It's impossible in heptathlon to have a proper rivalry - you're spending two days together and seven events and dedicate your life to it. It's like a marathon: two days of mental and physical exhaustion.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I think everyone in the heptathlon is improving together, so it is a very hard event to compete in.
It's not good to focus on one person or two persons about being your rivals. The important thing is just to train hard and be ready for the competition and to prepare for the races so that in case of anything that comes out, you are able to handle it.
The rivalry is with ourself. I try to be better than is possible. I fight against myself, not against the other.
Rivalries don't necessarily mean races being close at major championships. I had a rivalry with Butch Reynolds for many years. I won all the races, but Butch was the world record holder before I came into the sport, he was extremely talented and he was the only other man running 43 seconds.
The heptathlon world record is nice, but the decathlon is the event. I think the heptathlon is more like a practice. There is something completely different about the decathlon.
The best thing about having your brother in the same sport as you means you can go out and train together every day, and we can push each other on. That's something many of our rivals don't have when training day in day out.
I think that the relationship between two top-level athletes who are rivals is one of the most fascinating human relationships to explore. It's always one atom away from being a tragedy.
I don't like conflicts. I'm not a competitive person at heart. To be in the middle of turmoil is boring.
In boxing, it's one fight, so it's easier to build up rivalries, but everyone's got huge respect for each other.
Of course, rivals do affect athletes mentally, but if you are competing with top-notch athletes, you will push each other, you will encourage each other.
No opposing quotes found.