It's been 12 seasons on the World Cup tour and I needed a break from it all and still be able to perform at my highest level. It was the perfect plan from the start.

I've trained really hard all year, and to be dragged down by one person really hurts. I've worked hard. I just have not had the opportunity to have four really strong guys all at the same time. It's not on my shoulders. I can only do what I can do, and hopefully that is jumping far and skiing fast.

I didn't jump the way I wanted to. I haven't had that really good feeling. ... This is not a break, but it's a blessing in disguise. We weren't prepared mentally the way we should have been.

I think it's important for the U.S. team to break through and achieve an Olympic medal. I feel that in the team event we've had a medal ripped away from us.

This whole year has been planned from early summer. I had a child and we had to plan around it and look at it as a time to find out what's really important. Through the whole season we came up with a plan to peak this weekend.

It's another piece to the puzzle and it enables us to do whatever we want and gives us the flexibility to go here and go there and not have to rely on anybody else.

We've got one guy way out of shape and picked for the team. That's not the athletes' decision, it's the coaches' decision.

I'm really excited about the team event and the sprint. I think everyone on our team has been looking toward the team event, and I think we are going to do very well.

These guys are awesome to have around. When I was that young, I wasn't having as much fun as they are, so I'm a little bit jealous. They've been training hard and they're heading in the right direction. It's so nice to have a new generation of skiers come up in the sport.