Morceli on pain:
"Perhaps I don't give the impression that I'm hurting on the track. But that is because I am animated by an interior force which covers my suffering."
Morceli on God:
"I believe in God. He is the secret of my success. He gives people talent."
Morceli on the 1500m race
"My real motivation is to reach 3:25....I am still young, I have a lot of time left in my career."
Morceli on his 2000m WR set on July 3
"It was an extraterrestrial performance. It is very special to go below 4:50, but I believe I can do better."
Morceli on the 3000m world record:
"I think my 3:27 for 1500m is worth 7:21 for 3000m..."
Morceli signing autographs at the Meeting of the Milers in 1994:
"I feel silly. I feel crazy...The greatest night of my life."
Morceli on racing (actually a Nike Ad):
"When I race my mind is full of doubts - who wil finish second, who will finish third?"
Morceli on the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona:
"Barcelona is now in the past. I was sick and boxed in, and that's understandable why I lost."
Morceli on breaking records:
"I am still young. I have a lot of time. And if someone breaks my records in the future, I won't cry. That's sport."
Morceli on giving it all:
"And then in life, you always have to try, and today, I may not have succeeded, but I am happy to have tried to beat my record." (morceli ran 3:27.52, 0.15 seconds off the 1500m WR he set two weeks before)
Eamonn Coghlan says:
"Runners in the western world have a tendency to create psychological barries for themselves, but Morceli runs at will, with no inhibitions."
Peter Snell:
"I think I've seen the fastest miler ever. His name is Morceli."
John Walker:
"We could be looking at the greatest middle distance runner of all time."
"A V-8 engine on a VW frame...He'll destroy so many hearts. they'll wish they weren't born in his era. What a tough basterd."
Venuste Niyongabo (prior to Atlanta '96 Olympics):
"As long as Morceli is in the race, it is always second place"
Marcus O'Sullivan on Morceli's training:
"I was in Gainesville early last year and Morceli had just finished his winter preparation training. Marty Liqouri said he saw Morceli run 12 440's in 56-seconds, with a minute recovery."
Morceli's response:
"When I can run 16 quarters with a minute's rest, then I will be ready to break the World Record."
Ryan Sandrock on Morceli and the Olympics:
"When I race my mind is full of doubts, who will finish eighth, who will finish ninth?"
Morceli's Legs: (courtesy Daniel Herlihy)
"Back in 1991 Peter Elliott (GBR) ran against Morceli in an indoor race
in New Jersey (I think). He said afterwards that when he saw the size of
(the then relatively unknown) Morceli's quads that he couldn't believe it
and knew that there had to be something special there. Peter Elliott
isn't skinny, so if he is amazed at Morceli's legs then they must be
HUGE. I'd say that accounts for his weight.-Danny
Venuste Niyongabo:
"As long as Morceli is in the race, it is always [a race for] second place."
The great Norredine Marselis.... :)
Joel: I thought you'd get a kick out of this. I asked my sister if she had been watching the Goodwill Games and this is what she had to say: "I watched a bit of the Games last night. Iwatched the mile and I think some guy Marselis??? won with a time of 3:53or4. He was followed by two Kenyans and then an American...bald guy." The great Norredine Marselis....