In the Olympic Oath, I ask for only one thing: sporting loyalty.
Pierre De CoubertinRead
Success comprises in itself the seeds of its own decline and sport is not spared by this law.
Interpretation
Success inherently carries the potential for its own downfall, and this applies to sports as well.
The quote by Pierre De Coubertin suggests that in the pursuit of success, there are inherent risks and challenges that may lead to decline or failure. This implies a cyclical nature of achievement where every peak may also contain the elements that could contribute to its eventual downfall, emphasizing the need for vigilance and adaptability in both sports and life.
In practice
During a motivational speech about the nature of success in competition.
In the Olympic Oath, I ask for only one thing: sporting loyalty.
The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.
The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.
The day when a sportsman stops thinking above all else of the happiness in his own effort and the intoxication of the power and physical balance he derives from it, the day when he lets considerations of vanity or interest take over, on this day his ideal will die.
May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner, may the Olympic Torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations, for the good of a humanity always more enthusiastic, more courageous and more pure.
In our view the Olympic idea involves a strong physical culture supplemented on the one hand by mobility, what is so aptly called 'fair play', and on the other hand by aesthetics, that is the cultivation of what is beautiful and graceful.
My serve can get better, for sure. It's not just about serving bombs, but positioning, variation in speed, in spin.
You don't know what it is to be heavyweight champ of the world until you become the heavyweight champ of the world.
When I'm done skating, I guarantee you that I will not look back and remember standing on the podium. I'm going to remember these days - being with the team. Training alone, in my basement. Training when everybody else is sleeping. Doing things that nobody else is doing. Digging down. Seeing what kind of character I truly have. I love that stuff.
All progress depends upon the unreasonable person.
Only through focus can you do world-class things, no matter how capable you are.
Replace your pursuit of success with the pursuit of contribution.
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