Olympic Arrogance vs. Olympic Humility

Is it arrogant when you win your 20th gold medal and you stand and ask the crowd to applaud even more? Is it arrogant when you hold up your finger after winning to show everyone that you are, in fact, No. 1?

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There was a moment Tuesday night when Michael Phelps, in the middle of his victorious gold-medal run, struck a nerve with some fans. Plenty felt Phelps had more than ample reason to stand up and ask for more applause. He’s a superstar, a record-shattering athlete, he’s representing the United States — and it may be the final Olympic week of his epic career.

It was also just a little bit off-putting.

As in: We know you just won and we know you’re a beast in the swimming world, but do you need to ask for more applause from us?

Twitter noticed it.

And, as always on Twitter, some called out Phelps for it, saying it’s not a good example to set for his son and that the arrogance doesn’t make the U.S. look good.

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At the same time, Katie Ledecky, 19 and the youngest member of the U.S. team, dominated in the pool, too, beating Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom to win her second gold of the Games. On Sunday, Ledecky broke her world record in the 400-meter freestyle for the first gold. The finals of the 800-meter freestyle, where she owns the 10 fastest times in history, are Friday.

Ledecky didn’t go the Phelps route and ask for more applause. Instead, right after her win, she admitted, “It’s the closest I’ve come to throwing up at the end of a race. I was just glad to get my hand on the wall first. It was a stressful race and I feel good now it’s over.”

She took the humble road.

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Does this make Phelps a bad guy and Ledecky a hero? Is ego a bad thing? When it comes to elite sports — no. It’s the attitude needed to get to the top, to get you through five-hour workouts done seven days a week starting at 4 a.m.

In the documentary, “Ronaldo,” soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo says arrogance is a source of power for him. He dismisses anyone who doesn’t like his self-confidence. From a young age, he dreamed of being the best in the world. Nothing else mattered. And that’s what it took to get to the top.

U.S. Olympic men’s swimming coach Bob Bowman says that for Phelps, envisioning a win is a crucial part of his winning formula. “He sees himself winning. He smells the air, tastes the water, hears the sounds, sees the clock.”

All great athletes have to believe they are great in order to succeed. Tiger Woods is another example. He has been accused of being arrogant; he has also carved out a spot for himself in golf history.

The same is true for LeBron James, Serena Williams, Alex Rodriguez , Brett Favre and … Muhammad Ali, the king of boasting.

But sometimes a confident move doesn’t come off right. Remember Ryan Lochte and his diamond grill in 2012?

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