Everybody has their own superstitions. Some are just stranger than others. In 2008, Jason Giambi broke out of a hitting slump by wearing a gold thong. Micheal Jordan wore the same UNC shorts underneath his uniform throughout his career. Former New York Mets reliever Turk Wendell brushed his teeth between innings and Canadian Olympic swimmer Santo Condorelli flips off his dad before each race.
According to The Canadian Press, when Condorelli was eight, he was pissed off because he was constantly being forced to race against older and more competitive swimmers. His father and coach Joseph Condorelli came up with the idea to flip him off in order to instill confidence in the young swimmer. It’s worked since then, considering Condorelli will be swimming for the Canadian Olympic team.
Definitely unorthodox, but hey, if it works for him it works for him. The Canadian will race in the freestyle relay Sunday, the 100-meter freestyle Tuesday and the 50-meter free next Thursday in Rio.
About Jack Stevenson