The strategy of my coach and me was that we looked at pictures of all the best pole vaulters from around the world, and we took the best parts from them, and we created a person that had never existed. We then started to work toward being such a person.

I think that focusing on the money, on the business, is not enough.

I think that, generally, you need to live with your sport 24 hours a day.

First do it, then say it.

My policy was just to give good things for sports in my region.

The Olympics are always a special competition. It is very difficult to predict what will happen.

People come from around the world and can understand each other without even speaking the same languages!