The Olympic swimmer who gives his dad the middle finger before every race

As pre-race rituals go, Santo Condorelli's is a real F-U.

The Canadian is scheduled to compete in three Olympic swimming events over the next week. Before each one, expect to see him raise a middle finger to the crowd.

Condorelli isn't flipping the bird to just anyone, though -- it's meant for his father.

The tradition goes back to when Condorelli was a frustrated child swimmer losing to older opponents, according to The Canadian Press. His dad came up with an idea.

"[He said] 'You've got to build your confidence yourself and say eff everybody else that you're racing," Santo explains. "He said 'Every time you're behind the blocks, give me the finger and I'll give it back to you.'"

Here's the bird in action.

Condorelli is 21 years old now, so the pre-race middle finger ritual has been happening for many years. But with Condorelli preparing for his first Olympics, his middle finger will now take the global stage.

At a junior nationals race when Condorelli was younger, his father was seated next a television camera. Whoops.

"I was looking at my father and I gave him the finger ... directing it right at the camera," Condorelli told the Press. "I had to write an apology."

Condorelli poses for a Team Canada portrait in December. Credit: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

As Condorelli's profile has risen, he's had to be a bit more taciturn about giving his dad the bird, the Press reports. Now, he delivers a more subtle middle finger, with his hand closer to his forehead and his arm less extended.

You can catch the bird-flipping swimmer in action three times in Rio. He's slated to compete in the freestyle relay on Sunday, the 100-meter freestyle on Tuesday and the 50-meter freestyle on Thursday.

"Athletes always have that one thing that gets them going that they need to do," Condorelli told The Canadian Press. "That happens to be mine and still is. Seeing everybody's reaction to it has been interesting. I'm not trying to piss people off. I just put it in the middle of my forehead now. My dad is definitely giving it to me and I can see him from a mile away."