The Olympics should have special medals for the kinds of sportsmanship shown by Russian Alexei Nemov.

The International Olympic Committee should have some special awards to recognize displays of sportsmanship and dignity during the 2004 Games in Athens. They should be on-the-spot honors directed to men and women who, through their words and deeds, exemplify what the international competition should truly be about.

One such award, although he certainly doesn’t need any more right now, should go to Michael Phelps, the 19-year-old American swimming superstar who gave up a spot on a relay team so a teammate could have a chance for a gold medal, which he got. Phelps already was guaranteed whatever medal the U.S. group won because he had swum in the preliminaries. The teammate had other medals but no gold. Phelps could have basked in the spotlight even more had he swum, but he chose to forego that for a teammate. It was a noble gesture that is every bit as commendable as the fabulous athletic records Phelps posted.

Then there is Russian gymnast Alexei Nemov. His glory as a decent human being should last long after any references to his sports achievements, which are numerous. Nemov gave a fantastic performance on the high bar with the world looking on. It was immediately clear that a huge majority of the audience in Athens felt he had been shortchanged in the scoring. The crowd reacted boisterously for a full 10 minutes after Nemov was given only a 9.725 score out of a possible 10. All the while, American Paul Hamm was waiting his turn to perform on the bar.

Nemov could have, in a moment of peevishness, tried to incite the crowd in his favor. Instead, he displayed tremendous dignity and self-confidence by moving from the sideline to a visible position and, with hand gestures, urging the crowd to be quiet so the competition could continue. Meanwhile, the judges were changing his score from 9.725 to 9.762, but that still was not good enough for this longtime Russian icon to get a medal.

Hamm, who earlier had been involved in a controversy about a gold medal in the all-around gymnastics, commended Nemov for his intervention, as he should have. Whatever the rationale for the scoring, Nemov got no medal while Hamm won a second-place silver. There should be some provisions to award special “medals of good citizenship” to people such as the Russian star, who had to be hurting inwardly as he sought to restore a semblance of order.

So much about the Olympic Games, and most sporting events, is subjective. There are always going to be questionable and even erroneous decisions by judges. Sometimes athletes are quite right to protest. Few would have chastised Alexei Nemov if he had shown at least some degree of displeasure. Yet he chose to show class and dignity in a troubling time. Most people familiar with the incident will remember him a lot longer and more appreciatively than if he had taken home gold, silver or bronze.