Quotes

2001 World Championships-Event Finals/PBars

"This is very exciting and it was so important for me to come back and hit my routine as well as I did.  Emotionally that was very important for me and this provides some redemption for not winning in the all-around. I wasn't nervous today. I was just anxious to come back and do something really good because I didn't want to go out like I did in the all-around. This team was just awesome and there is so much depth right now in our men's program. Along with team, my goal was to do something personally too and I accomplished that today."-Sean

"We've been on an emotional roller coaster this whole trip.  The silver medal in team was amazing and then the all-around was so heartbreaking, so to come back and win this parallel bars gold just brings us right back up. Sean's a great gymnast and he went out and proved it this evening. This is a great validation for all the hard work of the U.S. men's program."- Kevin Mazeika, Townsend's coach

2001 World Championships-All-around

"This is a tough lesson, but not too many people can say they were contending to be world champion.  I am very proud of Sean and he showed the world that he is knocking on the door. He's got another chance on Sunday to win a medal on parallel bars and that's what we're going to look forward to, and then head home and look forward to 2002, 2003 and 2004."-Kevin Mazeika, Townsend's coach

2001 World Championships-Team

"We had nothing to lose here.  We did really well under pressure today. The adrenaline and excitement was flowing. We just did our job and had an awesome time out there. It's pretty cool to make history here. I'm really proud of our team."-Sean

2001 World University Games

"It was an awesome experience, to be out there with that type of crowd and enthusiasm is what really drives me as a gymnast. It gave me a lot of motivation and drove me to a have a lot of fun and be relaxed. Once I hit that opening routine, I knew I was in for a good night. That took all the pressure off."

"We can't get ahead of ourselves thinking about medals.  We need to do our jobs and if it starts to go bad, never give up and just fight your way through it."

2001 US Nationals

On Winning the US Nationals:

"It gives me a lot more confidence when I get out there. By winning, I know that if I hit my routines that I should be able to finish high in the rankings."

"It was a battle out there but I hung in there and did my job.  It hasn't really set in yet that I'm national champion yet, but it's awesome. I've accomplished one of my major goals."

"I never thought I'd come this far in the sport.  I'm fortunate to have been lucky and have everything go my way."

On  Blaine Wilson:

 `Whenever I come back, be ready,"' Wilson said to Townsend

``I wanted Blaine to be here because I wanted to beat him, fair and square."

"If he was here, that'd be even better, but ...," Townsend said. "I'll just have to wait."

On prelims:

"I can make a lot of improvements on some of my events. It wasn't my day.

"It was good, but I can do a lot better."

"It [a national title] would mean a lot.  I have three goals in gymnastics: a national title, the Olympics and obviously to medal in a world or Olympic games."

"That's what prelims are for.  I'll come back Friday and do better."

2000 Misc.

On Moving away from home to train:

"He [his father] didn't know if I was old enough.  But I said, `Yeah, I am.' I knew what I wanted."

"It's been a long journey."

"It was a tough decision (to move to Houston in 1995)," Townsend said. "I missed my dad and my sister, but it's worked out for the best. They (the Thorntons) have meant everything to me. I wouldn't be here but for them."

On if he has any regrets:

"Not at all" he said, smiling as he turned to look at the Super Dome's podium. "Look at me now."