By Onochie Aibeze reporting from London
“I can’t describe it, I’ve always wanted to sing the national anthem on top of the dais, it’s a dream come true.” – MELANIE SCHLANGER, who swam the anchor leg in Australia’s gold medal winning 4x100m freestyle relay team.

“I knew it was going to be hard but I didn’t think I would go as slow as I did.” – Beijing gold medallist STEPHANIE RICE after finishing sixth and failing to defend her title in the women’s 400m individual medley final.

“But they just sat there. Did not want to really sprint. They were just happy to see us lose.” – A dour British cyclist MARK CAVENDISH accuses his Australian opponents of negative tactics after failing to feature at the finish of the men’s Olympic road cycling race.

“Even he admitted we should gargle some antiseptic when we get out of there.” – Australian Olympic open water swimmers MELISSA GORMAN on the advice Prince Charles offered her for when she competes in Hyde Park’s Serpentine.

SPECTACULAR: Chamberlain Ogwuchi powers past his Tunisian opponents in the opening Group A match of the men’s basketball tournament at the London Olympics, yesterday. Nigeria beat Tunisia 60-56 to take the maximum points. PHOTO: AP.

“I slept well until the fireworks went off.” – British gymnast LOUIS SMITH on having his preparations for the men’s qualifying tournament disturbed by the opening ceremony celebrations.

“If Mother Nature can keep it rolling, you beauty.” – Australia’s 470 dinghy world champions MALCOLM PAGE on the brilliant weather conditions at Weymouth, the official sailing venue for Olympic Games.

“It will hang in my memory until I become senile and can’t remember it any more.” – Stuntman GARY CONNERY on doubling for the Queen in the breathtaking skydive into the Olympics opening ceremony.

“When we were thinking about this incredible event with these 204 nations coming together… it didn’t feel enough to just design a different shape of bowl on a stick.” – British designer THOMAS HEATHERWICK on his design for the Olympic cauldron.

“People say it was all leftie stuff. That is nonsense. I’m a conservative and I had hot tears of patriotic pride from the beginning.” – London mayor BORIS JOHNSON rejects suggestions that the Olympic opening ceremony was rife with left-wing messages.

“We had a lousy game to be fair…I think some of our players should think about retiring from sport.” – Russia women’s basketball coach EVGENY TREFILOV did not mince his words after his team’s match against Canada, even though they won.

“Of course, it is always a sad day when a cheating athlete is caught.” – IOC spokesman MARK ADAMS after it was announced Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku has produced the first positive drugs test of the Games.

“For the first time in Olympic history every country has female competitors – acknowledgement that women can ride more than a menstrual cycle.” – Australian author KATHY LETTE.

“You don’t really have a sense of how fast you are going down the course so we had no idea about the record until we saw the time. It’s awesome.” – HAMISH BOND after he and New Zealand rowing team-mate Eric Murray set a new world’s best time in the men’s pair.

“From the people inside the Australian camp I don’t know anyone who thinks it’s a bad idea.” – Australian rower KIM CROW laughs off British suggestions she was crazy to compete in two events at the London Olympics.

“I just enjoy working with horses and working at the pointy end of the sport and that’s what keeps me going.” – Australian equestrian rider ANDREW HOY says he never set out aiming to become the first Australian to compete at seven Olympics.

“Retirement’s not even in my sights.” – World No.5 Australian tennis star SAMANTHA STOSUR after she crashed out in the first round of the Olympic Games.

Medals Table as at 29/07

Country                  Gold           Silver       Bronze        Total

China                        6                 2                2                   10

usa                         2                 2                3                   7

Italy                         2                 2                2                   6

South Korea             2                 1                2                   5

Kazakhstan              2                 0                0                   2

Brazil                       1                 1                1                   3

Netherland               1                 1                0                   2

North Korea             1                 0                1                   2

Russia                      1                 0                1                   2

Australia                  1                 0                0                   1

Georgia                     1                 0                0                   1

Japan                        0                 2                3                   5

France                      0                 1                1                   2

Hungary                   0                 1                1                   2

Hungary                   0                 0                1                   1

Norway                    0                 0                1                   1

North Korea             0                 0                1                   1

Serbia                       0                 0                1                   1

Uzbekistan               0                 0                1                   1