Notable quotes from the 2026 Winter Olympics – National

MILAN – Here are some notable quotes from the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 7, 2026:

“My motto has always been ‘everything is possible’. I had a team around me who believed in me.

“To be honest, it is not easy at 35 years old to have people believing in you, making you better. Believing that we can still step up.”

— Speedskater Valérie Maltais, who brought home Canada’s first medal at the Milan Cortina Games with a bronze in the women’s 3,000 metre race.

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“We don’t really have that expectation any more. We just have the expectations of how we need to play. They’ve got a lot of great pieces, so you don’t take anyone lightly when you’re playing in this tournament. But I think we took control of things nicely.”

— Forward Brianne Jenner on whether Canada’s women’s hockey team expected an easier game in its 4-0 win over Switzerland.

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“They’re mixed doubles specialists. They know the game inside and out. They’re a top team, maybe not really well known on the global curling scale, but we know they’re a tough team, and they showed that again tonight. Props to them.”

— Canadian mixed doubles curler Brett Gallant after falling to Estonia 8-6 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.

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“I’m focusing more on myself and what I can do in the moment, and obviously that is going to translate to the highest ranking possible for the team.”

— Canadian figure skater Stephen Gogolev after placing third in his Olympic debut in the team event’s men’s short program.

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“I’m heartbroken. But I am proud of the work I put in this year to get here. After I fractured my ankle in November, I was able to show myself a new level of dedication, passion and hard work to return stronger. I have seen a new athlete in myself emerge from the challenges I have faced this year and will continue to rise above. I am upset now, but I will grow from this.”

— Canada’s Meryeta O’Dine announcing she had to pull out of the Milan Cortina snowboard cross competition after an X-ray confirmed she fractured her ankle during a training session.

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“It helps knowing I already won a gold. I don’t want to come home empty-handed, for sure. But I already got the achievements with the medals from the last Games. So I’m not stressed, but I’m motivated to go for six total — that would be amazing. But I won’t get into a depression if I don’t do it.”

— Canadian short-track speedskater Steven Dubois on his goals after taking home a gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Games.

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“On the pressure side, there is a little more pressure, but pressure makes diamonds, right? So that’s where diamonds shine the brightest, and that’s what I’m going to try to do at these Olympics.”

— Canadian short-track speedskater William Dandjinou, on being a medal favourite at his first Games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2026.

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