HUN), Swimming, Men’s 100m Freestyle
"Being at the forefront of some of the biggest dives people are doing nowadays is fun. Most of the time they are within our limits and we know what those are. To deliver those in competition is a completely different story. So it’s risky but it’s fun, it’s a little bit of everything. I really like the position I am right now and want to help develop this sport and develop these bigger dives."
- Gold, Aidan Heslop (GBR), High Diving, Men's Final
"It was a tough race, a good one!"
- Silver, Alessandro Miressi (ITA), Swimming, Men’s 100m Freestyle
"I’m so happy to do this, I love doing this, I really love competing. The fans who came to support me really mean the world to me, and to win this medal, at this moment as this is the Olympic year, is very important.
This is the best feeling ever."
- Bronze, Lana Pudar (BIH), Swimming, Women’s 200m Butterfly
"I was trying to get a medal at these championships. Now I have two of them so of course it’s amazing. I wasn’t really sure about the medal today. I knew it was going to be a tough race, very close, so I’m just happy that I made it and I got another medal."
- Bronze, Alberto Razzetti (ITA), Swimming, Men’s 200m Individual Medley
"I feel it is a privilege to me to be a part of the Australian team. It feels really special to be here and to contribute to the team and to be a part of it."
- Silver, Iona Anderson (USA), Swimming, Women’s 50m Backstroke
"We need to set examples and encourage other divers to tackle the challenge and eventually push the discipline on the Olympic program. It is our biggest wish."
- Bronze, Catalin-Petru Preda (ROU), High Diving, Men's Final
"It's my first international podium and it's an overwhelming feeling."
- Silver, Helena Rosendahl Bach (DEN), Swimming, Women’s 200m Butterfly
"You come to these tournaments to play the best in the world and this is where ultimately we want to be in a couple of years’ time."
- Angus Lambie (AUS), Water Polo, Men’s Classification Matches
"I get better as the season goes on, so I’m going to keep swimming in the same way and keep everything the same."
- Silver, Carson Foster (USA), Swimming, Men’s 200m Individual Medley