“All's fair in love and war and sport - even when you're fighting against your sister.”

“As long as I'm enjoying swimming, I will keep swimming.”

“At the Olympics, you have almost nothing to lose, but at the Olympic trials, you have everything to lose. You have the last four years of your life to lose.”

“Choosing between the 50 m and 100 m is like choosing between your children. I have favourites on different days.”

“Every athlete wants to win an Olympic gold medal, and I'd be lying if I said that's not what I wanted.”

“Every time I reach a major milestone in my career, I expect it to make more of a difference than it does, and I guess that means I'm in the sport for the right reasons. I'm not in it to win it because winning can only last for so long, and it's a very fickle thing, sport.”

“For me, it's just as important to eat healthy as it is to go out and eat fish and chips with my friends because socialising, and being able to socialise, is a huge part of your general wellbeing.”

“I can't imagine what I would be doing if I wasn't swimming. It is what I want to do now; it is what I want to do in the foreseeable future, and that is what I'm focusing on.”

“I find that after every win, there is a new surge in motivation because it feels so good. I am addicted to winning. That sounds terrible, but it is true you are addicted to that feeling.”

“I parade in next to no clothes every day. It's hard not to compare yourself to other people, but I think everyone is different, and that is something we should be celebrating.”

“I read a statistic that in horse racing, the favourite only wins 12 per cent of their races. I'm not comparing myself to a horse or saying I'm the favourite - although my sister would say I can nag an awful lot - but nothing is guaranteed in sport. Anyone can step up and take what you perceive to be your place in the final.”

“I really rely on sleep, and some people call me 'The Bear' for my hibernating.”

“I tend to be that swimmer that doesn't look like she is trying, but is actually dying on the inside. It's a little bit unfortunate because people are, like, 'Can you just try harder?' I was, like, 'If you can see what's going on in my head right now, you wouldn't be telling me that.'”

“I think fathers were put on Earth to embarrass their daughters.”

“If you're scared to lose rather than excited to win, then that's the wrong way to approach a race.”

“I'm not dreaming of any podiums or any medals that I can put around my neck. I'm just focusing on what I need to do today in order to be better tomorrow.”

“Injuries aren't anything foreign to me. I am used to overcoming illness and injury; you can't complain about it. When you're standing up there on the blocks, it doesn't really matter: it's all about the next minute.”

“It's about never giving up until your hand is on the wall. I think people who get complacent, who think that they are in front, a sloppy touch, can cost you that elusive medal, just as much as the people who are gunning for you. If you believe you can get there right to the very end, miracles do happen.”

“It's terrible, I know, but I will admit I was a really lazy kid. It was Bronte who would wake me up in the morning, go to training early, and take in some tips from the older training group. I would be there grumbling and complaining. After she began to reap the rewards of her labour, it definitely kindled a fire.”

“My job is to give 100 per cent so that I can walk away completely satisfied with the race I put together irrespective of placings.”

“My job isn't to create history; it's to go out there and perform at my best.”

“No one likes to get beaten, even if it is to your best friend.”

“People get caught up in the idea that health is just what you look like and what you eat, but your health is physical, emotional and mental. Who's to say eating that bowl of ice cream after training isn't going to help me psychologically and emotionally?”

“Swimming a 50 m is like playing the pokies: you push a button, and you never know what is going come up; it may be a mixed bag.”

“The best swimmers are the ones that almost don't try the most... It's just about relaxing and enjoying it.”

“We've seen, time and again, when people focus on the outcome rather than what needs to be done to achieve a desirable result, then the wheels fall off.”