Lilly King talks to Mike & Mike about her firm stance on PEDs in the Olympics and touches on the epic stare-down she shared with Russian rival Yulia Efimova. (2:11)

I might get my red, white and blue patriotism card pulled for this one, but the way swimmer Lilly King handled herself after Sunday's 100-meter breaststroke semifinals wasn't exactly the finest example of sportsmanship.

King, who swims Wednesday night in the 200m breaststroke semifinal, was caught on camera from the green room Sunday waving her finger at Russian rival Yulia Efimova, who had just won her heat and put up a victorious No. 1 finger. King smugly wagged her finger at the screen before going out to swim in her heat.

Later, after King won her race, she explained her gesture in an interview with Michele Tafoya of NBC: "You know, you're shaking your finger No. 1 and you've been caught for drug cheating. I'm just not, you know, a fan."

While the comment did drum up some drama for Monday night's showdown between the two in the event's final, it also established the long drawn-out narrative of USA vs. Russia, or perhaps more specifically, good vs. evil -- despite most people not even knowing many of the details of King's claims. The viewing public, of course, ate it up.

The 19-year-old American ultimately won the gold medal, and Efimova won the silver. But despite winning, King just couldn't let it go. She wagged her finger again while in the pool, refused to shake hands with Efimova and later threw another jab at her rival, saying, "It's incredible, just winning a gold medal and knowing I did it clean."

She subsequently drew praise and cheers from the media and fans alike for her honestly and candor. But she looked more like a playground bully, playing up the worst of American stereotypes -- brash and rude in victory.

King's comment seemed deliberate and malicious. Instead of being a gracious winner and taking the high road, she took the moment to continue to trash the reputation of someone else.

Efimova, who was booed by spectators and was unsure until Saturday if she would even be allowed to compete, has two marks on her doping record. But they aren't exactly Jose Canseco-level.

In 2013, she failed a drug test after testing positive for DHEA -- a banned substance to be sure, but something found in your local vitamin store as an over-the-counter supplement. NBA players O.J. Mayo and Rashard Lewis were both given 10-game suspensions for testing positive for the substance in the past, and American track star LaShawn Merritt, who will be competing in the 200m and 400m events in Rio, also served a ban for a positive DHEA test. Efimova claimed to have inadvertently purchased the product at a GNC, but took full ownership for her mistake and didn't appeal her 16-month ban.

In March of this year, Efimova tested positive for meldonium -- the same drug used by fellow Russian Maria Sharapova -- and was provisionally banned by the International Swimming Federation. However, because the substance was just added to the banned-substance list on Jan. 1, the World Anti-Doping Agency has since recanted on punishments, as they are uncertain how long the substance stays in the body. The agency is investigating, but Efimova was ultimately cleared to compete.

Lilly King refused to shake hands with Yulia Efimova after their race. Clive Rose/Getty Images

Efimova has not disputed anything and instead quietly made her return to the pool, as anyone cleared to do so would do. The ruling bodies allowed her to be there. But that apparently wasn't enough for King.

While other athletes who make similar returns are often touted as tales of redemption, including Merritt, Efimova has been given the "big, bad villain" treatment -- despite no evidence of her currently using any banned substance.

Yes, the Russian Olympic team has been highly scrutinized after a doping scandal resulted in the banishment of several athletes and teams across sports, but Efimova was not given such a punishment. Furthermore, she lives and trains in Southern California and is regularly privy to the same testing American athletes receive.

And if Efimova is ultimately found guilty of anything in the future, I'm sure we'll hear about it, and she'll have her silver medal stripped away and removed from the record books.

But in the meantime, Efimova is a person, and not just a symbol of Russia's perceived shattered system, and on Monday night, she won the country's first-ever medal in the 100m breaststroke. While she said after the race she was "just happy to be here" after the turmoil leading up to the Games, she didn't even fully get to enjoy her historic achievement thanks to King and the narrative she helped create.

Doesn't such an accomplishment deserve a little bit of respect from her peers? Isn't that what the Olympics are all about, after all?

In a chaotic world, the Olympics provide a rare moment of global unity and togetherness. At its best, the spirit of the Games transcends borders and politics, but it seems no one bothered to tell King. Perhaps in her next victory, she'll instead choose to appreciate the moment and won't feel the need to ruin someone else's.