Lipinski: Yeah, deep down I wanted to win and I knew I could but I tried not to think about it that much, especially when I went to compete. I knew everyone skated well and I tried to block all of those thoughts out of my head, to go out there and say "I love to skate" and to do it for myself.

Cyphers: Your dad says you're tough. Were you born with that? Did somebody teach you that? Or is it something you learned as time went on?

Lipinski: I think it's just skating and it's not to beat anybody. It's just that inner desire to skate well and especially when I messed up the short program at Nationals, I didn't want to go out and make another mistake in the long and have people say "oh no, she's falling apart." I wanted to go out there and show everybody I can do a great long and there's really no problem.

Cyphers: What's the one quality you have, away from the physical ability, that makes you the Olympic champion?

Lipinski: I think I handled my pressure really well here; the long program, knowing everyone skated well, going out there, I think I blocked it all out and I think that was the most important part for me.

Cyphers: You're only 15 years old. Where do you go from here?

Lipinski: I'll keep skating and enjoy it. I mean I've won and it's been my dream of my whole life so I can just keep going on from here and trying to improve on everything.

Cyphers: Will you compete in Salt Lake City in 2002 or will you turn pro?

Lipinski: I don't know, right now. I'm just thinking about these Olympics but we'll see.

Cyphers: One report I read from an agent said you could make $10 to $12 million over the next four years. What do you think of money?

Lipinski: I really try not to think about that and when I skate I'm not thinking, "Oh, this is for this amount of money and this show is for that." It's just going out there and enjoying it and letting my parents and everyone else take care of that. When I go out to skate, I'm not thinking about that, I'm thinking about how much I love to skate and not the outside stuff.

Cyphers: What sacrifices have you made to get where you are?

Lipinski: I think the biggest sacrifice is living away from my dad. He lives in Houston and I train in Detroit, and it's been like this for about four or five years, and I think that's the hardest part. But I mean, we've been seeing each other a lot more lately, but it'll be good to see him a little bit more this year.

Cyphers: Did you sacrifice growing up? Have you missed your childhood by being who you are?

Lipinski: No, not at all. I wouldn't give this up for anything. I mean all the hard work, and sometimes not going to a birthday party is OK -- just skating and getting to this point is all I could ask for.

Cyphers: When you stood on the podium and they played the National Anthem, do you remember what you were thinking?

Lipinski: I was thinking, just enjoy it. I don't want to get off here, just enjoy this, and I've been thinking like all the times that I've been dreaming of it when I was younger and now I'm actually doing it and just to enjoy it.

Cyphers: From the opening ceremony to the very end you had a camera on you, you had a microphone on you sometimes, you went to the competitions, you watched your teammates and you didn't seem to mind. You stayed in the village and Michelle Kwan stayed in the hotel, she was more comfortable with that. Why did you do all that?

Lipinski: I think I can look back and I can say I skated two great programs, it was so amazing, but I think I can also look back and think of all those times in the village where I've met Wayne Gretzky and all these athletes and just enjoyed the experience of being at the Olympics and being at the village and knowing what it's all about.

Cyphers: Will you ever have as much pressure on you, in your life, as you've had going into this?

Lipinski: I think there was a lot of pressure now that I look back I see how much there was, but when you're doing it, it's not as bad and you mentally have to push it all away and that's what I think I did well here.