"I was somehow able to block it out and pull myself together for the rest of the program. But it just wasn't my night."

"Watching the Chinese pairs, I said, 'Wow – that's real strength."

"I've been training very hard and very well, ... I've been nailing 99 percent of what I do in practice. That gave me the confidence to do this. I expected to skate well."

"It is a little empty without her here but I have my own things to worry about."

"My big weaknesses (in the past) have been a lack of preparation, a lack of knowledge and perhaps not enough confidence and afraid of mistakes. I need to stop trying to be perfect and just worry about becoming better."

"I think it was a gift. For that performance, silver is generous."

"It's bittersweet. I tried hard, I have no regrets. For that performance, silver is generous."

"My mom and her parents had to leave because her brother had left a couple of years before and the government was really upset. They took away both my grandparents' jobs, so they couldn't make a living. They had to sell all their things. They weren't allowed to take more than $500 out of the country."

"It feels a little weird without Michelle. Just me and all these little girls."

"It is a little weird without her here. It's kind of like me and all these little girls. It's a little empty without her here, but I've got some of my own things to worry about right now."

"It's hard for the girls here and everybody has worked so hard to earn a spot on the team. But it's the U.S. Olympic Committee's job to pick the three skaters who have the best chance at the Olympics."

"I think it's hard for the girls here and everyone who's worked so hard to make the Olympic team."

"John was sick of having little girls in pink dresses who were just trying their best. He would try to create controversy. It was not always good for me, but it was fun for him."

"I celebrate Hanukkah. Anything with gifts is good."

"It's our responsibility to be a good role model and to carry ourselves in a way that would make our country proud."

"When a skater gets older, they become more mature, and they can assume more responsibility for their skating, ... That's how I've evolved. I know what works and what doesn't, and Mr. Nicks is a great coach for me."

"I wasn't raised going to synagogue. My mother wasn't brought up with that, so I wasn't brought up with it."

"I was able to believe when everything looked really dark and gray. I had a little break where the music carried me through. I love the music and performing this program. It's always so special to me no matter what happens. It goes beyond an athletic event and just becomes an emotional experience. I was able to attack the rest of the program."

"Ice is maintenance. When you get to be my age, with six or seven years competing at the senior level, you have to take care of your body. It's not brand new."

"I'm a competitive person and I love the challenge of mastering new things."

"I hope to show girls that eating smart, without giving up their favorite foods, can help them be their best in all areas of their lives."

"I skate about 15 to 20 hours a week and also incorporate a lot of off-ice training. I take ballet and Pilates classes and lift weights with my physical therapist when I'm not on the ice."

"I want to be the first lady to land a quadruple jump in competition. As I grow older, I know that my skating style will develop and mature."

"I worked with my coach to develop some new spiral variations to make my program more interesting. Each one is different and you'll have to wait until January to see them."

"I'm used to a very busy schedule. Right now it revolves around training and preparing for Nationals in January. I'm usually at the rink from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and then I attend public school for two hours, three times per week."

"My academic schedule is lighter this year because it's an Olympic year."

"My family has always been there to support me along the way. My coach, John Nicks, is a great influence."

"My training has been going really well these past few days and my goal is to keep it up for the next few weeks and hopefully earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team."

"Skating has always been a major area of interest to me."

"The night before I compete, I like to have steak. Meat is especially important for female athletes because it provides them with the nutrients they need to perform at their best."

"A year ago I had a back injury and followed a good nutrition program to help speed up my recovery. I focused on exercise and staying healthy in order to get back out on the ice."

"I eat a variety of foods like vegetables, fruit and beef for protein and iron."

"Follow your dreams, work hard, practice and persevere. Make sure you eat a variety of foods, get plenty of exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle."

"I really enjoyed the performance tonight, and I've had a whole week of unknowns, being in bed with the flu. Ice is slippery, and anything can happen to anybody. I have seen that at numerous events. I am going to have fun out there and trust my training and not worry. I have figured out that worry doesn't help."

"It's kind of interesting, because usually she's always there. She never withdraws. But you never know if your body is going to be there tomorrow."

"I'm going to take in tonight. It's a very strong competition. I'm going to take it one day at a time and do the same thing as I did tonight (in the free skate)."

"I would never let myself believe that. I'm a strong athlete and I definitely believe I'm getting stronger."

"It's not like it would be a stretch, and hopefully I'll get to be funny. There are a lot of characters in skating."