Canadian surging towards Rio
Santo Condorelli among an elite group who can swim 100m freestyle in 48 seconds
When Santo Condorelli walks onto the pool deck in Toronto for Canada’s Olympic swimming trials, he’ll have a little swagger in his step. He’s earned it.
The Japanese-born, American-raised, Canadian, by way of his mom, is rising fast in the world rankings just in time for the Summer Games in Rio.
A year ago, he was the first Canadian to stop the clock under 49 seconds in 100 metre freestyle since world champion and London Olympic medallist Brent Hayden. Then, at last summer’s Toronto Pan Am Games he dipped under 48 seconds to join a very select group of worldclass swimmers (and picked up four medals). And, this past winter, his confidence was boosted further when he beat sport giants including Michael Phelps in the100 metre butterfly and 2012 Olympic champion Nathan Adrian in the 100 metre free.
Astonishingly, he met all those swimming milestones in what was his debut international season.
Needless to say Swimming Canada is thrilled that, unlike Missy Franklin, another dual Canadian-U.S. citizen swimmer, Condorelli picked the Maple Leaf to wear in competition. And, he didn’t pick Canada because he wasn’t good enough to make the American team — he turned down a spot for them as a junior — he picked Canada because he wanted to represent his mom’s family in Kenora, Ont.
“I always knew I wanted to swim for Canada,” Condorelli says.
He started 2015 never having crossed the 49-second barrier and finished it under 48, tied for third in the world.
“It’s me making my transition from just being a good swimmer to being a great swimmer,” Condorelli says, about his increasingly consistent fast times.
“Before, I swam really well and I was really proud of myself but there was still that doubt in my mind: Is that just kind of a one-off thing? A fluke?” the 21-year-old says.
“Now, this is me realizing I’m becoming more serious at my sport and more of a threat to the older guys. That’s what I love. Before I was looking at them scared like s---less
“It’s me making my transition from just being a good swimmer to being a great swimmer.” SANTO CONDORELLI CANADIAN SWIMMER
but now I want them to be like that towards me.”
His route towards that possibility goes through Swimming Canada’s Olympic trials in Toronto, April 5-10.
He was already thinking about this week a year ago when he was at trials looking to make the Pan Am Games team and wondering how his body would hold up.
At university — he was with the University of Southern California then — he was training to swim 14 times in three days and the NCAA championships always come right before Canada’s trials, which can leave American-trained swimmers at a disadvantage.
Condorelli took no chances this year. To make sure he could be strong here and head to Rio without nagging injuries, he opted to take this year off university and the grind of NCAA swimming.
Last year, he was the new guy at team trials who lived and trained in the U.S.; he’s still that guy but now, he’s less new and, more importantly, he’s successful.
“Last year, coming in, knowing nobody and being the new guy and now after this summer it’ll be kind of interesting to see how it is when I come back for trials,” says Condorelli, who continues to train in California but now with a coach from his youth.
Hayden, Canada’s record holder in 100m freestyle, is already impressed with Condorelli.
Now retired and launching a new athletic clothing line, Hayden still remembers the “hey, I belong with the best” feeling that Condorelli is starting to experience. For him, it came after winning two silver relay medals at the 2005 world championships.
“People know my name,” he recalls thinking. “I’m not an underdog anymore and I’m not one of the swimmers who’s just showing up and filling the heat sheet.” Hayden went on to win the 100m freestyle world title in 2007 and Olympic bronze in 2012 London. But for all that success, his first swim under 48 seconds didn’t come until 2009 — with two Olympics under his belt already — and it was in the nowbanned polyurethane bodysuit.
“Santo has definitely risen through the ranks a lot faster than I did,” Hayden says.
“Going under 48 is really what separates the men from the boys. Back when I was a teenager the big number was 50 and then suddenly it was 49 and then with the last era of bodysuits all of a sudden everyone was going under 48 and then they got rid of the bodysuits . . . It became a new badge of honour to stay under without the suits,” he says.
“I know that my (Canadian 100m record) 47.2 was in a bodysuit and I hope that one day Santo will be able to break that and if not him then somebody else because it would be great for someone to say ‘hey, I’m the real deal here.’ But, if he goes faster than my London time (47.8 without the suit) that will also be a huge accomplishment that he should be recognized for. At least he can say he’s the fastest Canadian in a textile ever.”
Condorelli is only a fraction off that time now.
His best, set at the Toronto Pan Ams in the same pool he’ll race in this week, is 47.98.
“I was kind of worried about the men’s sprint program — that I was going to be leaving a void,” says Hayden.
“But that seemed to have gotten filled pretty quickly,” he says laughing. “I’m really excited about what he’s going to be able to do in Rio.”