Sports Speak

January

"Get your facts right, we're clean." - Shi Tianshu, head of the Chinese delegation for the world swimming championships in Perth, replies to Australian coach Don Talbot's call for a blanket ban on China's team. The next day 13 vials containing the growth hormone Somatotrophin were seized in the bag of Chinese swimmer Yuan Yuan.

"Who's going to win, Tiger?"

"Me." - Tiger Woods, 11 shots behind the halfway leader in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand, replies to a journalist's inquiry. Woods went on to beat Ernie Els in a play-off.

"We are at a disadvantage in this group geographically because we seem to be playing in the former Yugoslavia national championship." - Irish soccer manager Mick McCarthy's initial reaction to the draw for the Euro 2000 qualifiers. Group Eight pitted the Republic against Croatia, Yugoslavia and Macedonia.

February

"Everyone has their day and I believe that I've had mine." - DJ Carey announcing his retirement.

"I'm not quite sure who's gameplan that is, but it has nothing to do with me." - Ireland coach Brian Ashton after their 16-17 defeat to Scotland in the Five Nations.

"I've decided to resign for personal reasons." - Thirteen days after the Scottish defeat, Ashton quits.

March

"I rang my coach Alan Storey after the first race and he advised me to have a glass of Guinness on Saturday evening before making my decision." - Sonia O'Sullivan on deciding to chase back-to-back gold medals in the world cross country championships in Marrakesh.

"No inducement of any kind, financial or otherwise, was offered to DJ Carey to return to the game." - Kilkenny county board vice-chairman Ned Quinn on Carey's decision to come out of retirement.

"An exceptional champion trained by an exceptional man." - Winning jockey Charlie Swan compliments horse and trainer after guiding Istabraq, trained by Aidan O'Brien, to the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

April

"I thought to myself, `my runs out in Malahide on Sunday mornings are a lot harder than this." - Catherina McKiernan on her win in the London marathon.

"I believe that we must show vision, courage, leadership and unity and not stand idly by." - GAA president Joe McDonagh calling a special congress to consider deleting Rule 21.

"I am innocent of these charges. I am appalled at the manner in which they have been leaked into the public domain and I intend fully defending them, if necessary all the way to the International Sports Court in Switzerland." - Michelle de Bruin responds to allegations of tampering with a urine sample.

" . . . a very strong whiskey odour." - The testing laboratory's claim of what was in the sample.

May

"It's for the people, those who mark pitches, put up nets and wash gear . . . they are the people who provide us with the players to make this happen." - Manager Brian Kerr after guiding Ireland to the UEFA Under-16 Championship.

"Ladies and gentleman, for the last time - Paul McGrath." - The PA announcer's introduction of McGrath at his Landsowne Road testimonial.

"Cumann Luthcleas Gael pledges its intent to delete Rule 21 from its official guide when effective steps are taken to implement the amended structures and policing arrangements envisaged in the British-Irish peace agreement." - The GAA's excuse for fudging the issue of deleting Rule 21.

June

"I hope Wexford still have a nice summer with all their (1798) celebrations, but this Offaly side worked as hard as anyone to get this victory." - Babs Keating after Offaly's last-gasp win over Wexford.

"It's part of that Zen Buddhism stuff. Once you get in the moment, you know you are there." - Michael Jordan on sinking the winning basket in his last game to give Chicago Bulls their sixth NBA title.

"I'm sorry I had to beat you. I have so much respect for you." - French Open tennis winner Aranxta Sanchez Vicario to Monica Seles, who reached the women's singles final only weeks after her father's death.

July

". . . like sheep running around in a heap." - Babs Keating's thoughts on the performance of his Offaly team when losing the Leinster final.

"He's making it look like the Offaly players are idiots and undisciplined. It's stupid and unfair." - Offaly player Johnny Pilkington reacts to his manager's criticism. Keating resigns.

"Everyone knows that drug-taking goes on in the peloton, we are just the sacrificial lambs." - Festina manager Michel Gros on the French police hounding of his team during the Tour de France.

August

"I bet £100,000 to a ha'penny that we won't get a replay." - Offaly manager Michael Bond in the aftermath of the All-Ireland hurling semi-final replay with Clare when referee Jimmy Cooney blew up early. Offaly won the replayed replay.

"I have always represented my country with pride. I have never cheated or lied and I haven't lied in this case either." - Michelle de Bruin confirming she would appeal the fouryear ban handed down by FINA.

"Spa has always been lucky for us, so I brought 70 of the factory staff here . . . I don't think any of us can believe it." - Eddie Jordan after his team's one-two finish in the Belgian Grand Prix.

"I couldn't believe it was so easy in the end. Once I got to halfway I told myself, `you can't lose from here'." - Sonia O'Sullivan on her 10,000 metres win in the European championships in Budapest.

September

"I know on September 1st, God was walking through his garden and he wanted the prettiest, the brightest and the loveliest flower in the world and that was Florence." - Al Joyner, husband of Flo-Jo, on the American sprinter's death.

"I'd like to say switching Brian Whelahan from the backs to the forwards was sheer inspiration. But Brian was suffering from a heavy 'flu, his legs were dead. It is unbelievable that he could play at such a high level and he such a sick man." - Michael Bond on Whelahan's contribution of 1-6 in Offaly's All-Ireland hurling final win over Kilkenny.

October

"Because £12 million is all I could squeeze out of the Scottish git." - Aston Villa manager John Gregory on why he didn't hold out for the £16 million he originally demanded of Alex Ferguson for striker Dwight Yorke.

"I was shocked at some of the things I heard out there." - Tiger Woods on racist remarks aimed at him during the World Matchplay championships at Wentworth.

"I likened it to the Vietnam War. Nobody back home cared that much, but the people over there did.' - Coach Leigh Matthews on Australia's approach to the International Rules series with Ireland.

November

"Naz is with the fairies." - Longtime coach Brendan Ingle on Naseem Hamed after the two went their separate ways.

"What I did in capturing a sixth Order of Merit will never be beaten. It's quite simple in my view. I don't have a rival." - Colin Montgomerie on topping the European Tour's money list in 1998.

"If I never saw another snooker table again it wouldn't bother me. I hate the game. I'm just in it really for the money." - Ronnie O'Sullivan in one of his low moments.

December

"The agreement we had with him, and his wife, was that once things started he would come off." - Ulster coach Harry Williams pays tribute to international Andy Ward's decision to play against Toulouse in the European Cup quarter-final even though his wife Wendy was due to be induced. He played for 48 minutes in Ulster's win before getting a touchline phonecall that "things had started" and rushing off to the hospital for the birth of their first child.