If you happen to be watching the Rio Olympics 2016 and see Santo Condorelli flip the bird or shove his middle finger to the audience, please don't be alarmed. He's directing this at one specific person -- his father and coach Joseph Condorelli.
However, the gesture isn't a disrespect and his father understands what this means quite well. The Condorelli men have actually come up with the gesture to help the 21-year-old swimmer from Team Canada overcome his anxiety during swim meets and they are doing the ritual for the Rio Olympics 2016.
It was Joseph Condorelli who told his son Santo to give him the middle finger before his swimming competitions as a way to build his confidence and help him ease the tension. "Every time you're behind the blocks, give me the finger and I'll give it back to you," the elder Condorelli reminded his son during trainings, per Good. It was their way to help Santo calm down before he races in the water, which should help him find his peace and center.
Canadian swimmer @santocondorelli gives his dad the finger before each race. #Rio2016 https://t.co/tWm2fx28Gj pic.twitter.com/HEvBIQOK1m
— ishmael (@iD4RO) August 5, 2016
But this gesture has been captured in the cameras far too many times that it causes quite a controversy among spectators who have no idea about the father and son ritual. Santo Condorelli had to apologize for the oversight once after a competition back in his hometown. For the Rio Olympics 2016, he promised he is "toning down" the gesture so as not to ignite a controversy and an issue in Brazil.
Santo Condorelli's dad explains that his family comes from a close-kit Italian background. Joseph was raised in a tough New York City neighborhood, as did Santo, per CBC. However, the younger Condorelli also partly grew up in Canada, where his mother resides. Joseph believes that the gesture he devised with his son is a way for him to process aggravation. "[It means] 'Give it to the world' rather than keep [aggression] internalized."
Santo Condorelli competes in the 100-meter freestyle and the 50-meter freestyle, and he's scheduled for the race this Tuesday and Thursday at the Rio Olympics 2016. Watch Santo flip the bird on his father at the 1:35 mark in this video below:
