The nicest Olympics ever

In Tokyo, nationalism is taking a back seat

Olympic rings.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

When American superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky lost the gold medal to her young Australian rival Ariarne Titmus in the women's 400m freestyle final on Sunday, I expected open disappointment. Bitterness. Maybe even a gratuitous camera zoom on her face if she started to cry.

I definitely didn't expect her to beamingly embrace the enemy. Even when NBC asked for her reaction — apparently trying to drum up a dramatic conclusion for their much-promoted "race for the ages" — Ledecky didn't take the bait. "I can't be disappointed with that, that was a good time for me," she said. "It was an awesome swim by her."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.