“An Olympic medal is much better than a world record, and so is a world championship or Commonwealth Games medal.”

“During my days as a soccer player, my teammates used to call me 'Touch' because I have a touch of blonde hair on my forehead which is a birth mark. But now swimming is my favourite sport.”

“Everyone can train hard when they are feeling good. But it's the days when you're feeling bad that you have to step up. That's when champions step up. They pull through.”

“I believe now that I've cemented my spot as the best swimmer in the world, and I can't describe how proud that makes me. I just want to keep working hard and hopefully just inspire more youngsters to keep swimming and encourage South Africans to become a winning nation.”

“I don't lift weights. I do fitness exercises to stay strong.”

“I have played football all my life, and my dad went to see Manchester United in 2005. Since then, I have been a fan.”

“I realise every swimmer has a shelf life. No, I haven't given any thought to when I will retire, but I also know I won't be able to swim forever.”

“I want to get faster every year, keep my confidence high, so I can continue dominating my main events and extend my range to other freestyle and medley races.”

“I want to set myself as a real legend in the sport, like Phelps and Mark Spitz are remembered worldwide. I want people to say, like they say of Ronaldo that he is the best soccer player in the world, I want them to say Chad Le Clos is the best swimmer in the world.”

“I wasn't used to all these cameras getting stuck in my face. I feel like Justin Bieber sometimes.”

“I'm all about leaving a legacy behind and trying to cement myself as one of the greats. I don't just want to be remembered as the guy who beat Michael Phelps at the 2012 London Olympics - a one-hit wonder - I want to be an inspiration to the kids.”

“My dad always taught me never to give up in my mind. You can never really beat me. It sounds ridiculous, but I will always come back for you. You can't beat someone who never gives up. I could lose 100 times to you, but I will always get you. I will die trying. This applies not only to swimming but to my life as well.”

“My whole swimming career was about training to beat Michael Phelps in any race I possibly could.”

“Soccer was my first love, and I enjoyed playing on the left wing until a groin injury forced me out of the game in 2008.”

“The reason swimming is one of the hardest sports is because you have to be in the pool by yourself every day, making that sacrifice. There's no time to do anything else.”

“What I want to say is that nobody is unbeatable. There's a kid out there who probably wants to beat me. I train hard and try to be the best that I can be, but I don't disrespect my opponents. I am not disillusioned, either.”

“When I am on the blocks, I don't care who you are - I will always try and beat you.”

“When I'm alone in my hotel room in some foreign place, I feel very lonely. Then I tuck into my favourite chocolate - Chuckles or Whispers - for some comfort.”

“Whenever I go out with a girl for a meal, I'm recognised, and I hear, 'That's Chad's girl,' before anyone even approaches for a picture. I can't take arrogance and rude behaviour, and I really get a lot of it.”