Alisher has now recovered and is back in school, while Chusovitina continues to enjoy her unusual gymnastic experience. "I won it [the vault medal] for my son, and I will be there in London in 2012," said Chusovitina when receiving 300,000 yuan ($43,800) in cash donations from warmhearted Chinese fans in Beijing.

"Through these Games, the world learned more about China, and China learned more about the world. These were truly exceptional Games."

President Jacques Rogge of the International Olympic Committee, in his speech at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 24

"We excel in few of the biggest events. There is still a huge gap between China and outstanding teams like the United States."

Liu Peng, head of the Chinese Olympic delegation

"Whether opportunity knocks or difficulty arises, we should keep in mind our goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and a peaceful and stable northeast Asia, honor our commitments, enhance mutual trust and work closely to push the six-party talks."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang, after North Korea announced on August 26 that it had stopped disabling its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon in revenge of the U.S. failure to remove it from a terrorism blacklist

"This is not an easy choice, but it is the only way to save the lives of people."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, after signing decrees recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway regions of neighboring Georgia on August 26

"There is an agreement between the two sides that there will be no foreign soldiers in Iraq after 2011."

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, quoted in an August 25 statement from his office

"In the final analysis many fossil fuel subsidies are introduced for political reasons, but are simply propping up and perpetuating inefficiencies in the global economy-they are thus part of the market failure that is climate change."

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environmental Program