Soundbites, broadsides, and farewells: The 2016 quotes of the year

Larry Ryan remembers the words that resonated through the sporting year...

FROM THE SUMMIT

“There you go, I’m the greatest.”

Usain Bolt ties a bow in his achievements after completing his third Olympic gold treble of 100m, 200m, and 4x100m.

“Now we go straight away to try to win the title. We are in the Champions League, dilly ding, dilly dong — come on. We are in the Champions League, it is fantastic, terrific. Well done to everybody.”

Claudio Ranieri finally rings his own bell after Leicester confirm a top four place.

“It happened, baby. It happened.”

Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs first baseman, looking out on a sea of celebrating fans, after the Cubs ended their 108-year wait for a World Series.

“Did anybody go to work today? Did anybody go to school today? No worries, because your teachers and bosses are all here, too.”

Cubs radio presenter Pat Hughes at the same rally.

“This is how I wanted to finish my career. I’ve lived a dream come true. Being able to cap it off with these Games is just the perfect way to finish.”

Michael Phelps after winning his 23rd Olympic gold medal.

“A to B as fast as you can go and hope for the best... close the eyes and pull like a dog.”

Paul O’Donovan explains he and brother Gary’s strategy for Olympic medal success.

“We’re dreading going home now because Mick Conlan said he’d box the head off us if we didn’t get the gold.”

Paul after he and Gary took silver in the lightweight double sculls in Rio.

“It was quite hard to think that you are a swimmer and you might end up dying in the water…. the only thing I ever wanted was to compete in the Olympics.”

Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini who swam in the Rio Games having escaped her war-torn country.

“I don’t know what to say — my head isn’t really working. Look around and see what it means to people. I grew up dreaming about this and to do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world.”

Robbie Brady to RTÉ’s Tony O’Donoghue after scoring against Italy at Euro 2016.

“I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right.”

Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg parks at the top.

“Everybody wanted another chance, redemption, to fulfil aspirations that we would have for each other. We see the work that goes in every year, so my God we were not going to let each other down and give up on something that is our dream. No way, not for anybody.”

Seamus Callanan after his All-Ireland final performance for the ages.

“The ugly duckling went and scored. Now he’s a beautiful swan.”

Portugal coach Fernando Santos on unlikely Euro 2016 hero Eder Lopes.

“I’m probably not going to obey the alcohol ban myself.”

Joe Schmidt lifts all restrictions after Ireland’s win over New Zealand in Chicago.

“We have survived a war. There are still kids who don’t know if their parents are alive, don’t have anything to eat or books to go to school. So the fact of becoming Olympic champion is just huge for all of us.”

Judoka Majlinda Kelmendi having won Kosovo’s first Olympic gold medal.

“She deserved it. She’s a great mare. It was a great performance, she’s just a cracking mare. I said I’m going to ride her like Dawn Run, jump out and go and if they catch me, they catch me.”

Ruby Walsh upon winning the Champion Hurdle on Annie Power.

“How can you see anything higher than this? I couldn’t dream that this would happen. You know how hard it is to win the Arc?”

Aidan O’Brien after saddling 1-2-3 in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

“You never get the perfect... You can’t reach it, but their continuous strive for excellence is what has always impressed me about them.”

Jim Gavin admires his players after completing back-to-back All-Ireland wins.

AT A LOW EBB

“I don’t consider myself a traitor. I simply revealed the shameful truth, which our country doesn’t want to confront, and the only reason I told the truth about it all, was to try and put a stop to it.”

Whistleblower Yulia Stepanova who exposed Russia’s state-backed doping programme.

“I won the titles in the ring and I believe that they should be lost in the ring, but I’m unable to defend at this time and I have taken the hard and emotional decision to now officially vacate my treasured world titles and wish the next in-line contenders all the very best as I now enter another big challenge in my life which I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer.”

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury vacates his world titles.

“I am completely innocent of all such charges and I will also vigorously defend my good name and character that I have spent my lifetime building through voluntary service for numerous sporting bodies.”

Former OCI president Pat Hickey after his arrest by Brazilian police.

“The AIBA are cheats. They’re fucking cheats. It’s simple as that. That’s me. I’ll never box for anyone again. They’re cheating bastards, they’re paying everybody. I don’t give a fuck if I’m cursing on TV.”

Michael Conlan lashes out after controversial defeat by Vladimir Nikitin in Rio.

“Cheaters are cheaters.”

Fiona Doyle, having missed on by one place on the 100m breaststroke semi-finals after her heat was won by Russian Yulia Efimova, who circumvented a doping ban.

“I really feel like I let it go today.”

Shane Lowry after losing a four-shot final round lead at the US Open.

“I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down. I let my sport down that I’ve been playing since the age of four that I love so deeply.”

Maria Sharapova apologises for testing positive for Meldonium.

“I’m going to bite my lip on it. I’ll leave it. I’d prefer not to say anything. Ye saw it yourselves. Ye are all smart guys — ye can make up your own mind. I don’t want that to be the story, to be honest.”

Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice won’t be drawn on referee David Gough’s performance after All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Dublin.

“I’ll never be able to fully describe what was going through my head at this moment. What I was expecting to be one of my best days turned out to be the opposite, and it breaks my heart that I didn’t come through for my team and county.”

Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly reflects on his costly mistake in the All-Ireland final replay.

TRIBUTES AND FAREWELLS

“My last conversation with him was on Saturday evening. He had been ringing all day because he was a ringer. He rang and rang and rang 20 times a day he’d ring. Every time there was a bit a lull he’d decide to ring Olive and he’d say nothing, sure, but I never bothered ringing him back because I knew he’d get me eventually. But I rang him back that day and I sat down and we had a few minutes and we chatted. And of course our chat was about the lads. How the athletics went that morning. How the javelin was going with Tony and he had a little chat with him. It was a lovely conversation. I didn’t expect it to be our last.”

Olive Foley at the funeral of her late husband Anthony.

“A part of me slipped away, the greatest piece… Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age.”

George Foreman laments the passing of his great rival.

“Hoggy. Legend. R.I.P.”

Blackrock GAA club says goodbye to Cork hero John ‘Blondie’ Horgan.

“When talking to players inside and outside Tipperary, there was never any question as to who was the best player of our time.”

Michael ‘Babs’ Keating on his late Tipp team-mate Mick Roche.

“Christy O’Connor Senior was known as ‘Himself’ and always was himself... He was a larger than life character and the owner of the best pair of wrists in the game.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny paid tribute to the late great golfer.

“He had a great effect on the team room too. We had a great team unity and he was a big part of that. Obviously Christy played in the shadow of his uncle, but he became a legend in his own right.”

Ryder Cup winning Tony Jacklin on the passing of the man who won Europe the trophy at The Belfry.

“One in a million, a tremendous competitor, a sportsman par excellence and an iconic figure whose loss has left the entire handball community numb with grief.”

GAA Handball National Manager John Kelly says farewell to the legendary Michael ‘Ducksie’ Walsh.

“Loyal to a fault either to man or horse.”

JP McManus on the late jockey JT McNamara.

“He was an everyday man, everyone’s hero, Arnold managed to remove the ‘I’ from icon and instead let the world share in his greatness.”

Jack Nicklaus bids farewell to his friend and rival Arnold Palmer.

“We will never forget you, Skinny.”

Diego Maradona says goodbye to Johan Cruyff, one of his rivals in the annals.

“I’ve dreaded this day for a long, long time but the moment has come where I think it is the right time for me. I have mixed emotions about it. It has been an absolutely wonderful journey and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

Robbie Keane retires from international football.

“You never saw Timmy beating his chest as if he was the first human being to dunk the basketball. He’s not pointing to the sky. He’s not glamming to the cameras. He just plays and we’ve seen it so long it’s almost mundane. But it’s so special and has to be remembered.”

Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs basketball coach, on the retirement of his superstar Tim Duncan.

“Well, I’ve fought a good fight. I’ve finished my football race and after 18 years, it’s time. God bless all of you and God bless football.”

Eamon Dunphy marks fellow pundit John Giles’ final appearance on RTÉ.

COURTING CONTROVERSY

“The main word that attracts the attention is ‘deliberately’, and that’s the crucial word, ‘deliberately pulling down an opponent to the ground’. You could elaborate more than that but that’s fairly idiot-proof for most people.”

Eugene McGee, chairman of Football Review Committee that championed the black card, defends their brainchild.

“There was no need for it, I didn’t think. Just because Sean Cavanagh pulled a guy down and some clown in an RTÉ studio decides to throw the toys out of the pram and make it more than it was.”

Diarmuid Connolly isn’t quite in agreement.

“This defeat showed they are made of absolutely nothing. You can forget about this Galway team — they have no guts whatsoever.”

Ger Loughnane tore into Galway following the Leinster final defeat by Kilkenny.

“When Ger was in Galway, a 10-point loss to Kilkenny was probably the highlight of it.”

Ollie Canning doubles back with interest.

“He’d send them all to sleep, Roy. Woy. He hasn’t got the personality for it.”

Sam Allardyce during his Daily Telegraph string, talking about the public speaking ability of his predecessor as England.

“I recognise I made some comments which have caused embarrassment.”

Sam Allardyce after his own England reign proves short.

“Probably events like track and field, swimming, diving — the stuff that matters.”

Rory McIlroy on the sports he planned to watch at Rio 2016.

“I don’t feel like I’ve let the game down at all. I didn’t get into golf to try to grow the game. I got into golf to win championships and win majors.”

McIlroy draws a line under his absence from the Games.

“If a small group within the squad are allowed to dictate the way they tried when we were there, it’s not good for Mayo football. If that situation is still there, the likelihood is that they will win nothing. That’s the bottom line as we see it.”

Last year’s ousted Mayo co-managers Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly serve cold revenge.

“I’ve ridiculed everyone on the roster. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to take this chance to apologise... to absolutely nobody.”

Conor McGregor sticks to the script following victory over Joe Rogan.

“I was disappointed in what he wrote and it put a bit of a downer on my first Ryder Cup for the last couple of days. Obviously, it’s been tarnished slightly.”

Masters champion Danny Willett after an article by his brother Pete described US fans as a “braying mob of imbeciles”, among other insults.

“We got pulled over in our taxi and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge. And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down’.”

US swimmer Ryan Lochte claimed he was robbed at gunpoint in Rio, later admitting he “over-exaggerated that story”.

“I certainly believe by 2030 we will have won at least one championship.”

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins dials down the optimism.

“I kind of always had a negative stance on it, but I’m warming up to the idea. I have four kids now. I think that’s probably why I’m looking at it a little bit more optimistically. It’ll be good to get away from them.”

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco warms to NFL games in London.

“Trust me, if I want to kick someone in the head, I know how to kick someone in the head and make him fall asleep. That is the only thing I have to say.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoffs at suggestions he deliberately kicked Seamus Coleman.

“Mayo are celebrity losers. Since 2012, this team has won every game that didn’t matter and none that did. How many chances do they need? Players would give their right arm to have the opportunity once. They are not prepared to give anything.”

One of many bodyshots Joe Brolly landed on Mayo.

FOOT IN MOUTH

“It was a no-brainer for me.”

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr explaining his decision to donate his brain for concussion research.

“Doping — we know it’s only a small majority who are getting away with it.”

Sally Gunnell painted a grim picture.

“If I was a lady player, I’d go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport.”

A double fault from WTA director Ray Moore.

“Obviously, I don’t think any woman should be down on their knees thanking anybody like that.”

Serena Williams set him straight.

“Women go through a lot of different things that we (men) don’t have to go through. You know, the hormones and different stuff.”

Novak Djokovic couldn’t help himself.

“He was talking about our monthly situation, like it was the dark ages.”

Billie Jean King stepped in to take his shovel away.

“That’s eight penalties in 24 minutes. Even I can do the maths — three a minute.”

Rugby league commentator Eddie Hemmings.

“Hannah Cockroft set a new world record in the 400m wheelchair, ahead of teammate Kate Adenegan, who pushed her all the way.”

BBC’s Rob Bonnet broke news of Paralympic controversy.

Reporter to Venus Williams at US Open: ”Just talk about the joy quotient versus the win quotient.” Venus: “The what?”