Anthony Ervin’s tattoos developed over years, from the Olympic rings to full sleeves filled with color, flowing shapes, an eagle and an American flag. He told Cosmopolitan that he designed the ideas himself, though he didn’t draw them. He also described the work as a way to reclaim his skin after years of being watched and judged as a competitive swimmer.
The photographs show different angles and stages, so not every shape is easy to identify. The clearest reported details are the rings, the aquatic-looking sleeve work, and the eagle and flag that reach onto his chest.
The Olympic rings tattoo came first
Reports place Ervin’s Olympic rings tattoo after the 2000 Sydney Games, where he won gold in the 50-meter freestyle at 19. The close photo shows the rings within a larger sleeve rather than by themselves. Curved sections, red accents and darker outlines fill the shoulder and arm around them.
That makes the rings a starting point for the rest of the collection. The later pieces don’t have to match the symbol exactly; they can frame it or add a different rhythm around it. One clear image can anchor a sleeve without deciding what every future section has to look like.
Ervin designed the ideas, then trusted artists with the execution
Ervin told Cosmopolitan that he came up with the designs but didn’t have the drawing skill to put every idea on paper. He also said he had worked in a tattoo shop when he was younger, which gave him a view of the process from the artist’s side. A personal concept can still change as the artist works out how it will fit, move and age on the body.
The wider photo shows how the arms read together. Rounded shapes overlap, while color and linework shift between the upper and lower arm. Ervin also said he enjoyed the pain and the finished illustration. That interest in both the process and the result helps explain why he kept developing the sleeves over time.
The aquatic shapes make the sleeves feel at home on a swimmer
From this angle, the sleeves show rippling curves and long forms that wrap around the arm. Greens, blues and reds sit beside darker outlines. Some shapes suggest water or plants, but the photos don’t make every motif clear enough to name with confidence.
The imagery feels connected to swimming without illustrating one particular race. The sleeve changes as Ervin turns; a section that looks solid from the front can open into more detail at the side. Repeated colors and curves help the arms hold together even though the individual designs vary.
The eagle and American flag tattoos give the collection a bold focal point
Swimming World highlighted an eagle that extends onto Ervin’s chest, with an American flag below it. The large image gives the collection a clear focal point, while the surrounding linework and color carry it around the shoulder. It isn’t the only idea on the arm, but it’s the easiest one to recognize from a distance.
The flag and eagle have their own strong shapes and colors. They sit among the rest of the sleeve rather than replacing it, so the two arms don’t need to be matching designs to look like part of the same collection.
The sleeve kept changing instead of arriving fully finished
Ervin told Cosmopolitan that he had been working on the same two tattoos over time, adding to them and filling gaps. That’s why photos from different years can show different stages. In this post-race image, the arm is partly under water, so it shows the overall sleeve more than fine detail.
A large tattoo doesn’t have to be finished in one stretch. Ervin described leaving some sections in progress while he considered what to add next. Waiting gives the skin time to heal and lets the artist see how the existing work sits before filling another space.
What the collection says about reclaiming your skin
Ervin’s explanation for getting the tattoos was personal: after years of having his body watched and judged in swimming, the ink gave him more say in how he presented it. That idea connects the collection, even where a photograph doesn’t reveal a specific meaning for every shape.
The Olympic rings and flag are easy to read; the flowing parts of the sleeves leave more room for interpretation. Ervin said he designed the work, but the tattoo artists helped turn those ideas into images that fit the body. If you’re drawing inspiration from the collection, start with a reason or image that matters to you and work with an artist to make it fit your body, rather than copying his eagle or colors.
Browse our celebrity tattoo archive for more examples of personal symbols and large sleeve designs.