Former US Junior National Teamer Santo Condorelli Declares Canadian Sporting Citizenship

Follow all of the action from Toronto at the 2015 Canadian World Championship Trials, which begin Wednesday, here.

When psych sheets for the 2015 Canadian World Championship Trials were released last week, there were many international names on the list, primarily those who train in the United States (be it American or otherwise) looking to take advantage of a high-level meet, close to home, in the mind-blowing new Pan Am Games pool in Toronto. Most of these athletes were designated with an asterisk on psych sheets to indicate that they are foreign, not eligible for Canadian team selection, and also can’t race in the A-Finals.

One name, however, jumped off the page as not having an asterisk, and that was the name of USC sophomore, and former United States Junior National Team swimmer Santo Condorelli.

Often times, these asterisk systems aren’t entirely accurate, but on Tuesday, Condorelli confirmed to SwimSwam that he is, in fact, taking a shot at qualifying for the Canadian World Championships Team.

“It’s not an error, I am Canadian,” Condorelli said, elaborating that despite being raised in the United States, he earns that lineage through his mother’s side. “My main goal is to make the Worlds team at this meet.”

Given how little Canada has done in the men’s sprints since the retirement of Brent Hayden, Condorelli’s chances at qualification seem very high. In long course, his best times are:

• 50 free – 22.32
• 100 free – 49.38
• 200 free – 1:51.52

Those were all done back at Junior Nationals in 2013, and despite taking a training trip to Russia with Vlad Morozov last summer, he was unable to improve his freestyle times in 2014.

Condorelli is the 2nd seed in the 100 free, the 6th seed in the 50 free, and the top seed in both the 50 fly and 100 fly, the latter in a 52.50 that he did at Summer Nationals in 2014.

The standards that Condorelli would have to achieve in the 50 and 100 frees and the 100 fly to make the team individually:

• 50 free – 22.09
• 100 free – 48.78
• 100 fly – 52.37

Note: Condorelli is not entered in the 200 free, and there is no selection available in the 50 fly.

Condorelli seems to be a near-lock to earn an invite as a relay swimmer, however. There, the standard for the 100 free is just 51.12 and the 100 fly is just 54.36, though these picks are discretionary. If Condorelli achieves the B-standard in two or more events, he would also make the team. Those B standards are:

• 50 free – 22.25
• 100 free – 49.27
• 100 fly – 52.52

Condorelli, like many top swimmers at this meet, is coming on a quick turnaround from the NCAA Championships in the United States, where he competed last week for the USC Trojans.