Quotes from U.S. wrestlers concerning attending Olympic Opening Ceremonies

Opening Ceremonies PhotosJim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. "Outstanding. It was impressive. If you put it in one word, it is impressive. A great job by the hosts. It was spectacular." Dennis Hall, Plover, Wis. "It was great, one of the best things I've ever done. It was unbelievable. It makes the Olympics more real. Going through the Opening Ceremony, it really lets you know you are here, being with the best athletes in the world." Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. "It was awesome, more than I expected. The comeraderie between all the athletes was quite a thing. It was between the U.S. athletes and athletes from all over the world. This is something I will cherish forever." Oscar Wood, Fountain, Colo. "It was absolutely amazing. The fireworks were just the least of it. This is my lifelong dream come true. It is hard to put it into words." Garrett Lowney, Freedom, Wis. "It was absolutely great, a wonderful experience." Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. "It was really touching. The first moment I got excited was when I was walking around the track. People in the crowd were waving large flags. They were trying to project their excitement onto us. It is something I don't think about when I am training. For a night, I got to let it all sink in. There are people out there I can excite and inspire." Tela O'Donnell, Colorado Springs, Colo. "It was really neat. Everything is so big. It's the biggest fireworks you'll ever see. The biggest parade you will ever see. The biggest crowd of people you will ever see. The wave in the crowd just kept going and going. It was fun. It was really neat." Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio "It was everything I expected it to be. It was an unbelievable exciting atmosphere. If anybody didn't know we were at the Olympics, they know it now. It was great but it was really long. It was worth it."