Daron Rahlves Quotations

This sucks. We definitely came up very short of what we were potentially able to do. ... It really felt like we had a chance to bring down medals in every event. We had the skiers to do that. It's not for lack of trying.

We deal with this a lot. You just have to go back, relax, take a little siesta and get ready to go.

This race comes down to me. I'm my biggest challenger.

Obviously, if I'm leading by 1.2 seconds, I like this hill. This race comes down to me. I'm my biggest challenger. If I allow myself to ski well and relax, I have a great chance to win.

I was struggling to keep my skis on the ground. My knees were going everywhere. I just shake my head at the way I was skiing. I had the wrong thoughts in my head. I just wasn't super-confident getting into the start gate.

I'd like to be wearing the red (leader's) bib in downhill.

I don't know where the speed went today. I really don't know what to say. I got in the gate and I was ready. I came across the line and I was really surprised where I was at. I felt it was a good run, one of the better runs I've had.

I don't know where the speed was today.

I'm a little bummed out that they are keeping people off the hill.

I felt really comfortable on the course and the weather is looking to be the same, so I'm just going to rest and come back for Saturday.

I felt like I was flowing. My timing was there. Something wasn't working out.

I felt good, a good flow. It was a solid run. I'm here now thanks to a great job in the middle section.

He's going to be tough to beat here.

I think we should've been able to medal in every event. What Ted did was awesome. He pretty much saved our butts.

I was just trying to concentrate on the simple things: Putting down some smooth skiing, which I didn't do yesterday, and having fun.

I thought I had some good speed going in the top section and then I shut it down pretty hard and put myself out of the top 30. But at least I'll know what I finished right away. I'll either be happy or sad when I come across the finish line tomorrow because all the top guys are (starting) in front of me.

I'm super satisfied. This is the ultimate. This week was good every single day.

I was really nervous this morning, but when I got into the gate I was ready to go. I made a little mistake up top, but I thought I was skiing okay. When I came across the line I was really surprised. I felt like things were working out.

I was back on my skis too much at the top of the course. Otherwise, it could have been a much better run, maybe fifth place.

We're all having our problems, not just Bode. I didn't feel I had it today. I don't know what's going on exactly. It's kind of strange.

We're both kind of shocked. We thought for sure we would be, you know, up there right in front, contending for a medal, the two of us.

We're both kind of shocked. We felt for sure that (we'd) be up in the front and contending for a medal - two of us.

Why make that such a big story and not make a bigger story of the success we've all had?

What the hell -- I went out there and did the best I could.

Bode goes out there and goes hard, and that's all you want out of a skier and a teammate.

There's nothing you can do about it. The conditions just change so much. I just don't think it was a very fair race across the board, but it's never fair really.

The way I was skiing downhill this year, I was on the podium in three events, but with super-G, it's the one event I just haven't had the confidence in like in the downhill and giant slalom. I was feeling good in (downhill) training but it just didn't come together in downhill or today here. I just shake my head at the way I was skiing. I needed to be clean and smooth and I just wasn't doing that.

The way I was skiing downhill, I was on the podium in three events. But the super-G, it's the one event I just haven't had the confidence in like the downhill and giant slalom. I had the wrong thoughts in my head. I just wasn't super confident getting into the starting gate.

It would be nice to turn the tables.

It ---. We came up very short. We had skiers to bring home medals in every event. This is definitely a poor performance.

It was a little punishing on the top and it slowed me down a bit. But yesterday, I made a much worse turn, so I thought, 'OK, I've still had some good speed, I was ahead of it, and skiing pretty clean.' Then off that last jump, that was kind of a sweet feeling to hit that, then I get across the line and was really surprised to see where I was at.

The super-G is the toughest event because there's only one inspection and the speeds are high. It's pretty special to be on the podium with Bode and finish the season strong.

Sometimes you try to talk to him, and he's looking down and fiddling with his phone and stuff. I would have to go out of my way to talk to him. It would be me going out of my way to do that, and that's not for me. But we support each other on the hill.

Sometimes he says more than what he means, and you just laugh. I think any press is good in this sport, even if corporate sponsors don't like it.

As far as the media stuff is concerned, he's gotten a lot of play, a lot of (magazine) covers. That's good for our sport. To me, it's not really a big issue of me getting all the press. It's more like trying to get our sport some press, to get people to know what's coming up. ... What it comes down to, ultimately, is who's going to be skiing faster.

You see some of the best guys in the world crash. To me, that's what the sport is really about. You want to see guys put down some runs, like Franz Klammer back in the day.

This is hard to swallow. It's not the way I wanted it to end. If you win a gold medal at the Olympics it doesn't matter what else you've done. I definitely wanted to walk away from here on top.

The wheels came off today, for some reason or another. (The remaining events don't) mean as much to me as the downhill. It's tough walking away from this one right now.

It's bad, it stinks, a poor performance by the team. It's really a poor showing. Big stage, little performance. I don't know why.

It's a really active downhill. I like how it starts off with two challenging jumps. It's a deceptive course because your speed's not that fast, but it feels like you're going fast.

I took a little extra time in inspection today because I knew it was going to be tough. I heard the wind blowing last night in my bus.

It's tough. There's a lot of terrain, it's steep, it's icy. This is what you want. It makes you wake up and charge.

For him to go out and party, that's nothing new. He does that all the time.

It's managing myself the right way. My business is skiing.

It's always been like that. That's how it is. It's part of the sport. Why downplay it?

It's hard to swallow, knowing this is the last time I'll be racing in an event like this. Three times in the Olympics, and I haven't medaled.

It's slowly sinking in. This is one of the big races. There is so much tradition and energy. It's really important to know for myself that I'm one of the best guys.

It's not going to be easy, that's for sure. If I ski the way I am capable of skiing, on this kind of hill, it could be a good day.

The Austrians are so by-the-book. They're almost like robots.

Super G is kind of where my ski racing career started.

It's impressive, and that's got to be the longest streak ever. He had to be injury free. It's hard to race all these events and stay healthy, not bang yourself up one way or another.

I've got to make the most of it because I don't know if I'm going to be back. There's a lot more things I want to do with my life.

I've got a pretty sour taste in my mouth right now. It's a tough one to walk away from. My career as a ski racer has been pretty amazing. On these big race days, you go through a lot of highs and lows.

It was pretty cool. About 100 kids up there, just chanting. It's something we don't have in the U.S. ever, except for World Cups.

It was a fun run and . . . I was a little surprised when I looked at my time at the bottom. I don't think I would have changed anything, but I don't know where the speed went.

That's Bode. He doesn't do anything different. He knows himself. You'll see what he's doing here is no different than what he does anywhere else.

That's Bode. He doesn't do anything different any other time. He's been doing it for years. Nothing really changes. Everybody is seeing what he's doing here, but it's not any different from anywhere else.

I'm just shaking my head at the way I was skiing.

I'm pretty relaxed and chill right now and definitely ready to ski this hill. I'm just trying to get myself prepped and ready to go.

I'm pretty relaxed and chill right now and definitely ready to ski this hill. ... I'm just trying to get myself prepped and ready to go.

If you don't have a big flight, it's not a real downhill in my eyes. You've got to have some air time.

I like to stand in the back. I really don't pay attention to it too much. There's a lot said. I just try to stay out of it. I'm a skier, not a talker.

I like this hill. It's a really active downhill. I like how it starts off with two challenging jumps. I had a huge smile on my face going down, from the top to the bottom.

I hit this one bump and got high-sided and I kind of went in there with way too much aggression today. Everything was pretty good in the top part, but as soon as I hit this one bump, it knocked me way down low and I just made it into the gate and after that all my speed was gone.

I really felt like we had a chance, where we could bring medals back down in every event. I'm just shaking my head at it right now. It's not for a lack of trying.

I have way more than Bode has as far as a life, I think. He just goes around trying to look for girls all the time. That's his biggest thing.

He's a nice guy. He sits back and he skis. He doesn't make a lot of controversy or get all hyped up - he's more of a true athlete instead of a showman.

You want to be getting in the gate and everybody to think: We've got to watch.