Ashton Eaton quotes:

I won't back down. I get a satisfaction from being tested and defeating the test.

There's never going to be a decathlon that you're going to have 10 events that your satisfied with. You're always, always going to be dissatisfied in something, and that always draws you back to try to retry that the next time you do a decathlon. It's like you go for the perfect 10.

My goal in Korea is to win. There's no timetable when to set the American record.

If you have done something once, you can do it again or you can do it better. The beauty is the pursuit of the limit, not the limit itself. At least that's what I hope people realize.

To do the best that I possibly could in my world makes me pretty happy.

I won't back down. I get a satisfaction from being tested and defeating the test."

I think a challenge for myself is to see how many times I can get above 9,000. That would be a good challenge.

That is when the crowd really lifted me. That last 600 meters I was not running with my own legs. It was incredible.

Competition is pretty much the essence of everything, it gives humans drive.

I always liked running as a kid. You know how eating chocolate or ice cream makes you feel good? That's the same way that running and competing makes me feel.

The thing I like about decathlon is also the thing I dislike: It's the maximum challenge, but also the maximum frustration.

The great thing about this is, and not to pump my own tires, but I feel like I'm not maximized yet. I feel like I can still run faster, jump higher, which I think makes it special. Hopefully, going to London, I'll be welcomed into the decathlon community.

The desire definitely comes from within. There are only a few people who make it to this level and those are the ones who have that innate desire.

I want to see where I measure up against everyone in the world and everyone who has ever competed in the sport, and there's that innate sense of wanting to challenge myself. I'm competitive in all aspects.

I wouldn't say there was a moment of realization when I wanted to be a runner; it was always just something I was.

It's important not to make the gold medal bigger than it is.

I knew I could compete with most people in high school. It didn't quite give me an attitude, but it made me think I didn't have to try hard sometimes.

When I see my mom in the stands, it always pushes me to succeed.

I'm not maximized yet.