[M]y sport, it's not what we showed the people on television. It's not the final product. My sport is the falling. It's the crying. It's the bleeding on an ice cube, basically. In early, early hours in the morning, late hours at night, never really getting enough sleep or feeling like you've eaten enough. It's a hard core sport. It's hard for people to see that because, at the end of the day, our sport has a shiny veneer and we have to look perfect and flawless and effortless. 

That's what it takes to be a good figure skater. You have to be bruised and skinny and dying behind the scenes, but then cover it up with a smile.
--nbcolympics.com,Vancouver 2010, athletes: Johnny Weir, "Q&A"