On his Olympic experience:
“It’s been like one perfect dream after another. Every time I think I’ll get a chance to slow down and relax and enjoy it, another new great thing hits. So it’s been great, and it’s one great thing after another. It’s a little overwhelming.”

Pete Fenson (Bemidji, Minn.), curling, bronze medalist
“It felt a lot different than the Opening Ceremony. It was a little more festive rather than feeling like the ending of the Games. It was a strange feeling to be closing down, but because we’ve been here so long, we’re ready to go home.”

Shawn Rojeski (Chisholm, Minn.), curling, bronze medalist
“It was kind of a strange ceremony. It was very festival-like, definitely completely different than the Opening Ceremony. I thought it would be much more of an ending to the Games than a festival. At the Opening Ceremonies, we marched out as Team USA and everyone else out there was our competitor. This time they had us march out together to show unity. We’re more or less one big family now. It was kind of a neat deal.” (The men’s and women’s curling teams marched out with athletes from Japan, Russia and Germany.)

Scott Baird (Bemidji, Minn.) curling, bronze medalist
“Walking out with a different mix of everybody from other countries was kind of cool. It was quite a Closing Ceremony; very entertaining. I think the Opening Ceremony seemed to have a lot more excitement for me, just because it was all new. I was still really surprised to see how jam-packed it was, though. It was definitely a closing.”

Travis Mayer (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), freestyle moguls
“I had a good time. Closing Ceremonies was really cool, more of a celebration than Opening Ceremonies, and not as stressful. I enjoyed it a lot.”

On his Olympic experience:
“It was pretty good. I skied well, but not well enough. I’m happy with how I skied and I enjoyed the competitive experience. The end was a whirlwind.”

Chad Hedrick (Spring, Texas), speedskating, one gold, one silver, one bronze medal
“It was incredible. Ever since I got to the Olympics, it’s way more than I ever expected. It’s always exciting to be able to train for four more years and to experience the Games and represent your country one more time. It’s been a pleasure for me.”

Mark Grimmette (Muskegon, Mich.), luge
“The Closing Ceremony was awesome. It was something to see. It’s nice to see a lot of fire and explosions going on, but it’s a lot of fun being among all the teams mixed together, meeting new people – it’s a lot of fun.”

On the Olympics:
“They don’t get old because you’re competing for your nation in front of the world. It’s a great experience.”

Sasha Cohen (Corona del Mar, Calif.) figure skating, silver medal
“It was really awesome to walk in. It had great entertainment and I had a wonderful time. It has been an amazing couple of weeks. I had some amazing experiences. I learned a lot and it really was a special time for me.”