Flash quotes from the U.S. Women's Olympic Team press conference on August 7

National Women's Coach Terry Steiner
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about your expectations and what's special about this group of athletes that you're working with for the Beijing Olympics?
"Well we have very high expectations for this group. Our feeling behind it is that when you make a U.S. team, you are ready to medal at a World or an Olympic games. We have the depth in our country and the competition within our country that whoever makes our team is prepared and tested and ready to win. That's how we fell about this team you see in front of you."

Q: In recent years, you've stressed a team approach for the women's wrestling program in the United States. Can you tell us how this team has done in buying into that philosophy and why this group of athletes works well as a unit?
"We have four, very different individuals. Each one of them is very focused on what they need to do. So we are a team, but we also stay out of each other's way and realize that each of us has different needs and different focuses. So we've stayed together for the whole time. We've trained together for the last five, six weeks and they've done a great job of cohabitating, being around each other, supporting each other, and keeping each other focused and going in the right direction."

Olympic Coach Tadaaki Hatta
Q: Who are the other top nations and our top challengers in the Olympics and why is the United States able to compete well with them?
"Japan is probably the best country to compete in the Olympics. Right behind them, the U.S. and maybe Russia and Ukraine. I think we're going to do very well, just like Terry was talking about. The preparation that we went through and all the wrestlers that you see right there, they're ready to go."

Team Leader Stan Zeamer
Q: How has the training and preparation for the Olympics gone with this group and what kind of spirits does the U.S. team have going into the Olympics?
"Training camp went really well. Everyone's healthy. Between training camp, we went to Breckenridge, Colorado and spent some time playing and having some fun. This group is excellent in team unity and cooperation. We've got a great spirit, willing to work hard and they're well prepared. We had our sports psychologist with us and she worked on what to expect in Beijing, a look at their dreams and their goals, and had a chance to just prepare mentally and spiritually for this experience. This whole experience, from my perspective, I can tell you that they're ready to wrestle and support each other and it's a great, spirited team."

48 kg - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Q: What kind of things did you learn about yourself as an athlete by winning the [Olympic] Trials, defeating world medalist and Olympic medalist Patricia Miranda there? And how will that performance help you coming into the Olympic Games?
"I learned a lot, even prior to that, just preparing for the Olympic Trials. I believe that nothing was impossible. Anyone could have faced Patricia Miranda and conceded to her because she's a great athlete. She took third in the Olympics in 2004 and she's a world silver and bronze medalist. I respected her, but not so much where I didn't believe that I could beat her. After I beat her in two matches, that just gave me more confidence and a lot of energy in preparing for the Beijing Olympic Games. I'm ready for the world so I learned a lot from that experience."

Q: Could you tell me a little bit about your thoughts about competing in China. Part of your heritage is Chinese-American and obviously it's got to be interesting to compete here, representing the United States.
"I think it's really cool to come to China. I'm half Chinese and my family will be coming. It means a lot to be able to bring my family to wear our ancestors came from. We came from southern China, but for them to be able to see the culture firsthand immerse themselves amongst our peoples."

55 kg - Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Q: Let me ask you about competing at this level. What kind of things did you learn from the Worlds and how have you improved yourself in the last year so you feel that you can do very well here at the Olympics?
"The biggest thing I learned was that at practice, I might let a little something go because I was getting away with it in my wrestling room. At the World stage, you can't get away with those little things and it cost me last year at the world championships. I lost in the third round to Ukraine and then I wrestled her two months later and beat her. I learned that I can't let myself get away with those little mistakes in practice so I started picking it up and recognizing when I was making little mistakes and fixing them right away. Instead of saying 'I'll fix them next week,' it was 'I need to fix that today.' I incorporated that into my wrestling and I think that's made the biggest difference for me this year."

Q: In January, you were able to defeat the reining Olympic and world champion Saori Yoshida of Japan in World Cup. It was her first international loss on the Senior level. Are you looking forward to maybe wrestling her again here? And how did that help your confidence going into the Olympic Games?
"I heard she wanted a rematch so I thought I'd come back and give her one. It helped my confidence and she had 119 matches without a loss so I couldn't let her continue with that. I know I can beat the best in the world and now I have the evidence to prove it. So I'm ready to give her that rematch. Let's do it again, Yoshida."

63 kg - Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
Q: You defeated an Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann in the finals on the way to earning your spot. Could you talk a little bit about whether that rivalry was of help in you improving yourself as a wrestler and getting yourself in a position where you could compete at the Olympic level?
"Wrestling her has benefited me in a lot of ways, but America has a lot of great 63 kilo girls and wrestling with all of them and having to beat all of them to be here in this situation has done more for my confidence than wrestling just her."

Q: Before the Olympic trials, this wasn't exactly the roster that people expected. I was just wondering how the building of team chemistry has been.
"We've actually known each other for a while. The three of us live in Colorado Springs. It's not like we're strangers. We get along very well. We've been with each other on tours, on trips so we know each other's likes and dislikes. We really just know how to be around each other."

72 kg - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Q: Could you tell me how you feel you stack up with the rest of the athletes in your weight class and your goals for this tournament?
"I haven't wrestled any internationally except for juniors and universities, so I don't have that much experience against these girls. Experiencing success that young, I want it again. I can't go back to juniors and beat up on the juniors. I've got to come together now and show it on the senior level on the big stage. I'm looking forward to it and I'm going to try to get success again. I beat the best at Trials so I definitely feel confident."

Q: How much does this sport still being fairly new at the Olympics give the opportunity to set the standard? Does that give an opportunity to change the status quo, set the standard in terms of winning medals?
"Our goal is for four golds. We just want to make the U.S. the head power for women's wrestling. Now is the time to do it. It's only the second time it's been at the Olympics. If we compete to what we can compete at, I think we can set the stage.