Many Olympic movies have been made, trying to capture those universal themes of excellence¹, commitment, and personal sacrifice. The best of the bunch is Chariots of Fire, a fascinating tale of two completely different British runners who compete for gold at the 1924 Olympics. Here are the 11 best movie quotes about the essence of Olympian ideals.

"It doesn't matter tomorrow if they come in first or fiftieth. Those guys have earned the right to walk into that stadium and wave their nation's flag. That's the single greatest honor an athlete can ever have. That's what the Olympics are all about."

Cool Runnings (1993) – Irwin Blitzer (John Candy)

"Well, as they say in the Olympics, it's not the winning, it's the taking part that counts."

Sleuth (1972) – Milo Tindle (Michael Caine)

"Where does the power come from to see the race to its end? From within."

Chariots of Fire (1981) – Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson)

"Once in a generation an athlete pits himself against such overwhelming odds² that even the most jaded³ spectator finds himself cheering breathlessly."

 Iron Will (1994) – Harry⁴ Kingsley (Kevin Spacey)

"If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic⁵ supporter."

Grease (1978) – Principal McGee (Eve Arden)

"The high jump is a masochist's event - it always ends in failure."

Personal Best (1982) – Terry Tingloff (Scott Glenn)

"Fear is not what's important, it's how you deal with it. It would be like asking a marathon runner if they feel pain. It's not a matter of whether you feel it, it's how you manage it."

War Photographer (2001) – James Nachtwey (himself)

"The Olympics, the NBA, the NFL, all filled up with children who didn't have fathers. You may be a flawed character, but you're building hers."

Jackpot (2001) – Lester (Garrett Morris)

"I don't want to win unless I know I've done my best."

Without Limits (1998) – Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup)

“A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without one, you'll never be enough with one.”

 Cool Runnings (1993) - Irwin Blitzer (John Candy)

许多奥运题材电影都力求捕捉诸如卓越表现、奉献以及个人牺牲等共同的主题。最精彩的一部是《火的战车》，它生动地讲述了两位风格迥异的英国短跑运动员在1924年的奥运会上争夺金牌的故事。下面是10句能够最好地阐释奥运精神的电影对白。

“他们明天得第一名还是第五十名都不重要。那些小伙子已经赢得了走进体育场并挥舞自己国家国旗的权利。那才是一名运动员能得到的唯一的最高荣耀。那就是奥运会的全部意义。”

《凉快的跑道》（1993）——艾尔文•布利泽（约翰•凯蒂）

“就像他们说的，奥运会重在参与，而不在于输赢。”

《侦察》（1972）—— 米洛•坦德尔（迈克尔•凯恩）

“将比赛看完的力量来自哪里？来自内心。”

《火的战车》（1981）——埃里克•里黛尔（伊恩•查尔森）

“每个年代都会有这么一次，某位运动员如此奋力地与强敌竞争以至于连最疲惫的观众都在为他喝彩助威。” 《决战冰河》(1994)——哈里•金斯利 (凯文•斯派西)

“如果你做不了运动员，就做一个体育运动的支持者。”

《火爆浪子》（1978）——魔力神童（伊芙•阿登）

“跳高运动是受虐者的项目——它总是以失败告终。”

《私人最佳》（1982）——特里•廷洛夫.（斯科特•格伦）

“最重要的不是恐惧，而是你怎样面对恐惧。就像你去问一个马拉松运动员他们是否觉得痛苦。这不是你是否感觉到的问题，而是你要如何对付它的问题。”

《战地摄影师》（2001）——詹姆斯•纳希微

“奥运会，NBA，橄榄球职业联赛，充满了那些没有父亲的孩子们的世界。或许你的个性有些不足之处，但是你正在培养她们的个性。”

《背心而驰》（2001）——莱斯特（加勒特•莫里斯）

“除非我知道我已经做到最好了，否则我是不会想着赢的。”

《永无止境》（1998）——史蒂夫•普雷方丹（比利•克鲁德普）

“金牌是一个好东西。但是如果你在没得金牌时就很不满足，那么就算你得了块金牌，你也永远不会满足的。” 《凉快的跑道》（1993）——艾尔文•布利泽（约翰•凯蒂）