Beijing Olympics - sink or swim

Half way through the Olympics and athletes dreams have been realised, some have been exceeded, and or for some, dashed. So much energy - emotionally and physically - goes into preparation for this once in four years event. What makes the difference between glory or not?
I'm always interested to hear quotes of athletes as I am very curious as I listen for insights into their thinking. What created their result? I was in the UK when Welshman, Nicole Cooke won Gold in the cycling road race - she was quoted to have dreamt of winning Olympic gold when she was just 11 years old! Then I read of Libby Trickett trying to stop vomiting before a race - what must be going through her mind to cause this. Is she consciously thinking about what could go wrong? Is it just a physiological response occurring at the unconscious level?
When it comes to pre-race or pre-match routine an athlete wants to be in a state of mind that maximises their response. If Libby is able to put positive meaning to her response, and use it to power her towards a winning result, then it may be beneficial. Some people think that these sort of responses can't be changed. They can! We can make changes at an unconscious level to totally transform our behaviours and therefore our results. I know if I was still competing that I would be looking to create the best emotional state and behaviours to ensure the best result.
I would be looking to see how the best of the best does it. At the moment the best is Michael Phelps. At the time of writing he has won 7 Gold medals at one Olympics and preparing for his 8th. How does he prepare? What goes through his mind as he stands on the block? I’m curious, aren't you?