HILARIOUS! Here's why this swimmer flashes middle finger at his dad before every race

New Delhi: Athletes are a superstitious lot. From Michael Phelps to Rafael Nadal, they perform a set routine before entering the battlefield.

This they believe brings them luck. And as soon as an athlete experiences success with a particular practice, he replicates it every time thereafter.

Canadian swimmer Santo Condorelli though follows a rather weird routine before entering the pool.

The 21-year-old flashes his middle finger directly at his dad prior to the race. Amusingly, his dad flips it right back.

The duo started this tradition when Santo was just 8 years old.

“[Dad said] ‘You’ve got to build your confidence yourself and say eff everybody else that you’re racing,'” Condorelli told The Canadian Press. “He said, ‘Every time you’re behind the blocks, give me the finger and I’ll give it back to you.'”

Now that's what you call out-of-the-box thinking.