Santo Condorelli Enjoys Reconnecting With Lopez at Paraguayan Camp

Santo Condorelli is doing his final Olympic prep in Paraguay along with the Singapore team. Courtesy: Diego Peralbo/abc.com.py

PARAGUAY – In the heart of South America, Canadian swimmer Santo Condorelli adjusts to the local weather as he trains –again- under Spanish coach Sergio Lopez’s directions in the National Aquatic Centre of Paraguay.

His goal for Rio? He says it’s a top 3 finish in the 100 free, his best event and one in which he ranks 9th int he world in the 2015-2016 season.

The World Championships finalist has described Lopez, under whom Condorelli trained as a high schooler in Jacksonville, Florida, as a “father figure in swimming.”

Condorelli and López are currently training in Asuncion city with Singapore’s Zhen and Ting Wen Quagh, as well as Rex Tullius from the Virgin Islands, who are also going to the Olympics. The local winter weather in Paraguay is similar to Brazil’s weather in August, which allows for acclimation to the Olympic conditions.

Asked about his goals for Rio and going under 48 seconds in the 100 free he said: “That’s definitely a goal. I mean, at my trials I was 48.0 and I was very disappointed with that, especially how I’ve been training. Stepped it up a lot and the times they kinda didn’t really correlate. The way I’ve been practicing here with Sergio has been predicting way faster than that, so, goals obviously goes with top 3 in my 100 freestyle and podium.”

According to him, the things that need to be improved are the related to the emotions. “When especially comes to the meet, not getting too frustrated or like ‘Oh I’m at the Olympics’ and like getting distracted or getting nervous, and anxiety-ridden. Just go out there and have fun. I’ve been working a lot with my stroke and how to push my race so when the time comes is just there, kind of muscle memory.”

After the Canadian trails the 21-year-old started training with López again. The two connected during Condorelli’s high schools years.

“Honestly he’s changed his coaching style a bit from the high school days. Which I like, but he’s still the kind and almost like a father figure to us in swimming. I’ve missed it for a while, and coming back it’s been very helpful. Like self-talk, he’s been very involved with it, so making us confident in ourselves and all that stuff. He’s been great. I love him”/

Condorelli named Cameron McEvoy as his ideal, when asked to imagine a perfect 100 m free final.

“He’s the fastest guy out there and it’s good cause he’s young, he’s small, you know, he’s not like the big guys like Manaudou, Nathan Adrian, you know, muscle buff dudes (laughs), he’s more kinda like me, more technical-oriented.”

Courtesy: Diego Peralbo/abc.com.py

Asked for another he mentioned his buddy and fellow USC Trojan Vlad Morozov, with whom Condorelli spent a summer training in Russia in the summer of 2014. “I’ve always loved racing him, especially at college at USC. He’s kinda like a mentor to me when I was younger and now that I’m getting fast I can actually compete with him, before he would just smocked me.”

About his time in Paraguay he said: “I’m loving Paraguay to tell you the truth. I don’t know the language too well, but thank God I have some buddies here that know the language and the locals have been very nice, especially at night” he joked a little. And he continued: “Every time I travel I love trying new foods. I’m used to empanadas, but they have this one like made with tapioca (he really means mandioca or cassava) or something. So good! And the sweets, the special ice cream, we went to a strawberry festival. We went there yesterday (Sunday) and they have this steps leading up to the Virgin or something”, tells about his discoveries in a country side known as Areguá city.”