She's a Little Cocky Isn't She

"She's a little cocky, isn't she," Middle asked the other night while watching Lilly King.  I wasn't sure how to respond.  The proper father, adult, mature human being wanted to say, "Yes," because truer words have rarely been spoken.  The thirteen year old that still lives inside me and comes out from time to time wanted to respond "DUH!  Have you been watching the last four years?"

I love Lilly King.  She is brash.  She speaks her mind.  She is fun.  And she backs it up with great swimming.  it is hard not to love Lilly king.  Unless, of course, you are not American.  If you are not American, I imagine you hate Lilly King.  If Lilly King was not American, she would be the most hated person in American swimming.  Chad LeClos won a gold medal in 2012 in the 200 Fly, was a little cocky about it, and shadow boxed in the ready room in an effort to psych out Michael Phelps.  America HATED him.  America still hates him.  if Lilly King shadow boxed in front of Yulia Efimova in the ready room, she would become the most favorite meme in America.  We would love it.  All she did was wag a finger and America went crazy.  We love the cocky, brash American.  But we hate the same person living in a  different country.

In 2000, American Gary Hall Jr. made an off-hand remark that the U.S. was going to smash the Australians like a guitar in the Men's 4x100 relay.  The Australians?  We love the Australians.  Have you ever met an Australian you didn't like?  In 2008, may family went on a trip to France.  Eldest was 4.  Middle was just shy of 2.  We had the standard sherpa look going on the plane.  An Australian took the car seat and a bag from us, despite our objections; carried them on the plane; went 20 rows past his seat; helped us get our stuff together; and then had to stand there for 10 minutes until the crowd in the aisle eased up enough to get back to the front of the plane where his seat was.  Later on that trip, while waiting 2 hours to go up the Eiffel Tower, a small group of Aussies entertained our two boys while we waited.  They didn't have to.  Their just great people.  We love Aussies.

 Back to 2000 and that 4x100 Relay.  Well, we didn't smash the Australians.  In fact, we lost that relay for the first time ever in the Olympics.  A cocky, brash, bald Australian named Michael Klim made an air guitar motion just to rub it in the face of the Americans.  I hate Michael Klim.  He is everything I hate.  He is brash.  He speaks his mind.  He is fun.  He backed it up with great swimming.  He...sounds a bit like Lilly King.  In fact, if he was American, I bet I'd love Michael Klim.  Hmmm....He's also Australian.  I love Australians.  I'm...a...bit...confused...

I...got it.  I know.  Americans would never do anything like that.  Sure we like the cocky, brash breaststroker, but she wagged her finger at another athlete who had tested positive for a banned substance.  It's all good.  Justified.  I feel better about myself.  Whew!  For a moment, I thought I was I was a hypocrite.

The American would never do anything like that in a relay.  In 2004, we lost the 4x100 relay again.  In 2008, Alain Bernard, the world record holder in the 100 free at the time and the anchor of the French relay said, "The Americans...we're going to smash them.  that's what we came here for."  In the greatest swimming race ever, Jason Lezak caught Alain Bernard in the anchor leg to win and Michael Pheos and Garrett Weber-Gale reacted by...screaming like mad men.  There was no air guitar, but maybe it was a touch over  the top.  God, I love that race.  I have watched it at least 30 times and about half the time I pause it, just to see the look of  shock on the French swimmers as hey try to figure out how they lost that race.  i may go watch it right now, just to get ready for tonight's finals.  I have not seen the Peacock Documentary, The Greatest Race, yet, but I will remedy that oversight shortly after the trials end.

OK, so I am a hypocrite.  I loved seeing the French get their comeuppance in 2008, but hated the Australians for doing it to us in 2000.  I love Lilly King and can't stand Chad LeClos.  I said, "yes she is" to Middle's question, but wanted to say, "DUH!"  I love the brash cocky American and am offended when someone outside the US does the same thing.  She may be cocky.  She is probably obnoxious.  Hell, she admitted to trying to psych out a 17 year old from Alaska in the ready room before the 100 Breast.  From Alaska?  Who has anything against anyone from Alaska?  That's like hating an Australian.  But she is our cocky, brash, obnoxious swimmer.  So we love her.

Predictions Results:

Women's 200 Free - Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden - missed by .01, but very happy for Schmitty and I am pretty good at getting the winner and missing second
Men's 200 Fly - Luca Urlando, Zach Harting - Huh?  The rare picking the winner to get 2nd
Women's 200 Medley - Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass - Nailed it
Women's 1500 - Katie Ledecky, Ashley Twichell - Again, got the winner.

Predictions:

Men's 800 Freestyle - Bobby Fink, Ross Dant
Men's 200 Breast - Nic Fink, Will Licon
Women's 200 Fly - Hali Flickinger, Regan Smith
Men's 100 Free - Caeleb Dressel, Zach Apple

What to Watch for:

1.  Do the veterans win the day or the youngsters, especially in the Women's 100 free?
2.  Do we start to get some doubles to make that 26 swimmer limit a little less relevant (Hello Ryan Murphy)?
3.  Is Melanie Margalis the greatest person alive?
4.  Does Lochte have one final miracle in him?