Poor sportsmanship at Olympics

[mjkacmom]

If you mean his gold medal performance, it was his South African rival who'd spent the pre-match time taunting him. I don't consider Phelps the poor sportsman in that entire encounter. And I don't consider any athlete reveling in a well-earned victory to be a poor sport. if you're referring to a different event I didn't see, please disregard all above.

I give Phelps so much credit for not punching that jerk in the face before the race! I loved his mild grandstanding!

 

[pryncess527]

I give Phelps so much credit for not punching that jerk in the face before the race! I loved his mild grandstanding!

Don't poke the GOAT!

 

[Hrhpd]

I thought Michael phelps showed poor sportsmanship a few nights ago after he beat his German(?) rival. He was sitting on the ropes and posing for the crowd and pumping them up..looked silly.

I don't blame Phelps. Chad Le Clos has spent 4 years talking smack about Phelps. And then his really stupid shadow boxing stunt in the ready room to try to throw Phelps off his game was immature and stupid. As the announcers said, you don't poke the tiger.

Did you think it was poor sportsmanship for Simone Biles to get up on the floor and wave to the crowd when she won the all around last night? She showed great sportsmanship by pulling Aly Riesman up there with her to celebrate together.

Celebrating your win with the crowd is pretty standard procedure for the Olympic athletes. It was nothing different for Phelps.

 

[elgerber]

I love Gabby Douglas but, she needs to snap out of it. She did not show much support last last for her team mates

I have to agree. I thought this last night as well, Laurie and Madison gave both girls a standing ovation after their floor routines, but Gabby did not stand up.

 

[Sanchez]

Canadian soccer player Melissa Tancredi purposefully stomps on Carli Lloyd's head in the 2012 Olympics.

Tancredi is not ejected and is not penalized. Of course, Tancredi then leads the Canadian effort to whine about the officiating and cite it as the reason Canada lost the game.

 

[declansdad]

Canadian soccer player Melissa Tancredi purposefully stomps on Carli Lloyd's head in the 2012 Olympics.

Tancredi is not ejected and is not penalized. Of course, Tancredi then leads the Canadian effort to whine about the officiating and cite it as the reason Canada lost the game.

Couldn't find something from these Olympics?

 

[Geoff_M]

Poor sportsmanship? How about some good old anti-Semitism? How is this not making headlines?

Well, I think we need to give them some credit as it's been a long time since they've murdered any Israeli athletes at the Olympics.

 

[wvjules]

I love Gabby Douglas but, she needs to snap out of it. She did not show much support last last for her team mates

I completely agree! I posted the same thing in another Olympics thread. I don't care about the hand not over the heart at all but she looked bored/angry/whatever. And last night when she didn't stand and applaud Simone and Aly, I was pissed. They are a team and she needs to act like a teammate. Even later when they do individual events the all should support each other. She is leaving a sour taste in my mouth lately.

 

[kimblebee]

I don't blame Phelps. Chad Le Clos has spent 4 years talking smack about Phelps. And then his really stupid shadow boxing stunt in the ready room to try to throw Phelps off his game was immature and stupid. As the announcers said, you don't poke the tiger.

Did you think it was poor sportsmanship for Simone Biles to get up on the floor and wave to the crowd when she won the all around last night? She showed great sportsmanship by pulling Aly Riesman up there with her to celebrate together.

Celebrating your win with the crowd is pretty standard procedure for the Olympic athletes. It was nothing different for Phelps.

No, I don't think Biles was showing bad sportsmanship, but she wasn't using her celebration as an <edited> to other competitors as Phelps was. He was baited and he fell for it. It's happened to me too, but that doesn't make it any better.

 

[Hrhpd]

I'm guessing they would fix or tighten them.

It takes about 30 seconds with the wrench

 

[CarolAnn856]

No, I don't think Biles was showing bad sportsmanship, but she wasn't using her celebration as an * to other competitors as Phelps was. He was baited and he fell for it. It's happened to me too, but that doesn't make it any better.

You're talking about his 20th gold, right? His 20th. That's a big deal. I don't think his celebration had anything to do with being "baited." You seem to have a strong dislike for him. Maybe that's tempering your interpretation?

 

[Sanchez]

Couldn't find something from these Olympics?

I am sure that I can, but that stands out as the most egregious example of poor sportsmanship in my recent Olympic memory. Does this bother you?

 

[Geoff_M]

You're right, it was South Africa. For some reason, I always confuse him for German. He may have done pre-match taunting but Michael Phelps was the one showing off after he won. It seemed like he was taunting and rubbing it in that he won. You may see it differently and that's fine.

I think the analog to what Le Clos did to Phelps would have been Phelps celebrating in his direction, or wagging his finger at Le Clos... but he didn't do that. Given the fact that Phelps had redeemed himself from his 2012 performance and just re-set the all-time Olympic record for gold metals, I don't think what Phelps did post race was egregious.

As for Lilly King's comments regarding the reinstated Russian swimmer, I don't find them out of line either, particularly since she was answering direct questions on the Russian from the NBC reporter. However, I do think it was poor behavior on the part of the crowd to boo the Russian.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I love Gabby Douglas but, she needs to snap out of it. She did not show much support last last for her team mates

I have to agree. I thought this last night as well, Laurie and Madison gave both girls a standing ovation after their floor routines, but Gabby did not stand up.

Honestly I think people need to give her a break. She's been receiving a lot of criticism over various things.
It must have been hard for her to be there yesterday knowing she did better than most of the other competitors. Yeah it's the rules but she is still going to have feeling about it, especially being there.

 

[Hrhpd]

No, I don't think Biles was showing bad sportsmanship, but she wasn't using her celebration as an ** to other competitors as Phelps was. He was baited and he fell for it. It's happened to me too, but that doesn't make it any better.

I disagree. He was celebrating winning the very race (he got silver in 2012) that was the main reason he decided to return to the sport. It was the moment when all his hard work in rehab and returning to top form was realized.

I don't get your thinking that every other athlete that celebrates their win is celebrating, but when Phelps does exactly the same thing, he is exhibiting poor sportsmanship. You must really hate Phelps.

 

[gina2000]

If Michael Phelps fell for the bait, so did Lily King. She called out another swimmer. People agree with her comment, so she gets a pass.

Truthfully, I'm not crazy about either swimmer's actions. Considering the circumstances, however, a little pushback is understandable. They're human.

 

[Geoff_M]

Don't poke the GOAT!

From this video, our family likes to use the term "Don't poke the kitty!"

 

[pryncess527]

I'll call this poor sportsmanship

Instead, Efimova took a shot at Phelps just as he earned his 22nd Olympic gold medal on Thursday.

She said via Yahoo! Sports:

“What would she say about Michael Phelps?”

Efimova was apparently suggesting that Phelps deserved the same scrutiny as her after he was suspended in 2009 when a photo circulated of him smoking from a bong and for his 2014 DUI.

Efimova continued:

“Of course I’m not for doping, and I’ve never used it on purpose. But I know there have been very many occasions where people do it because they don’t know or because they’re stupid or naïve. There always should be another chance. When you are driving a car and break a rule, you get only a ticket. You don’t lose your license for life or get put in jail.”

Phelps has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. USA Swimming coach Bob Bowman declined to comment on Efimova’s remarks.

Deflecting questions about her own POSITIVE doping results by bringing up Phelps, who has never had a positive test, was a low blow and poor sportsmanship, IMO. I think most would argue marijuana is a performance dehancing drug And it's not an Olympic banned substance since it isn't illegal everywhere.

She should have kept her comments on topic, about her own use and whatever justifications/excuses she has, without trying (and failing) to throw another athlete under the bus

 

[JaneBanks]

Honestly I think people need to give her a break. She's been receiving a lot of criticism over various things.
It must have been hard for her to be there yesterday knowing she did better than most of the other competitors. Yeah it's the rules but she is still going to have feeling about it, especially being there.

It's ridiculous. There are examples of messages from Gabby to Aly congratulating her and Aly saying Gabby and the other girls ran up and hugged her and Simone after the competition floating around social media. I don't get it. People like to make up drama when there is none.

ETA: It's like she's being punished for not having the same personality as other people? Even Martha has been saying that Gabby has a more subdued personality. Sorry she's not her old 16 year old bubbly self.

 

[Hrhpd]

Yeah, I'm sure there are some who see Lilly King's comments and behavior as unsportsmanlike -- but if I beat someone who'd been busted for doping I'd probably be a bit obnoxious about it too. It was pure pandering that the IOC let Russia compete after the evidence of their extensive, nationwide doping program -- for both the Olympics and the ParaOlympics was discovered.

And not only the program, but Efimova herself has been busted twice for doping. There is absolutely no reason she should be swimming. Everyone is up in arms that she is in the pool. Rowdy Gaines sure has had some choice words for the decision. So, yes, it is a big deal to beat a known doper.