NAGANO - Some memorable quotes from the 1998 Nagano winter games: To have a gold in the Olympics is the greatest thing you can have in a life in sports. I think this evening we have reason to party. Ursula Disl of Germany on winning her first gold and sixth medal overall, the most in Olympic Biathlon history. Not Lufthansa, but OK. Austrian gold-medalist skier Hermann Maier after a terrifying wipeout on the men's downhill in which he flew through the air and crashed through two safety fences.

I knew we had a great team. I told everyone if we play as a group, we can win it all. Everyone laughed. Now we're laughing. Defenseman Jiri Slegr of the Czech Republic hockey team, which defeated the United States, Canada and Russia in consecutive games to win the gold medal. It was the biggest waste of time - ever. We deserve to be out of it.

We didn't play well from the start. Forward Keith Tkachuk after the U.S. hockey team lost 4-1 to the Czechs. I'm not happy. ... it was a very dangerous incident, not in line with the Olympic spirit. Ko Yamaguchi of the Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee on Dlrs 3,000 damages at the Olympic village caused by the U.S. hockey team after their loss to the Czechs. I feel sad for them (U.S.

hockey players). That's how they will be remembered. Athletes should be remembered as Olympians who competed with honor and had some dignity. Anita Defrantz, U.S. International Olympic Committee Vice President. I don't want to see kids thinking they can take drugs and have a good life. Gold medalist Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, Congratulations, Nagano and Japan. You have presented to the world the best organization in the history of the Olympic winter games.

IOC Chief Juan Antonio Samaranch in his speech at the closing ceremony. (AFP)